Rehmannia Planting Methods and Key Techniques: Teaching You How to Grow It Well

We may not have seen rehmannia, but the term itself is certainly not unfamiliar, because anyone who has watched TV has basically heard the advertisement for Liuwei Dihuang Wan, so we know one of its effects. In fact, it has many other effects as well, such as clearing heat and cooling blood, nourishing yin and promoting fluid production, and treating conditions like vomiting blood and internal heat. So today what we need to understand is how to plant rehmannia so it grows better and yields more. Let's take a look below.

1. Land Preparation and Fertilization

Rehmannia is a light-loving plant. Wild rehmannia generally grows on sunny hillsides and plots with relatively sufficient light, and the choice of planting site is a fundamental condition for high rehmannia yields. So we can choose the planting site according to rehmannia's growth habits. It is best to plant in a plot with sufficient sunlight, good water retention and drainage, loose soil, and rich organic matter. During land preparation, deep plowing should be carried out, which can remove impurities and pests in the field as much as possible. Then spread about five thousand jin of fertilizer per mu evenly over the field, plow the land again, level it, and finally make ridges and ditches, and it is ready for sowing.

2. Scientific Sowing

Rehmannia is generally planted around April each year, and the planting methods are generally tuber planting and seed sowing. Before planting, we also need to thoroughly disinfect the planting site once, and then sow, which can reduce the occurrence of diseases. For tuber planting, what needs attention is to select relatively thick, pest- and disease-free tubers with strong vitality for planting, so that the survival rate, quality, and yield can all be guaranteed. For seed sowing, the seeds need to be sun-dried, soaked, dressed, and germinated, which can promote the speed of seedling emergence and facilitate unified management.

3. Reasonable Close Planting

To ensure the yield of rehmannia, we need to carry out reasonable density planning. Usually we need to manage according to the fertility of the soil. For relatively fertile soil, we generally plant at a row spacing of 20 cm and a plant spacing of 15 cm, while for relatively barren soil, we plant at a row spacing of 10 cm and a plant spacing of 5 cm. This allows the land to be fully utilized while not affecting the yield of rehmannia.

4. Field Management

Regardless of which sowing method is used, generally after the seedlings emerge, we first need to check the seedling emergence in the field, and then carry out timely thinning and reseeding, which can ensure uniform seedlings in the field. After planting, remember to water, which helps improve the survival rate, or when reseeding, it is best to do it around the time of rain. Because rehmannia's root system is relatively shallow, we need to be careful when weeding so as not to damage rehmannia's roots and stems, and the weeds near rehmannia's roots and stems can only be pulled out by hand. The growth of rehmannia requires a large amount of nutrients. Apart from the base fertilizer, at least two to three additional fertilizations are needed, and the specific fertilizer types should be applied according to its growth stage. Rehmannia has high water requirements, and watering generally follows the principle of three waterings and three no-waterings. For the specific watering method, you can consult.

5. Pest and Disease Control

The most common pests and diseases of rehmannia include leaf spot disease, ring rot, root rot, viral disease, red spider mites, cutworms, and other underground pests. Among these, the diseases are basically fungal or bacterial infections mostly caused by excessive humidity in the field. They not only harm rehmannia's stems and leaves but also harm rehmannia's tubers, so we can use carbendazim and Bordeaux mixture respectively for control. For red spider mites, we usually use acaricide to spray and kill them, while for cutworms and underground pests, trichlorfon wettable powder diluted with water can generally be used for irrigation.