High-Yield Cultivation Techniques and Management Essentials for Flower Shiitake Mushrooms
Flower shiitake mushrooms are produced when shiitake mushrooms are stimulated by certain specific environmental conditions. The natural occurrence rate is 4-5%. No pesticides, fertilizers or any hormones are used during production, and they are free from any contamination, so they can meet organic food standards. With rich nutrition and effects such as disease prevention, health promotion and delaying aging, they are welcomed by people at home and abroad. Let us take a look below at the high-yield cultivation techniques for flower shiitake mushrooms!
Mushroom Shed Construction
Choose a sunny, ventilated, flat site with dry soil and convenient access for materials to build an east-west oriented mushroom shed. The shed is 6 m long, 2.6 m wide and 2.4 m high. Build 3 brick walls at both ends and in the middle of the shed. The upper ends of the walls are curved. Leave a door 2 m high and 0.6 m wide in the middle, and leave a square exhaust hole with a side length of 12 cm above each door at both ends. Use bamboo poles as shelf layers, with 8 poles per layer, a layer spacing of 33 cm, and 6 layers in total, which can hold 500 mushroom bags. Cover the shelves with wide film.
Planting Time
Flower shiitake mushrooms are divided into spring planting, autumn planting and winter planting. They are generally planted in autumn. The shiitake mushrooms produced at this time are mostly flower shiitake mushrooms and have relatively good economic value. When the daily average temperature is 26-28°C, it can meet the temperature requirements of shiitake mushroom mycelium. After 60-70 days of mycelial growth, the bags can be fully colonized, and after another 10-15 days color change can be completed. Mushrooms generally emerge in November. Before Spring Festival, 2 flushes of flower shiitake mushrooms can be produced; after Spring Festival, 1 flush of flower shiitake mushrooms, 1 flush of thick mushrooms and 1 flush of thin mushrooms can be produced.
Nutrient Substrate Preparation
Use oak and fruit tree sawdust as the main materials, and crop straws (soybean stalks, cotton stalk wood), wheat bran and quicklime as auxiliary materials. Sawdust should be no less than 70%, and fresh wheat bran no less than 20%. When mixing, first pour the sawdust and other main materials into the mixing yard and pile them into a cone shape. Then sprinkle fresh wheat bran and gypsum from the top of the pile to the surroundings. Dry-mix 2-3 times to mix evenly. Then mix soluble additives such as sugar and monopotassium phosphate in water, splash the solution into the dry materials in several portions and stir. The mixing should achieve “two evennesses and one sufficiency”, namely all dry materials are mixed evenly, the moisture of the material is even, and the raw materials absorb water fully.
Bagging and Sterilization
Use large-bag cultivation. Cut low-pressure polyethylene plastic tube film 25 cm wide into 55 cm long sections, then tie one end tightly with cotton thread, and burn it with candle flame until it melts into a small ball shape. Put the culture substrate into the bag. The filling should be appropriately tight. After filling, tie the opening with cotton thread and place the bags on the ground covered with gunny sacks. The prepared culture substrate should be bagged within 6-8 hours. Put the filled bags into a normal-pressure sterilization stove. At the same time, put the outer sleeve bags with one end sealed (bag length 58 cm, width 26 cm) and absorbent cotton into the steamer for sterilization. Leave a gap 20-30 cm high in the stove. Burn with high heat so that the temperature in the stove reaches 100°C within 4-6 hours, then maintain the temperature for 36 hours. After stopping the fire, open the stove. When the material temperature drops to 70°C, take the bags out and transport them to the inoculation room.
Spawning and Inoculation
Choose high-quality varieties with good marketability as spawn, such as 087, CR-02, L867, Biyang No. 1, Biyang No. 3, etc. The inoculation room must be disinfected in advance. When the bag temperature drops to 50°C, put the spawn and inoculation tools into the room. Use 0.5-1 kg of formaldehyde per room for gas disinfection for 8-10 hours. Inoculate when the bag temperature drops below 30°C. After inoculation, put on the outer bags. Inoculation is best done at night or in the morning. During inoculation, inoculate each bag in 3 rows, with 3 holes per row. One bottle of spawn can inoculate 7-10 bags.
