How to plant Scutellaria baicalensis seeds? Master these key methods
Scutellaria baicalensis is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Scutellaria in the Lamiaceae family, also known as mountain tea root, soil gold tea root, etc. Its root is used as medicine and has effects such as clearing heat and drying dampness, purging fire and detoxifying, stopping bleeding, and preventing miscarriage. Its antibacterial properties are better than those of Coptis chinensis, and it does not produce drug resistance, so market demand is very large and its cultivation value is very high. Let's take a look at how to plant Scutellaria baicalensis seeds!
Growing environment
Scutellaria baicalensis grows on mountaintops, hillsides, forest edges, roadsides and other sunny, relatively dry places. It can be planted in most provinces and regions in northern China. It likes warmth and tolerates severe cold. The underground part of adult plants can still overwinter safely at a low temperature of -35°C, and will not die from a high temperature of 35°C, but it cannot withstand continuous high temperatures above 40°C. It is drought-tolerant and afraid of waterlogging. If water accumulates in the field or there is too much rain, growth will be poor, and in severe cases the roots will rot and the plant will die. Land with poor drainage is not suitable for planting. The soil should be loam and sandy loam, with neutral and slightly alkaline pH being best. Continuous cropping should be avoided.
Direct sowing in the field
1. Seed treatment: Soak Scutellaria baicalensis seeds in warm water at 40-45°C for 5-6 hours, or soak them in tap water at room temperature for 12-24 hours. Remove them and let them dry slightly, then place them at around 20°C with moisture maintained for germination. When some seeds crack and sprout, they can be sown.
2. Sowing time: Scutellaria baicalensis is generally sown in spring from March to April, or in autumn from September to October. When soil moisture is guaranteed, around mid-April is suitable when the soil temperature at 5 cm underground is stable at 15°C. The sowing methods are broadcast sowing, dibbling, and drilling, and shallow sowing is preferable to deep sowing.
3. Sowing method: For Scutellaria baicalensis, use 1-2 jin of seed per mu. After sowing, cover with fine moist soil 2-2.5 cm deep, and at the same time press down and cover the ground in a timely manner, keeping the soil moist until emergence.
Seedling raising and transplanting
1. Seedbed selection: If direct sowing on dry hillside land makes it difficult to keep seedlings, the method of raising seedlings and transplanting can be used. For seedling raising, choose a warm place with sufficient sunlight as the seedbed. Either a sunny bed or a hotbed can be used, 130-135 cm wide, with length depending on need.
2. Sowing method: Apply 5000 kg of decomposed barnyard manure or compost per mu to the Scutellaria baicalensis seedling land, dig deeply and rake finely, level the bed surface, and water thoroughly. In early to mid-April, mix the pre-germinated seeds with wet sand and evenly scatter them on the bed surface, then cover with 0.5-1 cm of sieved manure soil and cover with plastic film to increase temperature and retain moisture.
3. Seedling stage management: After the Scutellaria baicalensis seedlings emerge completely, ventilate appropriately. When the seedlings are 3 cm tall, remove the film, and weed and thin the seedlings in time. When the seedlings are 5-7 cm tall, transplant them into the field at a row spacing of 40-45 cm and a density of 25-30 plants per meter, and water promptly after transplanting.
Field management
1. Cultivation and weeding: From emergence of Scutellaria baicalensis to field closure, loosen the soil and weed 3-4 times. After that, depending on weed growth and other conditions, cultivate and weed another 1-2 times. Before green-up in the second and third spring, clean the field and loosen the soil by raking. After green-up and before field closure, still cultivate and weed about 2 times.
2. Thinning and replanting: After the Scutellaria baicalensis seedlings emerge completely, thin the overly dense areas in time. When the seedlings are 5 cm tall, set the seedlings in a staggered pattern at a plant spacing of 6-8 cm, and transplant seedlings to fill gaps where seedlings are missing. Transplant with soil, and water promptly after planting to help survival.
3. Timely topdressing: During the growth period of Scutellaria baicalensis, topdress 1-2 times each year, and compound fertilizer has the best yield-increasing effect. In the first year, topdress the soil once after final thinning; in the second year and afterward, topdress the soil once from green-up to before field closure. Apply topdressing in a timely and appropriate amount according to plant growth.
4. Irrigation and drainage: After sowing Scutellaria baicalensis until emergence, keep the soil moist. From emergence to final thinning, do not water again unless there is special drought. In other seasons and in the following two years, water should also be given if there is severe drought or when topdressing. During the rainy season, drain promptly to prevent waterlogging.
5. Pruning flower branches: When planting Scutellaria baicalensis, in fields not kept for seed production, promptly cut off flower branches after budding and before flowering to reduce nutrient consumption and promote root growth, thereby increasing the yield of Scutellaria baicalensis.
6. Harvesting and processing: It is suitable to harvest Scutellaria baicalensis 2-3 years after sowing. The harvest season is in late autumn or before sprouting in spring. When harvesting, dig carefully and never break the roots. After digging out, shake off the soil, sun-dry until half dry, remove the outer skin, then quickly sun-dry or oven-dry.
7. Method for removing the skin: The method for removing the skin of Scutellaria baicalensis is to remove it the first time when sun-dried to 30% dry, the second time when sun-dried to 50-60% dry, and the third time when sun-dried to 70-80% dry. When sun-dried to fully dry, remove it at noon until it becomes yellow-white. Each mu can yield 150-200 kg of dried medicinal material.