How to Propagate Angelica Sinensis? A Detailed Guide to Common Propagation Methods

Propagate by seed, then raise seedlings and transplant.

1. Seed collection: usually use fresh seeds set in the second year after transplanting. When the seed coat turns azure blue or pink, the seeds can be harvested, air-dried, threshed, and stored for later use.

2. Seedbed site: choose a sheltered, sunny, shaded hillside or wasteland. In late May, turn the soil, use the ash of burned weeds as base fertilizer, dig it into the soil, then rake it level and make raised beds 1.2 m wide. Before sowing, apply base fertilizer again, 2500-3000 kg per 667 sq m, dig it into the soil, and break up and level the soil finely. Sow from early to late June, open crosswise furrows with a row spacing of 17-20 cm, sow the seeds evenly, cover with a layer of fine soil to cover the seeds completely, then cover with a layer of weeds. Sow 4-5 kg of seed per 667 sq m. The optimum germination temperature is about 20°C. Seedlings emerge about half a month after sowing; at this point, loosen the covering grass to avoid injuring the seedlings when removing it. Remove the covering grass in early August. Weed whenever weeds appear, keep the field free of weeds, and thin the seedlings while weeding, removing the weak and keeping the strong; a plant spacing of about 1 cm is suitable.

3. Digging up seedlings and storage: in early October, dig up the young plants with their roots, tie them into small bundles, and store them in a heap or in a pit. For heap storage, choose a cool room without a fire, and in the room pile one layer of planting stock and one layer of yellow soil; for outdoor pit storage, choose a cool, dry place. Dig a pit 1 m deep and 1 m wide, with the length depending on the quantity of planting stock, pile one layer of planting stock and one layer of yellow soil, and cover the top of the pit with about 30 cm of soil, mounded above ground level.

4. Transplanting: generally transplant in early to mid-April. On the prepared bed surface, plant in a triangular arrangement with a row spacing of 35 cm x 25 cm and a hole depth of 16 cm. Choose seedlings whose root diameter is best controlled at about 3.5 mm; roots that are too large tend to bolt early, while those that are too small have poor adaptability and a low survival rate. After planting, cover with soil and press firmly at the same time, then cover with soil until it is 2-3 cm above the root crown of the seedling.