What are the precautions for planting Notopterygium? Key points explained in one article

Notopterygium is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its medicinal parts are its stem and root, which can be used to treat exogenous wind-cold, headache, rheumatic pain, and so on. It is grown in Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Qinghai in China, and it has the characteristics of preferring cool and humid conditions, being cold-tolerant, and liking light but fearing strong light. So how should Notopterygium be planted? What issues need attention when planting? Today we will focus on understanding the precautions for planting Notopterygium.

1. Soil

Actually, Notopterygium does not have high soil requirements. But if you want high yield and high quality, then whether the soil choice is correct is the foundation for successful Notopterygium cultivation. The planting site cannot be chosen on contaminated land, and it is best to stay away from pollution sources such as factories. Secondly, the previous crop at the planting site is best to be cereal crops as well as beans and tubers, among which sloping land and terraced fields are all very good choices. The soil texture is required to be loose, with sufficient fertility, rich in humus, and moderate in soil pH.

2. Seed treatment

Notopterygium seeds must be treated, as this can increase their germination rate. Generally, the low-temperature sand storage method is used for treatment. First, we need to soak the seeds in warm water, remove them after two days, and dry off the moisture. Then mix fine sand with water until moist, stir the seeds and fine sand evenly, then pack them in a bag and store them in an environment suitable for seed sprouting.

3. Sowing time

Notopterygium can be sown in spring and autumn, but because there are certain differences in temperatures across China, there is also a certain gap in the sowing time. The best time to plant Notopterygium in China is the end of October each autumn, when the germination rate is the highest, while spring sowing is generally carried out at the end of March each year. Sowing too early or too late will affect the germination rate of Notopterygium as well as the later survival rate, yield, and quality.

4. Density

The growth of Notopterygium requires a certain amount of light, and the field ventilation should also be good, so when planting, the planting density is also an issue we need to pay attention to. Under normal circumstances, we plant at a row spacing of 30 cm and a plant spacing of 20 cm. But if the soil is relatively poor, the distance between rows remains unchanged, while the distance between plants is generally about 15 cm. So we need to adjust the planting density according to the fertility of the soil and the variety of Notopterygium.

5. Removing flower buds

Because the main valuable parts of Notopterygium are its roots and stems, we mainly aim to promote the growth of the rhizome. During the flowering period of Notopterygium, when seeds do not need to be saved, remove the flower buds of Notopterygium to avoid nutrient loss and prevent it from affecting the growth of the rhizome. If seeds need to be saved, then the Notopterygium kept for seed and the commercial Notopterygium need to be separated, and only the flower buds of the commercial Notopterygium need to be removed.

Notopterygium is a medicinal material that is very easy to grow, and its planting yield is also relatively high. The processed yield per mu each year can generally reach about 600 jin. Even so, by learning more about the precautions for its cultivation during the planting process, its yield and quality can be further improved.