Key Points of Figwort (Xuanshen) Cultivation Techniques and Detailed Field Management Methods
Figwortis a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine. The cultivation technique is simple, and you get a return in the same year you plant. The yield of dried product is about 500 kg per mu, the market purchase price is 16 yuan per kg, the retail price is 25 yuan per kg, and the annual output value is 7000-8000 thousand yuan. Xuanshen has no strict requirements for soil; it can be planted in any soil type, including scattered marginal land. In the past, root tubers were customarily used for planting. Now two planting methods that can propagate without cost are introduced:
I. Planting with old roots
When digging out figwort, cut off the medicinal root tubers and break off the remaining old roots for planting. Plant them as soon as they are dug out, or store them until the following spring when they sprout, then break them apart and plant individually. The plant spacing is 0.5 chi, the row spacing is 1.5 to 1.8 chi, and about 400 jin of old roots are used per mu. Figwort planted with old roots has a somewhat lower yield than that planted with root tubers, but it saves cost. The old roots come from the seed bodies after harvesting root-tuber plantings and from seed propagation.
II. Stem and branch propagation
In the moldy rainy season, cut 2 to 3 cun long basal or side branches and plant them 1 cun deep in the ground. The plant spacing is 5 cm, and the row spacing is 8 cm. Build a shed for shade. In 4 to 6 days they send out fibrous roots and take root. Pay attention to soil dryness and moisture; if dry, the survival rate decreases, and if wet, root rot is likely. In about 10 days it is determined whether they can survive. After one month they can be transplanted with soil, and harvested before freezing. Within the three months of April, May, and June, whether figwort is planted with old roots or root tubers, it is necessary to pinch the tops and cut off the side branches and tops, and use the cut branch tips for propagation. First, this can save the cost of root tuber medicinal material, and second, it can rapidly expand the planting area. There are also two conventional planting methods.
1. Root tuber propagation
Apply sufficient base fertilizer, deep plow the land about 1 chi, level it and make beds. From when the ground thaws in spring to Qingming is the planting time. Point the buds upward, make holes 2 to 2.5 cun deep, cover with soil 1 to 1.5 cun, and use the same plant and row spacing as above. At a temperature of 18-20 degrees Celsius, full emergence can occur in 20 days, and 300 jin of root tubers are needed per mu.
2. Seed propagation
Using seeds for propagation yields no output value in the first year; it can only propagate seed bodies. Use a sunny bed or hotbed for seedling raising, apply sufficient base fertilizer, make the bed and water once, and sow after the water has seeped through. Scatter the seeds on the surface of the bed, cover completely with fine soil, then cover with brushwood to maintain moisture. After emergence, remove the brushwood, and after autumn take the root tubers as seed bodies. After the figwort seedlings emerge completely, carry out weeding. After they are 1 chi tall, apply cake fertilizer or urea as a top dressing. When the seedlings are 2 chi tall, pinch the tops and cut off the flower buds. Generally, no pesticide is needed. If red spiders occur, spray with 2000-fold dimethoate to kill them.
The harvest time for figwort is from Frost's Descent to before sprouting the following year, a relatively idle period that does not compete with other crops for farming time. At harvest, cut off the aboveground part, then dig it out. The root tubers are used as medicine, and the old roots are kept for planting in the second half of the year. After the dug-out root tubers are air-dried until half dry, pile them up and let them sweat for 2 to 3 days. When the interior turns black, continue drying them in the sun until dry, and then they can be sold.