Mycelial Growth Management
From days 1-6 after inoculation, stack 6 layers per pile, close the door for mycelial growth, and require the room temperature to be no higher than 28°C and the relative humidity to be no higher than 70%. On day 7, turn the piles. From days 7-14, stack 5 layers per pile, maintain the room temperature at 24-27°C, and ventilate 2-3 times per day for 0.5-1 hour each time. On day 15, turn the piles and loosen the outer bag ties to increase oxygen. From days 16-19, maintain the room temperature at 23-25°C and ventilate 2-3 times per day for 1-2 hours each time. On day 20, remove the outer bags and use a toothpick to prick 3-4 holes in the bag around the mycelium, with a hole depth of about 1 cm, preferably without touching the raw material. From days 21-29, the mycelium between the holes can connect. At this time, maintain the room temperature between 22-24°C and the relative humidity below 70%, strengthen ventilation, lower the stack layers, and prevent bag burning from high temperature. On day 30, use a sweater needle to prick 5-6 holes about 2 cm deep in the bag around the inoculation holes, and turn the piles in time to dissipate heat. On day 40, use chopsticks to prick several holes. From days 50-60, when nodular protrusions appear on the bag surface, promptly drain accumulated water in the bags so that the bag surface gradually changes color.
Primordium Induction Management
Move the color-changed mushroom bags into the mushroom shed. Cover with film during the day to raise the temperature so that the temperature in the shed remains between 18-22°C and the air humidity remains between 85-95%. Starting at 10 p.m., open the mushroom shed for 40 minutes so that the temperature in the shed drops below 10°C, creating a day-night temperature difference of more than 10°C. Treat continuously in this way for 3-4 days to allow the mycelium to knot and form primordia. At this time, control the temperature in the shed within the range of 15±3°C, and soon the primordia will transform into mushroom buds. When the mushroom buds reach 0.5-1 cm in diameter and slightly lift the mushroom bag, promptly use a blade to cut a “”-shaped hole in the film so that the mushroom buds can grow freely from the cut. When the mushroom buds grow to 2 cm in diameter, begin cultivating flower shiitake mushrooms.
Fruiting Management
1. When the mushroom buds reach 3 tenths maturity, promptly uncover the film to let a gentle breeze stimulate the buds. When the mushroom buds reach 4-5 tenths maturity and flower shiitake mushrooms are not yet visible, promptly let sunlight enter the mushroom shed and increase ventilation to promote the formation of flower shiitake mushrooms. When the water content of the mushroom bag is insufficient, the mushroom buds lack water, or when wind speed is high, the mushroom buds easily dehydrate and shrink to form flower shiitake mushrooms. At this time, promptly cover the film again to allow growth and development.
2. During the fruiting growth stage, the relative air humidity should be maintained between 50-70% to prevent excessive humidity from making it difficult to form flower shiitake mushrooms. After flower shiitake mushrooms form, stop spraying water. On cloudy and rainy days, promptly cover the shade shed and film. Allow immature mushroom buds to grow into ordinary shiitake mushrooms. For flower shiitake mushrooms that are nearly mature or already mature, harvest before rain and dry them in time to prevent the cracks of the flower shiitake mushrooms from healing.
3. In order to allow mushroom bags to produce mushrooms again after harvesting flower shiitake mushrooms, promptly replenish water. Generally, soaking or injection methods can be used. Raise the temperature in the shed to 24-27°C and the humidity to 75%-85%, and cultivate the mycelium for 7-10 days. After the mycelium is well cultivated, replenish water so that the water content of the mushroom bag reaches 50%55%. Starting from the third water replenishment, mushroom nutrients need to be added each time water is replenished.
