Detailed Explanation of Sarcandra glabra Planting Techniques and Management Methods
Sarcandra glabra, also known as Manshanxiang, Guanyin Tea, Jiujiehua and so on, is a perennial evergreen subshrub of the genus Sarcandra in the family Chloranthaceae. With red berries covering the tree, it symbolizes good fortune and prosperity and gives people a pleasing natural beauty. It can be made into elegant and small potted plants, and can also be used for landscaping and courtyard greening. It has extremely high medicinal, edible and ornamental value. Let us take a look at the planting techniques of Sarcandra glabra together below!
Growth Habits of Sarcandra glabra
Sarcandra glabra is produced in Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, China, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan and other places. Wild Sarcandra glabra often grows in shady and humid places under evergreen broad-leaved forests on hillsides and in gullies at an altitude of 400-1500 m. It is suitable for a warm and humid climate, prefers a cool environment, and avoids direct strong light and high temperature and dryness. It prefers sandy loam soil with a deep humus layer, loose and fertile, and slightly acidic, and avoids barren, compacted, and heavy clay soil that is prone to water accumulation.
Propagation Methods of Sarcandra glabra
1. Cutting propagation: Sarcandra glabra usually selects 1-2 year old branches from robustly growing plants in March to April, cuts them into cuttings with 2-3 nodes and a length of 10-15 cm, ties them into small bundles, soaks their basal ends in a 0.05 ml/L No. 3 ABT rooting powder solution for 2-3 minutes, or quickly dips them in a 1 ml/L NAA solution and then inserts them for cutting. They root in about 30 days after cutting and begin to sprout.
2. Seed propagation: Sarcandra glabra is usually sown in February to March. On a prepared seedbed, open sowing furrows 2-3 cm deep at a row spacing of 20 cm, sow the seeds evenly in the furrows, cover with burnt soil ash or fine soil until the seeds are no longer visible, cover the bed surface with grass, and set up a shade shed. Seedlings emerge about 20 days after sowing, and the covering grass should be removed in time. If seedling management is careful, they can be released from the nursery and planted in November to December of the same year.
3. Division propagation: Division of Sarcandra glabra is carried out in early spring or late autumn. First cut off the aboveground part of the plant 10 cm above the ground for medicinal use or as cutting material, then dig up the root crown, divide it according to the stems into small plants with root systems, and plant them directly in the field at a plant spacing and row spacing of 20×30 cm. After planting, continuous watering is needed to keep the soil moist. After survival, pay attention to weeding and fertilizing. This method is simple, has a high survival rate, and the plants grow quickly, but the propagation coefficient is low.
Planting Techniques for Sarcandra glabra
1. Transplanting and replanting missing seedlings: Seedlings propagated from seeds and cuttings of Sarcandra glabra are generally lifted and transplanted in November to December of the same year or in February to March of the following spring. On the prepared bed, plant at a plant spacing and row spacing of 20×30 cm and water thoroughly to settle the roots. After survival, field management needs to be strengthened in time. After transplanting, check the seedlings in time. If dead seedlings or missing plants are found, replant them with soil to ensure a full stand.
2. Intertillage and drainage/irrigation: During the seedling stage of Sarcandra glabra, weeds in the field should be removed in time, and appropriate intertillage and soil loosening should be carried out. Generally, intertillage is done 3-4 times a year to keep the soil loose and the field free of weeds. After planting, the soil should be kept moist frequently. If drought occurs, irrigate and water in time. In rainy seasons, if water accumulates in the field, drain it in time to avoid root rot.
3. Reasonable topdressing: Sarcandra glabra likes fertilizer. Generally, topdressing is applied once each in spring and summer every year, with 6-7 kg of ammonium nitrate or urea and 2-3 kg of potassium chloride per mu, applied with water. In winter, combined with earthing up, apply farmyard manure once, placing pen manure or composted manure at the root zone of the plants, and cover the fertilizer with soil from the edge of the furrow, which can both keep warmth and prevent cold and promote early and rapid growth of the plants the following spring.
4. Intercropping for shade: Sarcandra glabra has strong shade tolerance and prefers diffused light, so it is suitable to plant under evergreen broad-leaved forests. If planted on hillsides or terraced fields without shade conditions, tall crops such as corn can be intercropped in the field to use the tall crops for appropriate shading. Through the management of intercrops, the growth of Sarcandra glabra can be promoted and economic income can also be increased.
5. Pest and disease control: Sarcandra glabra has just been transitioned from wild to cultivated and has strong resistance to pests and diseases. At present, no pests or diseases causing severe damage have been found, so no control is needed. However, if the shading conditions in the field are poor, leaf scorch may occur in summer under strong sunlight, with spot blight appearing at the leaf tips or leaf margins, and in severe cases the whole leaf withers and scorches. Measures such as irrigation to lower temperature and improving shading conditions can be adopted to reduce the damage.
6. Harvesting and processing: The content of active ingredients in the leaves of Sarcandra glabra is higher than in the roots and stems. During the growth period, the dark green old leaves on the lower part of the plant can be picked off and sun-dried or directly processed into extract. In autumn, cut the plant 5-10 cm above the ground, wash it clean and dry it in the sun for medicinal use. It can also be directly processed into extract and delivered to pharmaceutical factories as a raw material for producing Chinese patent medicines. Generally, in the year of planting, the yield per mu can reach 200-300 kg of dried product, and the yield can increase year by year thereafter, with the highest yield per mu reaching more than 600 kg.