Planting Methods and Technical Key Points for Horsetail
Horsetail is a very common medicinal herb. Its main effects are diuresis, relieving cough, stopping bleeding, and reducing swelling. It is very widespread in rural areas of southern China, but most of it grows wild, and few people cultivate it. A large part of the reason is that many people do not understand it and do not know what it is used for, so it is often removed as a weed. It is only recently that more and more people have come to know it, and at the same time cultivated horsetail has appeared. Below, the editor will briefly introduce its planting methods.
1. Seedbed selection
Horsetail is a moisture-loving plant. When choosing a seedbed, choose a place close to a water source that is also not prone to waterlogging, because it can grow in many places in rural areas, which shows that it does not have excessive requirements for the soil. But it is best to use sandy soil. When preparing the land, plow as deep as about 20 cm, remove weeds and pests from the field, then spread sufficient base fertilizer, plow again, and rake the land level. Finally, dig a series of ditches in the field, with each ditch connected to the others, so that later drainage and irrigation are convenient.
2. Seed treatment
Before sowing, we first need to select plump seeds free of impurities, then put the seeds into water and add an appropriate amount of granulated sugar to soak them. After one day, take the seeds out and evenly coat them with river sand, then place them in an environment with a suitable temperature for sprouting. The sprouting temperature is generally about 20°C to 25°C, and sprouting usually occurs in about 3 to 4 days. At this point we can sow.
3. Sowing at the right time
Horsetail can actually be planted all year round, but in some seasons the yield of horsetail is not satisfactory, so its best planting time is around May each spring, and at the latest it must not be later than the end of May. Generally at this time the soil temperature has already reached about 10°C or so, and this temperature just meets the minimum standard for horsetail emergence. Here the editor also wants to remind everyone that before sowing, we should water the prepared soil continuously for three days, and each time it must be watered thoroughly.
4. Sowing methods
There are three methods for planting horsetail. First is sowing with the seeds we prepared at the beginning. We can plant in rows or in holes. Second is rootstock cuttings, that is, taking the rootstock of existing horsetail, cutting it into small sections, and inserting them upright into the soil. The last is division and transplanting. This method is the fastest and also has the highest survival rate. It involves selecting relatively robust horsetail divisions and planting them at a reasonable density. But here we mainly discuss the planting method using seed sowing.
5. Field management
After the seeds are sown, we need to water once first. Generally, seedlings emerge in about a week, so during this week we should water at least 3 to 4 times, which can maintain soil moisture and promote horsetail emergence. After about 11 or 12 days, basically all the seedlings that should emerge have emerged. At this time, we should inspect the emergence of horsetail in the field, promptly thin and fill in seedlings, and water. When horsetail has about 6 or 7 nodes, we can apply an appropriate amount of urea as a top dressing according to the specific growth conditions of the horsetail. The most important part of field management is water management. We must ensure that the soil always has a certain degree of moisture. When horsetail has grown to about 10 or 22 nodes, it can be harvested in an appropriate amount. After harvesting, it will continue to grow and can be harvested in batches multiple times.