Cultivation Techniques for Polyporus umbellatus and Gastrodia elata
Hello Professor Gao; I would like to understand the artificial cultivation techniques for Polyporus umbellatus? And the high-yield cultivation techniques for Gastrodia elata?Name: Yuan Fangchun Unit: Fusong County, Jilin Province Contact phone: 130*****277 2008-12-13
Expert Answer
Comrade Yuan Fangchun: Hello. The questions you consulted about are now answered as follows: Polyporus umbellatus is a perennial fungal medicinal material, appearing as irregular black blocks. The underground sclerotium is used as medicine. During the growth period, Polyporus umbellatus has 3 colors: black, gray and white. The growth process changes from white to gray and then to black. Black and gray Polyporus umbellatus are both commodity medicinal materials and can also be used for asexual cultivation. White Polyporus umbellatus is the young sclerotium in the expansion stage and has no economic value. Like other fungi, Polyporus umbellatus produces fruiting bodies and spores. The spores form clamp-connected mycelium, which decomposes and absorbs nutrients such as lignin by itself. The mycelium knots to form small white Polyporus umbellatus. When the white sclerotium stops growing, it turns gray and gradually becomes black and separates from the original nutrient source. At this time, only after Armillaria mellea invades does it begin to continue growing. Armillaria mellea does not invade the white sclerotium grown in the same year, but only infects gray and black sclerotia and forms a symbiotic relationship. In the past, Polyporus umbellatus production always relied on wild resources. With the development of science and technology and continuous research on Polyporus umbellatus, pure spawn was finally made by the spore isolation method, and artificial cultivation was successfully achieved. Through trial planting, under suitable temperature conditions, pure Polyporus umbellatus spawn sown for 30--40 d(days) can grow many white young sclerotia the size of corn kernels. The sowing and cultivation period is not limited by season. The growth cycle has been shortened from 4--5 years under the old cultivation method to 2--3 years. Each square meter produces 5--10 kg in 2 years and 15--20 kg in 3 years. It is not only suitable for planting in mountain forests, but can also be planted in plains, courtyards, greenhouses and indoors. The specific cultivation methods are as follows: 1. Living tree root (stump) cultivation method: Choose broadleaf trees with relatively thick diameter and deep soil at the roots. Dig away the topsoil at the roots, find 1--2 larger roots, dig a planting pit 30 cm wide and about 1 m long along the root growth direction, expose the roots, cut off fibrous roots and root tips, and at a point 20 cm from the trunk, ring-bark the exposed lateral roots by 3--5 cm. Spread 5--10 cm thick semi-rotted leaves at the bottom of the pit, place pre-cultivated spawn sticks about 10 cm along the roots, or Armillaria mellea spawn and an appropriate amount of small tree sections. Scatter Polyporus umbellatus spawn into the leaves, fill level with humus soil and slightly higher than the ground, and cover with an appropriate amount of leaves or weeds. Let it grow for 2--3 years before harvesting. 2. Pit cultivation: Cultivate by drilling holes in wood or directly scatter spawn. Cottonseed hulls, corn cobs and other substitute materials can also be used for box cultivation. For miscellaneous wood more than 5 cm in diameter, cut into 50--60 cm sections, dry to 90% dry, then drill holes. Immediately fill the small holes with spawn, place them parallel in the planting holes at a spacing of 10 cm, fill 3 cm thick wet leaves between sticks, and place an appropriate amount of Armillaria mellea spawn or old spawn sticks previously used for Gastrodia elata at both ends of the sticks and among the leaves. Fill the pits level with humus soil and higher than the ground. For scattered planting, dig pits at 60--80 cm. For contiguous field planting, dig strip-shaped planting belts 80 cm wide and of unlimited length, with 40 cm between planting belts. Branches less than 5 cm in diameter can be cut into 15--20 cm small sections, or substitute materials can be used to dig pits and scatter spawn by referring to the above methods, but it is best to plant 2 layers. Each square meter uses 1--2 bottles (packs) each of high-quality Polyporus umbellatus spawn and Armillaria mellea spawn, and a total of 40--50 kg of broadleaf tree sections or old spawn sticks, substitute materials, etc. Whether Polyporus umbellatus cultivation succeeds depends on the quality of the Polyporus umbellatus spawn. High-quality