Detailed Explanation of Gastrodia Cultivation Methods and Planting Techniques

        Gastrodia is a herbaceous plant whose underground tubers are used as medicine. It is mainly used to treat hypertension, vertigo, headache, facial paralysis, limb numbness, infantile convulsions, hemiplegia and other conditions. It is also used for pilots' brain health care and for Alzheimer's disease, making it an ideal tonic for brain and nerve health.        1. Propagation of Gastrodia        1.1 Sexual propagation        When a few Gastrodia plants send up above-ground stems and bloom, the sandy soil should be kept moist, the flower stems should be supported with bamboo poles, and direct sunlight should be shaded. After the flower buds take shape, the flowers open from bottom to top, one to several per day. If pollinating insects are lacking, bees can be kept nearby or artificial pollination can be carried out: use tweezers to open the corolla, remove the anther cap, take out the pollinia, and place it on the stigma. Pollination should be done between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If pollination succeeds, the ovary swells, the corolla withers, and the suture lines of the ovary become obvious. Once it splits open, a large number of seeds will be released. When one fruit splits open, cut off the adjacent 3-5 fruits and place them in a container to take the seeds after they split naturally. The seeds scattered in the container should be sown immediately and must not be left standing. Lift up the fungal material of the prepared fungal bed, spread broadleaf tree leaves about 1 cm thick underneath, scatter the seeds among the leaf layer, sowing the seeds of 10-20 fruits per square meter, then restore the fungal material to its original state, scatter a layer of leaves, cover with fill material, and let it grow strong Gastrodia to become high-yielding hybrid seed tubers. When planting Gastrodia, prepare several more fungal beds, do not put in seed tubers, and reserve them for Gastrodia sexual propagation. 1.2 Asexual propagation        In October-November, when the ground temperature is 5-6°C, Armillaria can grow, while Gastrodia needs about 10°C to begin sprouting. Therefore, Gastrodia planted in autumn and winter needs a relatively long time for the soil Armillaria and the seed tubers to combine, so that when the Gastrodia begins to sprout the following year it can receive a sufficient nutrient supply. Thus autumn planting is the best season. The method is:        (1) Site selection and pit digging: choose black humus sandy loam soil, on mountain land that can drain water and retain warmth, or dig a pit in the courtyard, 25-30 cm deep, 50-60 cm wide, with the length depending on the site. The bottom of the pit should have a 10°-15° slope along the mountain direction to facilitate water flow.        (2) Preparing backfill soil: use the black, loose soil from broadleaf forests on the mountain (old firewood bottom layer) as backfill soil; alternatively, choose fertile black mud from flat land plus sawdust, or soil plus rice husks, or the debris screened out after screening soybeans when threshing soybeans; the part that passes through the screen should be bagged for later use, and the part remaining on the screen should be crushed for later use. When harvesting sweet potatoes, cut the vines into inch-long pieces, dry them, crush them with a feed machine, transport them to the planting site, and mix them with sandy soil. The ratio of sawdust to sandy soil is 3:1 (volume ratio); leaves (uncrushed if not rotted) plus muddy sandy soil, ratio 4:1; rice husks (or salt bean vines, mountain jasmine vine powder material) plus sand, ratio 2:1; then cover with a layer of fine sand and cover well with dry grass and fallen leaves. To promote the growth and development of Armillaria, phosphate fertilizer can be applied all at once when cultivating fungal sticks, that is, a 0.5%-1% aqueous solution of monopotassium phosphate, or a layer of calcium superphosphate powder, with 20-30 g per pit, weighed out and prepared for broadcasting.        (3) Arrangement of fungal sticks: first scatter mixed mud 5-6 cm deep on the bottom of the pit, then scatter a layer of half-rotted broadleaf tree leaves (not too thick), just enough to cover the soil. First place the lower layer, laying 3-4 fungal sticks along the mountain slope direction, with a distance of 2-3 cm between sticks, and place 3-4 seed tubers tightly against the sticks between two sticks; when placing them, point the growth points at both ends outward, and place 2 seed tubers at each end of the fungal sticks. After placing them, cover with mixed soil up to the level of the sticks, then place another layer of fungal sticks and seed tubers, and fill the gaps with soil. When placing them, the upper and lower sticks should be staggered. After the first layer is placed, add 5 cm of mixed soil, then place the second layer of fungal sticks and seed tubers. Cover with a layer of leaves on top, and finally cover with soil 7-10 cm to ground level.        (4) Fungal stick plus firewood cultivation method: this enables Gastrodia to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with Armillaria and also provides rich nutrition for Armillaria. During cultivation, fungal wood and firewood alternate, seed tubers should be placed tightly against the fungal sticks, and leaves should be scattered and soil filled in.        (5) Fungal bed cultivation method: in May-June, when rural areas are idle, dig the pit well and put in fungal branch wood and firewood sticks. When planting, dig open the fungal bed, first dig out the upper layer of fungal sticks; do not move the lower layer of sticks, only use a small shovel to make a small hole in the middle of the lower layer of sticks, put in the seed tubers, then put the upper layer of sticks back in place (do not mix up the original sticks), place the seed tubers tightly against the fungal sticks, scatter 20 g of calcium superphosphate, fill the gaps with soil and cover with soil to ground level. This method connects fungal blocks, has a high fungal connection rate, and also gives high yield.        (6) Three-pronged cultivation method: that is, use artificially cultivated pure Armillaria together with sterile fresh sticks and seed tubers placed into the pit at the same time. Generally, the amount of fungal spawn used is 8-9 clumps per square meter, and 1.5 kg of seed Gastrodia (3 pits per square meter).        2. Management after cultivation        Seed Gastrodia is placed into the pit in October-November, and the following April-May one weeding is done, preventing trampling by people and livestock.        (1) Drought prevention: in spring, Gastrodia has just begun to develop and grow and needs little water. June-August is its peak growth period. In case of drought, attention should be paid to watering to protect the buds, because tender buds cannot adapt to adverse conditions and are prone to drying up and dying. A small pit can be gently dug with a hoe at the upper end of the pit, then water can be poured in to seep down, and after watering it can be restored to its original state. On flat land, water can be poured around the pit to seep in, and at the same time a trellis can be set up and melons and fruits planted to let the vines shade the sun.        (2) Waterlogging prevention: dig drainage ditches well.        (3) Freeze prevention: cover with weeds or a thick layer of leaves.