How to Grow Flemingia philippinensis? Planting Methods and Key Technical Points
Flemingia philippinensis is a type of Chinese medicinal herb, also known as "tuhuangji", "niudali", and in some places "qianjindiao". It can dispel rheumatism, reduce stasis and detoxify, and is mainly used to treat rheumatic pain, chronic nephritis, bruises and injuries, jaundice, and other diseases. As its efficacy and effects are gradually being discovered, wild Flemingia philippinensis can no longer meet market demand, so artificial cultivation is needed. So how do you grow Flemingia philippinensis? Let's learn about its planting methods together below.
1. Seed selection and land preparation
Flemingia philippinensis is mainly divided into large-leaf varieties and small-leaf varieties. Currently on the market, the small-leaf variety of Flemingia philippinensis is more popular than the large-leaf variety, and the yield and quality of artificial cultivation are also better. So if we are going to plant it, we generally choose the small-leaf variety of Flemingia philippinensis. Flemingia philippinensis is suitable for growing in a warm environment with sufficient light, and it is drought-tolerant and afraid of waterlogging. The planting site should have soil with sufficient fertility and a complete drainage and irrigation system. Deeply plow the land, break up the soil clods, open furrows and make beds, level the bed surface, apply sufficient base fertilizer, and spray herbicide about one week before sowing to clear the weeds in the field.
2. Scientific sowing
The best time to plant Flemingia philippinensis is March to April each year, during these two months. The next option is August, which can also be planted, but the yield and quality are not as good as spring sowing. Before sowing, the seeds need to be soaked in warm water, then removed after 48 hours. During the soaking process, the water needs to be changed twice. After two-thirds of the seeds have fully absorbed water, they can be sown. When sowing, carry out hole sowing with a row spacing of 20 cm and a plant spacing of 15 cm.
3. Field management
After the seedlings emerge, observe the growth of the seedlings in the field and promptly thin and fill in the seedlings. During the process of thinning and filling in seedlings, we should clear away all visible weeds in the field. When the weather is relatively dry, water promptly, while during continuous rainfall or the rainy season, pay attention to drainage. When the Flemingia philippinensis seedlings grow to about 20 cm, apply a "fennaishui" fertilizer once to promote seedling growth. Then every half a month to one month, carry out topdressing, mainly with compound fertilizer. During its entire growth process, generally three topdressings are needed. At the second topdressing, remove the terminal buds and carry out reasonable weeding.
4. Flower thinning to promote production
The medicinal part of Flemingia philippinensis is its root, so during its growth process, the main goal is to promote root growth. Therefore, on the basis of fertilization, we need to apply flower-thinning management to reduce nutrient loss, concentrate nutrients in the root of Flemingia philippinensis, and promote root thickening. During the flowering period, some flower buds should be knocked off. This can be done by manual removal, or by spraying ethephon for flower thinning.
5. Disease control
Flemingia philippinensis has strong disease resistance and basically has no pests or diseases, but in hot and rainy seasons, root rot and anthracnose are very likely to occur. For root rot, we can prevent and control it by clearing drainage ditches, applying more plant ash, and using Bordeaux mixture. For anthracnose, zineb solution can be used for control, and of course Bordeaux mixture is also quite effective. The main pest is aphids, which can be killed by spraying dimethoate.
The above are the planting methods for Flemingia philippinensis. We hope this can help everyone. If you want to learn more about Flemingia philippinensis, remember to follow us.