What are the cultivation methods and precautions for Houttuynia cordata

Houttuynia cordata (houttuynia cordata)

Aliases: fish mint, stinky grass, etc.

Family and genus: Saururaceae, Houttuynia Genus

Morphological characteristics: perennial herb, 15-50 cm tall, the whole plant has a fishy odor. The lower part of the stem creeps on the ground and roots, the upper part is upright, usually hairless. Simple leaves alternate, leaf blades heart-shaped, apex pointed, entire margin; stipules membranous, linear, the lower part fused with the petiole to form a sheath. At the base of the inflorescence there are 4 white petal-like bracts; flowers small, without perianth. Flowering period May-June, fruiting period October-November.

Ecological habits: It prefers a warm and humid climate. It grows well under shady and damp conditions, and dislikes drought. When planting, fertile sandy loam and humus loam are best, and it should not be planted in clayey or alkaline soil.

Care points: During the stem and leaf growth period, apply nitrogen fertilizers such as human manure or urea as a top dressing. In dry weather, in addition to watering thoroughly every day, also spray the leaves frequently and keep the soil moist at all times. Place it in a cool place.

Propagation methods: cuttings, division.

Dietary and medicinal effects: The young shoots, leaves and rhizomes are edible and are a good vegetable, generally eaten raw in cold dishes, and can also be stir-fried or made into soup, or made into dried vegetables. The method for making dried vegetables is to dig up the young plants, remove the roots, wash them, blanch them in boiling water, remove and drain them, dry them in the sun, and store them; before eating, soak and cook them in boiling water. The whole plant can be used medicinally and has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, and antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.

High-yield cultivation methods for Houttuynia cordata. Cultivation methods, high-yield methods and propagation methods for Houttuynia cordata

Houttuynia cordata has two types, white-stemmed and red-stemmed, and is a common aquatic plant with extremely high medicinal value. How much do you know about the cultivation of Houttuynia cordata? Do you know how to make Houttuynia cordata high-yielding? Today, the editor will introduce in detail the cultivation methods, high-yield methods and propagation methods of Houttuynia cordata. Let's learn together with the editor.

1. Seed selection:Houttuynia cordata has two types, white-stemmed and red-stemmed. Red-stemmed Houttuynia cordata has a stronger aroma, but its commercial value is inferior to the white-stemmed type. For edible use, the white-stemmed variety is generally better, while for medicinal use it is mainly to extract houttuynin from the volatile oil of Houttuynia cordata. This component mainly depends on the harvest season and processing flow of Houttuynia cordata, and there is not much requirement for the variety.

2. Land selection and land preparation:Houttuynia cordata is generally not selective about soil, but as mentioned earlier for edible use, it is advisable to choose limestone white sandy soil. It has low light requirements and can make full use of barren hills, riverbanks and open fields for cultivation. It can also grow very well in shaded woodland and can be interplanted in orchards. After selecting the planting site, plow and level the land, deep plowing 20-25 cm, apply 2000 kg-3000 kg of fully decomposed organic fertilizer, 50 kg of superphosphate, and 100 kg of plant ash per 667 sq m as base fertilizer, level and harrow finely, and make high beds, with bed width 150-200 cm, or depending on the terrain, with the bed surface shaped like a turtle back. Large and small drainage ditches should be opened according to local conditions and terrain.

3. Propagation methods.Rhizome propagation is generally used. Seed propagation can also be used, but seed propagation is slow to produce seedlings, has high technical requirements, and is difficult, so it is mostly not used. In production, the main methods used are propagation by cutting underground stems into sections (or whole rhizomes) and propagation by cuttings.

1. Rhizome propagation:In the previous winter or in early to mid-March of the following year, dig out the rhizomes from places where wild Houttuynia cordata grows, or purchase seeds from elsewhere, cut them into small sections 5-10 cm long, each section must have 2-3 node buds and retain fibrous roots, or use whole rhizomes, soak the seeds for 1-4 hours with 20-40 mg, kg-1 of Shuangjier-GGR No. 8 produced by the Chinese Academy of Forestry, or when transplanting soak the roots for 10-30 minutes with 10-20 mg, kg-1. Experiments using potatoes showed that yield could be increased by at least 30%. If this product cannot be purchased locally, soak for 10 minutes in a 500*10-6 concentration solution of rooting agent No. 3. In short, a good rooting agent has a great effect on promoting the rhizome growth of Houttuynia cordata. Open shallow furrows 3-4.5 cm deep at a row spacing of 30 cm, place the rhizomes in the furrows at a plant spacing of 15 cm, cover with soil 6-10 cm, and cover with 3-5 cm thick rice straw. In areas with the conditions, a little watering may be added to keep the soil loose and moist. Seedlings can emerge after about 20 days. Generally, 80 kg-100 kg of seed rhizomes are needed per 667 sq m. After 10-12 months of cultivation, a thick layer of rhizomes will grow in the ground. Generally, 3000-6000 kg of rhizomes can be produced per 667 sq m. Farmers can dig them at any time according to market conditions, and finally keep seeds.

2. Cutting propagation:In the hot summer season, take cuttings in an open-air seedbed. Select relatively thick and strong aboveground stems and cut them into cuttings with 3-4 nodes, tie dozens of them into 1 small bundle, use the rooting agent mentioned above in the same way, and after taking them out, set up a shed for shade and maintain a relative humidity above 90%. After the cuttings take root and grow new leaves, the shade shed can be gradually removed, and after 10-15 days they can be transplanted into the field.

