How to Grow Gentiana macrophylla? Detailed Planting Methods and Techniques
Gentiana macrophylla, also known as Qinjiao and large-leaf gentian, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Gentianaceae family. It has extremely high medicinal value and is often used to treat rheumatic joint pain, tuberculosis, tidal fever, and jaundice. Although we are not very familiar with Gentiana macrophylla, its cultivation range in China is still quite wide, with extremely high yields in places such as Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Hebei, and Northeast China. So today, the editor will mainly walk you through its planting methods. Let's take a look.
1. Site Selection and Land Preparation
Gentiana macrophylla has the characteristics of preferring moisture, preferring coolness, tolerating cold, fearing waterlogging, and not tolerating strong light. Wild Gentiana macrophylla generally grows in areas such as riverbanks, roadsides, ditch edges, or sloping land. So when choosing a planting site, we need to make our selection based on the growth habits of Gentiana macrophylla. It is best to choose a semi-sunny area far from polluted areas, with sufficient water sources, sufficient soil fertility, and high humidity. The soil quality is best if it is sandy loam or humus soil. Deeply plow the land, clean out grass roots, tree roots, and so on from the soil, apply sufficient decomposed farmyard manure and turn it in, and finally break up the soil clods, level the ground, and dig the drainage ditches.
2. Sowing and Raising Seedlings
Gentiana macrophylla can generally be sown in spring and autumn. For autumn sowing, note that it is best to do it in early October, while spring sowing is best done in April. First, we need to raise seedlings for a period of time, and can sow by broadcasting or drilling. Broadcasting is generally suitable for lazy growers, while drilling makes seedling-stage management convenient. After sowing, a layer of rice straw needs to be covered to keep warm and retain moisture. After the seedlings emerge, part of the straw should be uncovered in time so as not to affect the growth of the seedlings.
3. Transplanting and Setting Out
When the seedlings grow to about 6 to 10 cm, reasonable thinning is needed at this time, but transplanting cannot be done yet. Generally, it is best to wait until the seedlings grow to about 15 to 20 cm before transplanting and setting out. When planting, it is usually done at a row spacing of 30 cm and a plant spacing of 20 cm. When setting out, after planting each row, soil needs to be covered and pressed firm so as not to affect the survival rate of transplanting.
4. Field Management
Field management for Gentiana macrophylla is relatively simple, so Gentiana macrophylla is a planting project very suitable for lazy growers. Generally, after the transplants survive, carry out the first cultivation and weeding, and water frequently to maintain the humidity of the field soil. Next is to fertilize reasonably, and according to the growth condition of Gentiana macrophylla, use fertilizer types scientifically. The most commonly used are manure and urine water and decomposed oil cake fertilizer. Then, during the growth process, build shade sheds and reasonably control the light conditions in the field. Finally, do a good job of pest and disease control. The main disease is leaf spot. Generally, when sowing, we can prevent it through seed treatment, do a good job of field management in the later stage, and in the early stage of the disease, use mancozeb for control.
From the growth habits of Gentiana macrophylla, we can know that it has tenacious vitality. At the same time, we also understand that its requirements for moisture, temperature, and light intensity are very strict, so in the process of planting, we need to fully grasp these key points. What the editor wants to introduce to you today is the planting method of Gentiana macrophylla. If you still have other questions, you can also leave a message to the editor for consultation.