Detailed Guide to Pulsatilla Cultivation Techniques: Planting Methods and Management Points

1. Seed collection  

The main propagation method of Pulsatilla is seedling raising by seed followed by transplanting. In Northeast China, seed collection is generally in early June. When 60% of the seeds have yellowed and matured, collect the seeds. If too early, the seeds will not be mature enough and will not sprout vigorously; if too late, the seeds will be carried away and scattered by the wind by their own feathers. Put the collected seeds in a bamboo basket to dry in the sun, covering them with a screen mesh to prevent the seeds from being blown away by the wind. When dried to above 98% dryness, place them on an iron mesh sieve and rub repeatedly until both the seeds and feathers are rubbed to pieces and fall through the iron mesh. Pulsatilla seeds are very small; generally each kilogram contains 500,000 seeds, and the germination rate is above 86%.  

2. Land preparation

Choose a plot of sandy loam or air-permeable black loam with high, dry terrain. Apply 2000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu. Where conditions do not permit, chemical fertilizer may be used; generally apply 10 kg of diammonium phosphate evenly scattered on the selected plot, then per mu apply 1 kg of phorate (to prevent underground pests) and pentachloronitrobenzene (to prevent seedling-stage diseases), mix with three times the amount of wet sand and scatter evenly into the field, then use a rotary tiller to break the soil fine. Where conditions do not permit, the land can be turned manually or with a stubble-clearing machine. After turning, make seedbeds 120 cm wide, with ditches 25 cm wide and 15 cm deep. Level and refine the bed surface with a rake, and wait for sowing.

3. Sowing

Soak the seeds in warm water for 6 hours, remove and drain the water, wrap them in a wet burlap piece or gauze, and place them at 25--30° to promote germination. After about 5 days, when germination reaches above 70%, sow immediately. If sowing cannot be done in time, place the sprouts at around 5° where they can be stored for about a week; generally they need to be refrigerated in a refrigerator. After the seedbed is prepared, at a rate of 2.5 kg of seeds per mu, sow the seeds evenly onto the seedbed, then cover the seeds with fine soil sifted through a sieve, generally covering with about 0.5 cm of soil, then water thoroughly. Where conditions permit, cover with rice straw, sawdust, etc., to help maintain moisture.

4. Post-sowing management

Pulsatilla seeds that have been pre-germinated generally emerge about 4 days after sowing. During this period, maintaining moisture is the key to successful seedling raising. When the seedlings grow to the 3-leaf 1-heart stage, it is the rainy summer season, so attention should be paid to drainage and timely weeding to avoid losses caused by weed overgrowth. If the seedlings are not growing vigorously, apply 4 kg of urea per mu, and water immediately after application or choose to fertilize before rain, to avoid fertilizer damage caused by high temperatures.

5. Transplanting

Transplanting can be done in the autumn of the year of seedling raising or the spring of the following year, and large seedlings cultivated for two years can also be transplanted. For the transplanting field, it is best to choose the sunny slope of mountainous land where water does not accumulate, or wasteland such as abandoned orchards. Beds can be made according to the standard for seedling beds, or ridges can be made. The planting spacing is generally 15 cm X 15 cm, with about 30,000 seedlings maintained per mu. When transplanting, if the land is dry, water thoroughly after planting. Pulsatilla is extremely drought-tolerant, so afterward, under normal conditions without severe drought, there is basically no need to water.

6. Commercial field management

Pulsatilla is tolerant of poor soil and requires extensive management. Apart from weeding, it generally needs no management. Before sprouting each spring, a dedicated herbicide can be used to seal the soil, so no manual weeding is needed. Before greening up, 10 kg of potassium sulfate compound fertilizer can be applied per mu to help accelerate root growth.

7. Harvesting and processing

Generally, harvest is after two years of transplanting. In autumn, after the aboveground parts wither, first cut off the remaining stems, then use a medicine-digging machine or manually use a pickaxe to dig out the root system. Remove the soil and dry it in the sun to obtain the finished product. Generally, the dry yield per mu is above 350-420 kg.