How to manage bottle-cultivated Gastrodia elata? Detailed explanation of key cultivation techniques
During the growing period of Gastrodia elata, prevent mold infection. Once the soil layer or the box is infected by green mold, red mold or other miscellaneous fungi, you can lightly spray a layer of Bordeaux mixture (copper sulfate, quicklime and water in a ratio of 1:1:140; dissolve 1 part copper sulfate and 1 part quicklime separately in water, then pour the copper sulfate solution into the lime milk...
Place the filled Gastrodia elata bottles on the bed frame, setting them one against another. If there is heating equipment indoors, you can plant the tubers in mid-October; without heating equipment, plant them in February to March. For autumn and winter planting, after a 50-day dormancy period, at the beginning of December, use artificial heating to raise the indoor temperature from the original 1-5°C to 11-12°C. Armillaria mellea begins to grow, and this promotes the early attachment of Gastrodia elata to Armillaria mellea; at this point the Gastrodia elata gradually sprouts. After 20 days, that is, at the end of December, the temperature rises to 15°C. After another month (end of January), the temperature rises to 19-22°C, and both Armillaria mellea and Gastrodia elata have entered their peak growing season. After 4 months (May), the upper part of the bottle is covered with small Gastrodia elata tubers (mi ma and bai ma), and some grow to the bottom of the bottle. After a further period (June), the Gastrodia elata tubers continue to grow, becoming larger and thicker. At this time, if you spray 1% sugar water into the bottle and add 10 mg of vitamin B1 to the water, it will increase the yield of Gastrodia elata. But be sure to add only a little water (keep the substrate humidity at around 60%) to prevent excessive water from rotting the tubers.Throughout the entire bottle cultivation process, there is generally no need to water the bottles; keeping the substrate humidity at 60% is sufficient. If the temperature exceeds 26°C, the humidity exceeds 70%, or the temperature fluctuates between high and low, tuber rot will occur. Below 10°C, the growth of Gastrodia elata is hindered and it enters a dormant state. When the substrate humidity is 30%, Gastrodia elata grows poorly.
Although bottle cultivation of Gastrodia elata can increase yield, because the bottle volume is too small, it cannot provide more nutrient sources for Armillaria mellea and Gastrodia elata, which limits the growth of Gastrodia elata. Very few arrow tubers grow; the vast majority are small and medium-sized tubers, which can only be used for developing planting stock.