3. Field planting:It can be planted in all four seasons, but planting in spring and early summer allows harvest in the same year. When planting, open furrows 12-14 cm wide and 10 cm deep, with furrow spacing 20-30 cm, place the seed stems cut into small sections evenly in the furrows every 5 cm, cover with soil, irrigate, and then cover with a layer of fine soil so that the soil and seed stems are in close contact. After planting, keep the soil moist at all times to facilitate germination and growth.

4. Intertillage and weeding.After the seedlings survive and before the rows close, intertillage and weed 2-3 times. In the early stage, to avoid damaging the root seedlings, no more loosening of the soil is needed within 5 cm of the plant roots, but any weeds seen must be pulled out by hand, so as to prevent weeds from competing with Houttuynia cordata seedlings for nutrients and light. Alternatively, immediately after transplanting the seed roots, spray 70-75 ml of 50% acetochlor emulsifiable concentrate mixed with 40-45 kg of water evenly on the bed surface per 667 sq m, which has a good weeding effect.

5. Earthing up to protect the crowns.In artificial cultivation, the aboveground stems of Houttuynia cordata can grow upright to 60-80 cm. To prevent the plants from lodging, when the plant height is above 10 cm, earth up promptly and repeatedly to protect the crowns, which can also make the underground stems thick, white and tender.

6. Reasonable top dressing.In addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer before land preparation, top dressing must be applied appropriately 2-3 times. The 1st time is after Houttuynia cordata has been transplanted and is growing normally; when its seedlings are tender yellow-green, fertilizer should be applied immediately. In the seedling stage, mainly nitrogen fertilizer is applied, using 1000-1500 kg of dilute human and livestock manure water mixed with 3-5 kg of urea per 667 sq m applied to the roots to promote rapid seedling growth; the 2nd time is in mid-April, increase the application to 2000 kg, mixed with 13-15 kg of urea and 10 kg of potassium sulfate, to satisfy the rapid production of aboveground stems and the growth of a large number of branch leaves and the rapid sprouting of axillary buds on underground stems of Houttuynia cordata, while also meeting its need for potassium fertilizer; the 3rd time is in mid-May before the plant booting and flowering stage, mix 50 kg of decomposed cake fertilizer powder with 30 kg of superphosphate and 500 kg of wood ash evenly per 667 sq m, broadcast it among the plants at the crowns, and earth up to protect the crowns. Houttuynia cordata is a potassium-loving plant. During the growing period, use foliar top dressing by spraying the plants 2-3 times with 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution and other trace fertilizers. Also, during the tuber root growth and enlargement period, spray the leaves 2-3 times with 10-15 mg, kg-1 of Shuangjier-GGR No. 8.

7. Drainage and prevention of high temperatures.Houttuynia cordata likes moisture and cannot tolerate drought. During the growing period, the soil should be kept moist at all times; in hot and rainy seasons, water accumulation should be prevented, and timely drainage should be carried out to prevent high temperatures.

The above is all the content I learned today about Houttuynia cordata. I hope flower lovers will find it helpful after reading this article. If you want to learn more about Houttuynia cordata, please continue to follow Duorou Huapu, and we will provide you with more related knowledge!

Cultivation methods and precautions for Houttuynia cordata

Cultivation methods for Houttuynia cordata

Field planting

Choose fertile, loose sandy loam or soil rich in organic matter that is convenient for irrigation and drainage and sheltered from wind and facing the sun for cultivation. After deep plowing and loosening the soil, make beds, with bed width 1.5-1.6 m, bed height 30 cm, and ditch bottom width 20 cm. Apply 3000-4000 kg of farmyard manure per mu as base fertilizer, open shallow furrows or dig holes at a plant and row spacing of 14 x 20 cm for field planting, and water after planting to keep the soil moist.

Management

If drought occurs in the seedling stage, water in the morning and evening. After the seedlings survive and before the rows close, intertillage, weed and top dress 2-3 times, with fertilizers mainly based on nitrogen fertilizers such as human manure or chemical fertilizers.

Each time weeding is combined with top dressing, apply 1000-1500 kg of human manure or 15-25 kg of urea per mu, applying dilute first and then concentrated.

After each harvest, top dress mainly with nitrogen fertilizer to promote plant sprouting; the second time apply mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and earth up to facilitate overwintering and lay a foundation for sprouting the next year.

Harvesting and processing

From March to May, harvest the relatively young Houttuynia cordata for consumption. If it is mainly for medicinal use, it can only be harvested once in the planting year, and can be harvested in September-October. In the second year, it can be harvested twice, the first time in June, and the second time in September-October.

If it is to be processed into a beverage, according to the production process requirements, cut the whole plant evenly at ground level with a sickle, wash and dry it in the sun, and then it can be stored for later use.

Propagation methods for Houttuynia cordata

The seed germination rate of Houttuynia cordata is not high. The suitable temperature for germination is alternating 17-25°C, and the germination rate is about 20%, so division, cutting and rhizome propagation are often used. In addition, Houttuynia cordata is rarely grown at home; most is propagated on a large scale.

Division propagation

From late March to April, dig out the mother plants, divide them and transplant them into a sandy soil seedbed for raising seedlings, or directly transplant them.

Cutting propagation

In spring and summer, cut healthy branches free of pests and diseases as cuttings, cut them into 12-15 cm lengths with at least three nodes, and insert them into a sandy loam seedbed at a row and plant spacing of 16 x 10 cm or 14 x 10 cm. Water after insertion, provide shade, and after rooting transplant the seedlings for field planting.

Rhizome propagation

This can be done in February-March. Dig out white and thick rhizomes, cut them into small sections with more than 2 axillary buds, and raise seedlings or plant them in shallow furrows in a seedbed or in the field.