Polyporus umbellatus spawn has white, thick and strong mycelium, with reticular mycorrhizae on the surface. On the surface of the culture medium there are spherical sclerotia of different sizes, initially white, turning from white to gray in 10--20 d(days), dense in texture, with the odor of Polyporus umbellatus, hard after drying; the mycelium has strong sprouting ability and a high survival rate. When the ground temperature is above 15°C, mycelium colonizes 3 d(days) after spot sowing, extends into the soil in a root-network shape in 15--20 d(days), and begins to form white spherical young sclerotia in the leaves and soil layer in 40--60 d(days). Fake Polyporus umbellatus spawn, or spawn produced by conventional tissue isolation or multiple subculturing, has thin and weak gray-white mycelium, no reticular mycorrhizae, and no spherical sclerotia on the surface of the culture medium as described above, or the sclerotia are extremely small, age easily, and the mycelium does not extend into the soil. The quality of spawn has a great relationship with benefits. Every introduction and cultivation household must clearly recognize the quality of spawn and guard against fakes. Gastrodia elata belongs to the Orchidaceae family and is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its tubers are mainly used as medicine. It is a precious traditional Chinese medicine listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and occupies an extremely important position among long-term best-selling varieties in China's traditional Chinese medicine market. In addition to being used in the huge traditional Chinese medicine market, in recent years it has been used in large quantities in pharmaceuticals, health care, food, beverages, fermentation, aerospace and other industries. Hong Kong, China, Macao, China, Taiwan, China, Southeast Asia, Western Europe and North America import large quantities of Chinese Gastrodia elata at 200,000 USD per ton, and resell it at high prices after careful packaging. After China's accession to the WTO, international demand for Gastrodia elata in the traditional Chinese medicine market will rise substantially, and prices will continue to climb year after year. According to expert forecasts: for a fairly long period in the future, China's Gastrodia elata cultivation area and output will not be as large or as much as oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and enoki mushrooms, so prices naturally will not decline over the long term. According to figures released by the State Pharmaceutical Administration, China's annual output of Gastrodia elata is about 500,000 kg, annual demand is 750,000 kg, and sales trend shows demand exceeds supply. The key points of high-yield cultivation techniques for Gastrodia elata are introduced as follows: I. Cultivate high-quality and robust fungal material 1. Choose high-quality, robust Armillaria mellea with the characteristics of “three highs and three news”. That is: high survival rate, high germination rate, high yield; new fungal material, new Gastrodia seed, new method. 2. Select and make the log sections for cultivating fungal material. Trees of the Fagaceae family such as Cyclobalanopsis glauca, Quercus acutissima, Quercus variabilis, small chestnut and Quercus aliena are preferable. The diameter should preferably be 6--15 cm. Those with a diameter greater than 10 cm should be split, and at the same time use a knife or axe to cut a small notch every 4--5 cun. 3. Pay attention to cultivation methods. That is, use methods such as pile cultivation, pit cultivation and half-pit cultivation. The inoculation amount should be appropriately larger. At the same time, during cultivation, frequently inspect, water and pay attention to aeration. Keep the cultivation temperature at about 15°C and the water content of the fungal material at about 80%. It matures in 2--4 months. 4. Select good fungal material. The characteristics of high-quality fungal material are: ① relatively hard wood, not easy to rot; ② vigorous mycelial growth, with white growing points at the tips, and uniform mycelial distribution; ③ fresh fungal material that has not rotted. Note that fungal material whose fungal strands have turned black cannot be used for cultivation. II. Select Gastrodia seed and site The Gastrodia seed used for cultivation is best white Gastrodia, complete in individual form, without damage, preferably 20--50 g each. Gastrodia rice can also be used as seed, using less seed and growing quickly, but the harvest is later. Gastrodia elata used as seed should be stored in a basement or a cool place. The ground temperature must not be higher than 15°C, otherwise it