A Detailed Guide to the Planting Techniques and Methods of Spatholobus suberectus
Spatholobus suberectus, also known as Xuefengteng, Sanye Jixueteng and Jiucengfeng, is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb with the effects of promoting blood circulation and enriching the blood, regulating menstruation and relieving pain, and relaxing the muscles and activating the collaterals. It is an important raw material for many clinical medicines. So how should Spatholobus suberectus be planted? Let's take a look together.
1. Site Selection and Land Preparation
Spatholobus suberectus is suitable for growing in environments at an altitude of 200-3000 m, and usually grows at field edges, sunny hillsides, roadside thickets or coastal sand dunes. When planting, it is advisable to choose a gently sloping site with convenient drainage and irrigation and shelter from the wind and humidity, and the soil should preferably be a sandy loam with deep soil layers and a loose texture. In the winter before planting, plow it deeply once to eliminate overwintering insect eggs. When preparing to plant the following year, apply 300-500 of decomposed farmyard manure per mu as base fertilizer, level and rake the land, then form ridges and dig drainage ditches. If conditions permit, the soil can be disinfected.
2. Propagation Methods
The propagation method for Spatholobus suberectus is cuttings. When new buds begin to sprout, select thick, disease-free branches that have grown for 1-2 years as cuttings, cut them into lengths of 15-20 cm with 2-3 buds on each, remove the leaves at the base, cut the base diagonally into a wedge shape, and trim the top flat for easy identification. For cutting, soak them in rooting powder for 5-10 minutes to increase the survival rate, then use a wooden stick to make a small hole at an angle, and insert the cutting into the hole, with the depth about two-thirds of the cutting, leaving at least 1 bud exposed. After cutting, cover with soil and water, and roots and sprouts will appear in about half a month.
3. Transplanting
After the cuttings survive, the main task is field management. When the seedlings grow to 40-50 cm, they can be transplanted, generally best in April-May, because at this time the temperature rises and rainfall is abundant, which is beneficial to the survival rate of transplanting. After lifting the seedlings, dip the roots in thick yellow mud slurry to keep the root system moist, and also prune off half or two-thirds of the leaves to reduce water evaporation from the seedlings and improve the survival rate. Spatholobus suberectus likes deep mountain forests, hillsides and streamsides, and because it likes to twine around other trees, it is best to cultivate it under the forest. Dig holes under the forest at a spacing of 2 m between plants and rows, apply 5 kg of farmyard manure at the bottom of each hole as base fertilizer, spread out the seedling root system, plant vertically, cover with soil and firm it, and water thoroughly to settle the roots.
4. Later Management
After transplanting and survival, promptly remove miscellaneous trees and weeds in the forest. For loosening the soil and weeding, manual methods are best. After loosening the soil, dead branches and fallen leaves can be spread over the ground surface to prevent the topsoil from being exposed. In July-August, the peak growing season for Spatholobus suberectus, apply a topdressing once in time to promote its growth. Dig a trench near the roots and apply fertilizer, applying 5 kg of farmyard manure or 1 jin of compound fertilizer, and cover with soil promptly after fertilizing. At the same time, do a good job in pest and disease control. Spatholobus suberectus has relatively few diseases, mainly pests eating the leaves. Try to use chemical agents and adopt pollution-free killing methods to reduce pesticide residues.
The above is an introduction to the planting techniques for Spatholobus suberectus. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.