How to Grow Schizonepeta? Detailed Planting Methods and Techniques
Schizonepeta is also called fragrant schizonepeta, or jiasu. It is a perennial herbaceous plant that can grow up to forty or fifty centimeters tall. With a mild taste, warm nature, and no toxicity, it is a commonly used herbal medicine, often used to calm phlegm, dispel wind, stop vomiting, and treat influenza, headache, and fever. It is a very good antipyretic. So how do you grow schizonepeta? Let's take a look at its planting methods below.
1. Land Cultivation
The main nutrients for growing Chinese medicinal herbs come from the soil, so site selection and cultivation of the planting site are the basic conditions for successful planting. We not only need to consider the ecological environment it requires, but also need to consider the national standards for Chinese medicinal herbs. We should choose flat, fertile, sunny soil that meets national planting standards in all respects and has convenient drainage and irrigation. Second, apply more base fertilizer, mainly compost, barnyard manure, and organic fertilizer. Prepare the land and make beds; according to different terrain, make flat beds or high beds respectively.
2. Cultivation Techniques
Schizonepeta is generally sown in March and April in spring and September and November in autumn, and the most commonly used propagation method is seed propagation. We need to select mature, plump seeds that are dark brown or brown in color and free from damage by pests and diseases, and sow them by broadcasting or drilling. Generally, keep the row spacing at about twenty centimeters, scatter the seeds evenly, and then cover them with soil. Be careful to press the soil firm with your feet, and water appropriately to keep the soil moist, which can promote germination.
3. Field Management
Generally, germination takes about ten days to half a month. Our field management of schizonepeta is generally divided into three stages: seedling stage management, growth stage management, and late growth stage management. In the seedling stage of schizonepeta, that is, when it is about four or five centimeters tall, one intertillage and weeding should be carried out, and when the seedlings grow to about eight to ten centimeters, then thinning and planting out need to begin. The distance between each plant is about fifteen centimeters, and at the same time, reasonable watering and fertilization should be carried out, with fertilization mainly based on nitrogen fertilizer. During the growth stage, intertillage and weeding are needed about every twenty days. When schizonepeta grows to about twenty-five centimeters, apply a moderate amount of potassium fertilizer. When it is thirty centimeters tall, mainly use cake fertilizer, combined with phosphorus fertilizer and potassium fertilizer. In the late growth stage, they only need to be allowed to grow naturally, and this supports the growth of schizonepeta and improves its quality and yield.
4. Pest and Disease Control
The main diseases of schizonepeta include root rot, damping-off, stem blight, and black spot. We need to strengthen field management, carry out drainage in a timely manner, and enhance plant resistance through fertilization. Second, we can use dexon, Bordeaux mixture, carbendazim, and others for control respectively. The most common pests include cutworms, mole crickets, and moths. In the early stage of pest occurrence, we can use Bacillus thuringiensis emulsion, and when pests are severe, pyrethroid pesticides need to be used for spraying and killing.
Schizonepeta has strong adaptability to the environment and does not have great requirements for the growing environment. However, when growing schizonepeta, we still need to master its planting methods, so that we can grow schizonepeta with high yield and good quality. That is all for today's sharing. If you want to learn more details about schizonepeta, please stay tuned for the next issue.