will sprout. During transport, both impact damage and strong light exposure must be prevented. The ideal site should be warm and humid, not cold and dry. It is generally wasteland in forest gaps, gently sloping sandy soil land, and should have sparse shade. Indoor spaces, basements, cave dwellings, courtyards, front and back of houses, and idle gaps under woody and vine plants can also be fully used for cultivation. Every 0.1 mu can dig 6 holes, each hole can plant 3 layers, and can produce 17--20 kg of dry product. Small holes, short sticks and thin materials can also be used to manually create new planting methods suitable for the climate and environment of any region. III. Determine the suitable sowing period Gastrodia elata cultivation techniques are somewhat harder to master than cultivating oyster mushrooms, enoki mushrooms and wood ear. But compared with cultivating flower shiitake mushrooms, it is much easier in terms of technology and process. Whether one has professional skills or a high level of education, it can be learned. After sowing in Gastrodia elata cultivation, management is only about humidity and temperature, and labor intensity is low. Ordinary houses, air-defense facilities, greenhouses, idle ground and factory buildings can all be used for cultivation. The required sand, branches, wooden sticks and leaves are all easily obtained materials. Cultivation methods are even more diverse: pots, boxes, baskets, bed frames and the ground are all acceptable. Asexual cultivation is from November to May each year; sexual cultivation is from April to June each year. The national climate temperature difference is relatively large, but cultivation can be done according to local conditions, and men, women, old and young can all take part. For asexual cultivation of 1 square meter of Gastrodia elata, 15 kg of tree sticks, 20 kg of sand and sawdust, 2--3 bottles of Armillaria mellea, 0.3 kg of rice Gastrodia and 0.75 kg of white Gastrodia are needed. After 6 months, each square meter produces about 15 kg of finished Gastrodia and small Gastrodia, worth 400 yuan. For sexual cultivation, each square meter requires 10 capsules, 2--3 bottles of Armillaria mellea, 2 bottles of germination spawn, 15 kg of tree sticks, and 20 kg of sand and sawdust (or cotton hulls, corn cobs). After 6 months, the zero-generation rice Gastrodia harvested is worth 500 yuan. The Gastrodia seed and fungal material from asexual and sexual cultivation in the same year can be used as cultivation seed for the next year, and there is no need to buy Gastrodia seed again. This alone can reduce expenses by 80%. Gastrodia elata is mainly sown in winter, and can also be planted in spring. For winter sowing, sowing when the temperature is 15°C is best. Too early will affect the yield of the current year, and too late (such as October--November) will affect the yield of the next year. Spring planting is generally in March--April, and sowing should be done when the temperature is about 10°C. At this time, although the Gastrodia seed has not yet sprouted, Armillaria mellea has already grown slowly. As the temperature rises, Gastrodia elata and Armillaria mellea quickly establish a symbiotic relationship and enter the peak growth period. From planting to harvest is about 150 days, and the sowing period is between September and the end of May of the following year. IV. Strengthen cultivation management. For large areas of Gastrodia elata, cellar cultivation and trench cultivation are better. For small areas in new areas, fungal bed cultivation is adopted. In places with high mountains, high humidity and clayey soil, high-bed cultivation is suitable to increase ground temperature and prevent excessive humidity. Indoor cultivation mostly uses wooden boxes for sowing. Specific cultivation management should achieve: 1) Keep soil water content at about 50% in the site, water promptly in drought, and water at night when the temperature is above 20°C to prevent steaming damage to Gastrodia elata; 2) Control humidity: during continuous rainy weather, clear ditches and drain water, and remove silt; when humidity is too high, rake the surface soil loose to increase evaporation; cover exposed fungal material with soil promptly; 3) Build sheds for shade to avoid high-temperature rot of Gastrodia; 4) Prevent and control insect pests, rodent damage and miscellaneous fungi. When fungal material is infected by a small amount of miscellaneous fungi, it can be sterilized by sun exposure; severely damaged fungal material can be removed; 5) Prohibit grazing on Gastrodia elata sites to avoid trampling by livestock and wild animals. The above content is for reference only.
