A Detailed Guide to Mugwort Seed Prices and Planting Methods
Mugwort, also known as bingtai, ecao, xiang'ai and other names, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Artemisia in the Asteraceae family. The plant has a strong aroma, and the whole herb used as medicine has effects such as warming the meridians and removing dampness, dispelling cold and stopping bleeding, reducing inflammation and relieving asthma, stopping cough and calming the fetus, and anti-allergy. Its leaves, when dried and pounded, yield "moxa floss", which can be made into moxa sticks for moxibustion and can also serve as a raw material for "seal paste". Let's take a look together at mugwort seed prices and planting methods below!
How much do mugwort seeds cost?
The price of mugwort seeds is about 60 to 80 yuan per jin, and good-quality ones cost about 120 to 160 yuan per jin; prices vary greatly depending on seed quality, variety, purchase quantity and other factors. Mugwort has a close relationship with the lives of Chinese people. Every year at the Dragon Boat Festival, people always place mugwort in their homes to "ward off evil". The whole herb used as medicine has effects such as warming the meridians, removing dampness, dispelling cold, stopping bleeding, reducing inflammation, relieving asthma, stopping cough, calming the fetus and anti-allergy. It is also a very good food; among traditional foods in southern China, there is a type of ciba (glutinous rice cake) made with mugwort as the main ingredient.
Mugwort Sowing Methods
1. Seed saving: For saving mugwort seeds, 2- to 3-year-old plants are best. Select plants that grow robustly, are high-yielding and free of pests and diseases, and leave them unharvested. When the fruits mature, cut off the fruiting branches and spread them out to dry, then thresh, sift and winnow away impurities. Put the seeds in cloth bags and store them in a cool, dry place.
2. Sowing: Mugwort should be sown in early spring, in February to March in the south and March to April in the north. It can be direct-sown or raised as seedlings and transplanted. For direct sowing, the row spacing is 40 to 50 cm, and after sowing the soil cover should not be too thick. Pay attention to management after emergence; when the seedlings are 10 to 15 cm tall, thin them to a plant spacing of 20 to 30 cm.
Mugwort Planting Methods
1. Planting density: In February to March, when the seedlings are 5 to 10 cm tall, choose a time when the ground is moist and plant the seedlings at a spacing of 30 × 40 cm, with 2 to 3 plants per hole, then cover with soil and firm it down. If there is no rain within 2 to 3 days after planting, water drip by drip to preserve soil moisture.
2. Timely fertilization: After the planted mugwort survives, when the seedlings are 30 cm tall, apply 90 kg/ha of urea as a seedling-promoting fertilizer, broadcasting it on cloudy and rainy days and spraying it on the leaves on sunny days. In early November, apply farmyard manure, stable manure, cake fertilizer and the like as a base fertilizer.
3. Reasonable watering: In early to mid-June, after the Qichun mugwort is harvested, turn and sun the garden plot, clear away residual branches and fallen leaves, and thin out overly dense stem bases and old roots. In dry seasons, when the seedlings are below 80 cm tall, use leaf-surface sprinkler irrigation; when the seedlings are above 80 cm tall, flood-irrigate the whole plot.
4. Harvesting and processing: Mugwort is usually harvested in summer. Before it is lush and flowering, cut the aboveground stems and branches with leaves, remove impurities and dead leaves, spread them in the sun to dry, then tie them into bundles and store them in a dry place, protecting against moisture and mildew.