How to Grow Fritillaria thunbergii? A Detailed Guide to Cultivating This Medicinal Herb
Site Selection and Land Preparation
Alluvial soil along rivers, at the foot of mountains, and on both sides of large streams is the best choice. Deep soil rich in humus, sandy loam, and well-drained sandy loam are suitable for growing Fritillaria thunbergii, and it can be rotated with crops such as corn, soybeans, and sweet potatoes. Clay and sandy soils are both unsuitable. Fritillaria thunbergii dislikes continuous cropping and cannot be planted 3 times in a row, otherwise it is prone to disease. After selecting the site, plow deeply 18-20 cm, harrow fine and level, and make beds 200 cm wide and 12-15 cm high, with furrows 15-20 cm deep and about 30 cm wide. Apply 37500-75000 kg of decomposed barnyard manure and compost per hectare, spread evenly into the topsoil.
Propagation Methods
Fritillaria thunbergii is propagated asexually in production; sexual propagation takes 5 years from seed to a harvestable bulb, so it is mostly not used.
1. Grading of seed bulbs The purpose of grading is to prevent uneven plant height after Fritillaria thunbergii emerges, which affects growth and causes inconvenience in management. Grading is mainly done by bulb size. Except for No. 2 bulbs (medium-sized bulbs), which are used for planting in the seed field, all other grades are used for planting in the commercial field. In Fritillaria thunbergii fields that have overwintered, seed bulb grading is carried out in 2 rounds. The first round is to select No. 2 bulbs when digging up the soil, ensuring the seed field is planted in time. The others are temporarily piled indoors, and then a second grading is carried out indoors according to the grading standards.
2. Bulb propagation The planting period for both the seed field and the commercial field is from mid-September to early October. Before planting, dig out the No. 2 bulbs kept for seed (bulbs 4-5 cm in diameter, uniform in size, flat-round in shape, tightly clasped, with plump buds and free of pests and diseases). The seed field is planted first, planting as they are dug; after the seed field is planted, the commercial field is then planted. First open furrows on the bed, with a furrow spacing of 20 cm; the seed field furrows are 10-15 cm deep, and the commercial field furrows are 5-7 cm deep, with a plant spacing of 15 cm, and the bulb buds facing upward. The seeding rate per mu is 400-500 kg for the seed field and 250-300 kg for the commercial field. Because the commercial field is planted relatively shallow, the beds are generally not intercropped with other crops.
3. Seed propagation
The seeds have the characteristic of post-maturation of the embryo, and after harvest they should preferably be sown in autumn of the same year (mid-September to mid-October). If sowing is delayed until after mid-November, the emergence rate drops significantly. Seed propagation requires 5 years before harvest, takes a long time, and makes it difficult to keep seedlings and get through the summer, so it is used relatively little in production. However, in areas where seed bulbs are difficult to obtain, seed propagation is used. Before sowing, select good seed and sow in drills or broadcast; drilling is better. Open shallow furrows at a row spacing of 6.5 cm, 1.5-2 cm deep, spread ashy fertilizer soil in the furrows, and after sowing and covering with soil, cover the bed surface with a thin layer of rice husk or decomposed sheep barnyard manure. From sowing to emergence, the seed field needs 3-4 months, and the seed field is planted very deep. To make full use of the land and fertility, vegetables and other crops can be intercropped, but as a rule they must be harvested before the winter solstice.
Field Management
1. Cultivation, weeding, and fertilizing Weeding must be frequent and early, generally 3-4 times, mainly before Fritillaria thunbergii emerges and during the early stage of plant growth. The first is a shallow hoeing in early February when the seedlings are uniform; the second is a suitably deeper hoeing from late February to late March; the third is in early April, taking care to avoid damaging the secondary stems. It can also be combined with fertilizing. Before fertilizing, weed once to loosen the soil so that fertilizer is easily absorbed. When the seedlings are 12-15 cm tall and bolting, weed once every 15 days, or pull weeds as soon as they appear; the seed field is cultivated once in mid-May. After the intercropped crops are harvested, applying winter fertilizer is very important, and the amount is large. The aboveground part of Fritillaria thunbergii grows for only about 3 months. The period of fertilizer demand is relatively concentrated, and topdressing after emergence alone cannot meet the needs of the entire growth period, whereas winter fertilizer can satisfy the entire growth period and supply nutrients continuously, so winter fertilizer should be mainly slow-release fertilizer. Apply heavy base fertilizer: open shallow furrows on the bed surface, apply 15000 kg of human and animal manure per hectare into the furrows, cover with soil, and then cover with a fermented mixture of barnyard manure, garbage, and cake fertilizer, broken up, about 37500 kg, and level it so as not to hinder emergence. For the commercial field, add 300 kg of chemical fertilizer. In February of the second year, after the seedlings are uniform, apply seedling fertilizer, 11250-15000 kg of human and animal manure per hectare, diluted with water and poured between the rows. After picking the flowers, apply flower fertilizer once more, using the same method as above.
2. Irrigation and drainage Fritillaria thunbergii needs a bit more water from February to April. If water is lacking during this period, the plants grow poorly, directly affecting bulb enlargement and yield. Throughout the growth period, water must not be too much or too little. However, in the dry spring of the north, water once a week; in the rainy season of the south, pay attention to drainage. Especially during the summering period of Fritillaria thunbergii, measures such as opening furrows for drainage should be taken to prevent standing water on the ground, so as to avoid bulb rot.
3. Flower picking and top removal In mid-to-late March, when the plant has already opened 3-4 flowers and 2-3 more at the top have not yet opened, remove the flowers together with the 6-10 cm long top shoot; the flower shoots can be dried in the sun for medicinal use. Picking flowers and removing the top can reduce nutrient consumption, promote bulb enlargement, and also promote the growth of secondary stems, increasing the area for photosynthesis.
4. Intercropping During the summering period of Fritillaria thunbergii, melons, beans, vegetables, and other crops can be intercropped on the Fritillaria thunbergii field to lower soil temperature, help Fritillaria thunbergii pass the summer safely, and promote the slow growth of the underground part during the summering period.