Does Planting Gastrodia elata Have Market Potential?
May I ask whether planting Gastrodia elata now has market potential? Is the Sichuan region suitable?Name: Chen Zhenggang Unit: Village representative Contact phone: 159*****281 2009-06-23
Expert Answer
Comrade Chen Zhenggang: Hello. Gastrodia elata belongs to the Orchidaceae family and is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its tubers are mainly used as medicine. It is a precious traditional Chinese medicine listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and occupies an extremely important position among long-term best-selling varieties in China's traditional Chinese medicine market. In addition to being used in the huge traditional Chinese medicine market, in recent years it has been used in large quantities in pharmaceuticals, health care, food, beverages, fermentation, aerospace and other industries. Hong Kong, China, Macao, China, Taiwan, China, Southeast Asia, Western Europe and North America import large quantities of Chinese Gastrodia elata at 200,000 USD per ton, and resell it at high prices after careful packaging. After China's accession to the WTO, international demand for Gastrodia elata in the traditional Chinese medicine market will rise substantially, and prices will continue to climb year after year. According to expert forecasts: for a fairly long period in the future, China's Gastrodia elata cultivation area and output will not be as large or as much as oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and enoki mushrooms, so prices naturally will not decline over the long term. According to figures released by the State Pharmaceutical Administration, China's annual output of Gastrodia elata is about 500,000 kg, annual demand is 750,000 kg, and sales trend shows demand exceeds supply. The key points of high-yield cultivation techniques for Gastrodia elata are introduced as follows: I. Cultivate high-quality and robust fungal material 1. Choose high-quality, robust Armillaria mellea with the characteristics of “three highs and three news”. That is: high survival rate, high germination rate, high yield; new fungal material, new Gastrodia seed, new method. 2. Select and make the log sections for cultivating fungal material. Trees of the Fagaceae family such as Cyclobalanopsis glauca, Quercus acutissima, Quercus variabilis, small chestnut and Quercus aliena are preferable. The diameter should preferably be 6--15 cm. Those with a diameter greater than 10 cm should be split, and at the same time use a knife or axe to cut a small notch every 4--5 cun. 3. Pay attention to cultivation methods. That is, use methods such as pile cultivation, pit cultivation and half-pit cultivation. The inoculation amount should be appropriately larger. At the same time, during cultivation, frequently inspect, water and pay attention to aeration. Keep the cultivation temperature at about 15°C and the water content of the fungal material at about 80%. It matures in 2--4 months. 4. Select good fungal material. The characteristics of high-quality fungal material are: ① relatively hard wood, not easy to rot; ② vigorous mycelial growth, with white growing points at the tips, and uniform mycelial distribution; ③ fresh fungal material that has not rotted. Note that fungal material whose fungal strands have turned black cannot be used for cultivation. II. Select Gastrodia seed and site The Gastrodia seed used for cultivation is best white Gastrodia, complete in individual form, without damage, preferably 20--50 g each. Gastrodia rice can also be used as seed, using less seed and growing quickly, but the harvest is later. Gastrodia elata used as seed should be stored in a basement or a cool place. The ground temperature must not be higher than 15°C, otherwise it will sprout. During transport, both impact damage and strong light exposure must be prevented. The ideal site should be warm and humid, not cold and dry. It is generally wasteland in forest gaps, gently sloping sandy soil land, and should have sparse shade. Indoor spaces, basements, cave dwellings, courtyards, front and back of houses, and idle gaps under woody and vine plants can also be fully used for cultivation. Every 0.1 mu can dig 6 holes, each