What are the new methods for growing Poria cocos? Key techniques explained in detail
1. Selecting the stump
Any pine stump left after felling with a diameter of 16 cm or more can be used for cultivating Poria cocos. Generally, stumps from trees felled in the previous autumn or the current spring are used, and the bark must not have fallen off, the wood must not be hollowed out by insects or ants, and it must not be decayed.
2. Bark stripping
From March to June or in the previous winter, clear the weeds within 1 m around the pine stump, strip off most of the bark on the stump, leaving only 4 strips of bark one finger wide at equal spacing; for branch roots with a diameter of 3 cm or more, also strip off most of the bark, leaving only one strip of bark connected to the bark retained on the stump, so that the spawn can spread through.
3. Digging the soil
Loosen the soil within 1 m around the stump to a depth of more than 40 cm, pick out all weed roots and stones, expose the main root and lateral roots of the stump above the ground, and cut off branch roots with a diameter of less than 3 cm. The remaining branch roots should be cut off at 0.7 m-1 m to prevent the spawn from spreading outward.
4. Inoculating
Sprinkle termite-prevention powder around the stump and roots, cover with a thin layer of soil, then inoculate with the spawn. There are two inoculation methods: (1) High-stump inoculation method: if the pine stump is relatively tall, saw a notch 10 cm deep near the root of the stump, place the spawn wood chips tightly in the notch, tie firmly, wrap with wet straw paper, and then cover with soil. (2) Low-stump inoculation method: suitable for short stumps; cut away the bark on the side of the base of a thick root, and place a pine log segment (diameter 10 cm, length 80 cm, with one strip of bark one finger wide retained and the rest stripped to the xylem) against this spot after drying it in the sun, then place the spawn wood chips tightly against the debarked part of the thick root and the pine log segment, cover with pine wood chips, and press firmly. For thick pine stumps, inoculate 3-4 inoculation points.
5. Covering with soil
After inoculation on a low stump, cover with soil 4-7 cm thick and pile it into a steamed-bun shape. After inoculation on a high stump, pile soil up to 4-7 cm above the inoculation point, leaving the top of the stump exposed above the ground. Drainage ditches should be opened around it, and a ring of termite powder should be sprinkled on both sides of the ditches.
6. Management
Ten days after inoculation, the mycelium has begun to grow into the stump; at this time, check whether it has been colonized, and re-inoculate promptly those that have not. The main pest of Poria cocos is the termite, which in severe cases often hollows out the pine wood. Control method: frequently dig open part of the pits in the Poria cocos planting area and check whether there are ant trails in the pits; once found, promptly spray termite insecticide on the termites' bodies so that they carry it back to the nest and infect and poison each other to death.
7. Harvesting
Poria cocos begins to form 60 days after inoculation. As the Poria cocos swells, cracks appear in the soil; at this time, cover promptly with a thin layer of soil to protect the Poria cocos. After 9 months, it can be dug up; when digging, harvest the large ones and leave the small ones, cover with soil again, and after another 4-5 months another batch can be harvested. A stump with a diameter of 20 cm or more can yield about 7.5 kg of fresh Poria cocos and can be harvested for 2 consecutive years.
8. Processing
Pile the fresh Poria cocos indoors, cover tightly with rice straw and let it “sweat” for 5-6 days, then spread it out to air for 1-2 days. Then cover tightly with rice straw and pile for 5-6 days, peel, put into a steamer and steam until thoroughly cooked through, or boil in water until thoroughly cooked through (when boiling, change the water 3-4 times; when the water turns black, change the water). Take it out and cut with a sharp knife into 4 cm × 4 cm × 0.5 cm cubes. Then place the white pieces and the reddish pieces separately in bamboo mats or bamboo sieves, cover with 1 sheet of white paper, and sun-dry until completely dry. In rainy weather, they can be dried over charcoal fire (do not use an open flame for drying).