What are the common propagation methods for Solomon's seal?

       Solomon's seal is a commonly used Chinese medicinal material. This product is the dried rhizome of the Liliaceae plants Polygonatum kingianum coll.et Hemsl., Polygonatum sibirifum Red., or Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua. According to different shapes, they are customarily called “large Solomon's seal”, “chicken-head Solomon's seal”, and “ginger-shaped Solomon's seal”. It is mainly produced in Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Yunnan and other provinces and regions. It is harvested in spring and autumn, the fibrous roots are removed, it is washed clean, briefly blanched in boiling water or steamed until thoroughly cooked through, and dried. Solomon's seal is warm and mild in tonifying nature, and after steaming and boiling, the astringent taste is removed and the flavor is sweet, so many people use Solomon's seal to make tea, steep wine, or simmer soup, eating a little every day to tonify qi and strengthen the kidneys. As a kidney-tonifying medicine, it has very good planting prospects, but before planting it is necessary to understand its propagation methods, so what propagation methods does Solomon's seal include?

Generally speaking, there are two methods for propagating Solomon's seal.

　　The first is rhizome propagation  In early spring in late March or around late autumn, select 1-2 year old robust rhizomes from plants free of pests and diseases, choose the young and tender part at the tip, cut into several sections, each section with 3-4 nodes, let the wounds dry slightly, and plant at a row spacing of 22-24 cm, plant spacing of 10-16 cm, and depth of 5 cm. After covering with soil, press down lightly and water, then water once every 3-5 days thereafter to keep the soil moist. When planting in late autumn, some barnyard manure and grass should be placed over the soil surface to keep it warm.

　　The second is seed propagation  Generally, after the seeds mature in August, select mature and plump seeds and immediately carry out sand storage treatment: 1 part seeds, 3 parts sandy soil, mix evenly. Store in a 30 cm deep pit in a shaded place, keeping it moist. Wait until late March of the following year, sift out the seeds, evenly broadcast them in shallow furrows on the seedbed surface at a row spacing of 12-15 cm, cover with about 1.5 cm of soil, press lightly and water, and cover with a layer of grass to retain moisture. Remove the covering grass before seedlings emerge. When the seedlings are 6-9 cm tall, thin them appropriately where they are too dense, and transplant after 1 year. To satisfy the shade conditions required for Solomon's seal growth, corn can be planted on the seedbed ridges.