Detailed Guide to Notopterygium Cultivation Techniques: How to Grow the Medicinal Herb Notopterygium
Site Selection and Land Preparation
The seedling bed should preferably be a shady, moist, fertile, loose-textured brown forest soil; the transplanting site should preferably be a deep, loose-textured, fertile sandy loam. Land with heavy clay texture or low-lying waterlogged areas is not suitable for planting. Before planting, plow deeply, harrow fine, level the soil, apply sufficient base fertilizer, and make raised beds 1.5 m wide, with bed length depending on the terrain.
Planting Methods
1. Seedling Raising
Seed collection and seed treatment: Collect seeds at the end of August to early September each year, remove impurities, sun-dry them, then mix the seeds with clean sand at a ratio of 1:5, blend evenly and add water to a moisture level of 60-70%, and carry out cold stratification until sowing the following spring. Seeds should not be stored for long periods, to prevent a decrease in germination rate.
Sowing: On the prepared beds, open furrows at a row spacing of 6 cm and a furrow depth of 1 cm, evenly scatter the treated seeds into the furrows, then cover with soil. The sowing rate is 3 kg per mu. Rhizome propagation can also be used: generally select rhizomes with buds, cut them into 3 cm segments, open furrows at the same plant and row spacing as for seed seedling raising, place the rhizomes into the furrows, cover with soil, and firm down.
Rhizome propagation: Carry out in autumn or at harvest in spring. Select rhizomes with buds and cut them into small segments, each segment having 1-2 buds. Plant in rows: open furrows at a row spacing of 33 cm, with a furrow depth of 15-17 cm and a width of 15 cm, place the rhizomes horizontally in the furrows, placing 1 segment every 8-10 cm, cover with manure or fine soil 14-16 cm deep, and water.
2. Transplanting: Transplant in early April. On the prepared beds, open furrows at a row spacing of 30 cm, arrange the planting stock in the furrows at a plant spacing of 15 cm, then cover with soil, leaving the rhizome crown (lu tou) slightly exposed.
3. Field Management
Seedling stage management: Notopterygium seedlings are afraid of light, so shade frames should be set up; weeding should not be done in the early seedling stage. After true leaves emerge, weed in combination with intertillage, and topdress at the same time, preferably with human manure and urine or barnyard manure. In rainy seasons, pay attention to drainage to avoid root and rhizome rot caused by waterlogging. After the seedlings die back in winter, earth up soil for overwintering; they can generally overwinter naturally.
Transplanting site management: Apply phosphate fertilizer once each year, about 100 kg per mu, weed frequently, and remove flower buds at the bud stage to promote root growth.