hole can plant 3 layers, and can produce 17--20 kg of dry product. Small holes, short sticks and thin materials can also be used to manually create new planting methods suitable for the climate and environment of any region. III. Determine the suitable sowing period Gastrodia elata cultivation techniques are somewhat harder to master than cultivating oyster mushrooms, enoki mushrooms and wood ear. But compared with cultivating flower shiitake mushrooms, it is much easier in terms of technology and process. Whether one has professional skills or a high level of education, it can be learned. After sowing in Gastrodia elata cultivation, management is only about humidity and temperature, and labor intensity is low. Ordinary houses, air-defense facilities, greenhouses, idle ground and factory buildings can all be used for cultivation. The required sand, branches, wooden sticks and leaves are all easily obtained materials. Cultivation methods are even more diverse: pots, boxes, baskets, bed frames and the ground are all acceptable. Asexual cultivation is from November to May each year; sexual cultivation is from April to June each year. The national climate temperature difference is relatively large, but cultivation can be done according to local conditions, and men, women, old and young can all take part. For asexual cultivation of 1 square meter of Gastrodia elata, 15 kg of tree sticks, 20 kg of sand and sawdust, 2--3 bottles of Armillaria mellea, 0.3 kg of rice Gastrodia and 0.75 kg of white Gastrodia are needed. After 6 months, each square meter produces about 15 kg of finished Gastrodia and small Gastrodia, worth 400 yuan. For sexual cultivation, each square meter requires 10 capsules, 2--3 bottles of Armillaria mellea, 2 bottles of germination spawn, 15 kg of tree sticks, and 20 kg of sand and sawdust (or cotton hulls, corn cobs). After 6 months, the zero-generation rice Gastrodia harvested is worth 500 yuan. The Gastrodia seed and fungal material from asexual and sexual cultivation in the same year can be used as cultivation seed for the next year, and there is no need to buy Gastrodia seed again. This alone can reduce expenses by 80%. Gastrodia elata is mainly sown in winter, and can also be planted in spring. For winter sowing, sowing when the temperature is 15°C is best. Too early will affect the yield of the current year, and too late (such as October--November) will affect the yield of the next year. Spring planting is generally in March--April, and sowing should be done when the temperature is about 10°C. At this time, although the Gastrodia seed has not yet sprouted, Armillaria mellea has already grown slowly. As the temperature rises, Gastrodia elata and Armillaria mellea quickly establish a symbiotic relationship and enter the peak growth period. From planting to harvest is about 150 days, and the sowing period is between September and the end of May of the following year. IV. Strengthen cultivation management. For large areas of Gastrodia elata, cellar cultivation and trench cultivation are better. For small areas in new areas, fungal bed cultivation is adopted. In places with high mountains, high humidity and clayey soil, high-bed cultivation is suitable to increase ground temperature and prevent excessive humidity. Indoor cultivation mostly uses wooden boxes for sowing. Specific cultivation management should achieve: 1) Keep soil water content at about 50% in the site, water promptly in drought, and water at night when the temperature is above 20°C to prevent steaming damage to Gastrodia elata; 2) Control humidity: during continuous rainy weather, clear ditches and drain water, and remove silt; when humidity is too high, rake the surface soil loose to increase evaporation; cover exposed fungal material with soil promptly; 3) Build sheds for shade to avoid high-temperature rot of Gastrodia; 4) Prevent and control insect pests, rodent damage and miscellaneous fungi. When fungal material is infected by a small amount of miscellaneous fungi, it can be sterilized by sun exposure; severely damaged fungal material can be removed; 5) Prohibit grazing on Gastrodia elata sites to avoid trampling by livestock and wild animals. The above content is for reference only.