How to Grow Schisandra? A Detailed Guide to Artificial Cultivation Techniques in the Liaodong Mountain Area

Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) is a plant of the Magnoliaceae family. Its dried ripe fruit has high medicinal value, with effects such as astringing, tonifying, promoting fluid production, and stopping diarrhea. With the destruction of natural resources and excessive artificial harvesting, the current Chinese medicinal market is in short supply, and artificial cultivation has broad prospects. This is a Chinese medicinal herb project with relatively large investment, a long cycle, and considerable returns, so cultivation techniques are particularly important.

1. Site selection and land preparation. The seedling nursery should be loose and fertile land near a water source with good drainage and irrigation; old ginseng land is best. After plowing, harrow fine and make raised beds 15 cm high and 120-150 cm wide, and apply 10-15 kg of decomposed barnyard manure. In addition to being fertile and well drained and irrigated, the planting site should have a slope of less than 15 degrees. Holes can be dug at a spacing of 0.8-1.1 m. When using semi-artificial cultivation, plots with supporting plants should be selected.

2. Seedling raising and transplanting. At present, Schisandra is mainly propagated by seed, supplemented by division and cuttings.

1. Seed seedling raising: Before sowing, soak the seeds harvested in the current year in warm water for 2-3 days, rub off the fruit pulp, wash out the seeds, mix evenly with 3 times the amount of wet sand, and place outdoors for natural stratification. After the thaw the following spring, move them indoors to continue stratification. When most seed embryos have developed and matured, sowing can be done (around early to mid-May). Usually drill sowing is done in furrows with a row spacing of 15 cm, covering with about 2 cm of soil, pressing slightly, then covering with grass to retain moisture. The sowing rate is about 5 kg per mu. When seedlings emerge in 3-4 weeks, remove the covering grass and set up a shade shed (remove it in late August). During the seedling stage, thin the seedlings while loosening soil and weeding. When the seedlings have 3-4 leaves, thin to a plant spacing of 5-7 cm. When they have 5-10 leaves, they can be transplanted for planting.

2. Cutting propagation: Before the plants sprout in early spring, cut biennial branches as cuttings. Cut the cuttings into 15 cm lengths, each with 2-3 nodes, then insert them into the seedling bed at a row and plant spacing of 15 x 7-10 cm, and promote rooting at 27-31°C. Softwood cuttings can also be taken in July, cut into 10 cm lengths, and inserted into the cutting bed at a row and plant spacing of 15 x 7-10 cm. Pay attention to moisture retention and set up a shed for shade. Transplant in the autumn of the second year.

3. Transplanting: Can be done in spring or autumn. Both are done during the dormant period. Dig holes at a plant and row spacing of 70-90 cm x 100-120 cm, with holes 30-35 cm deep and 60 cm in diameter. Apply 2-3 kg of decomposed pen manure each time, mix evenly with soil, then plant the seedlings. When planting, make the roots spread out, firm the soil after planting, and water thoroughly.

3. Field management

1. Trellising: After transplanting and planting, trellises should be set up for the vines to climb. Supports are divided into natural supports and artificial supports. Trees used as natural supports should have appropriate height and sparse crowns; hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) or Sibirian crabapple (Malus baccata) are better. Artificial supports are set up with cement posts, with one post every 4-6 m, and a galvanized iron wire pulled at every 50 cm of height. Tie the Schisandra vines to the iron wires.

2. Weeding, topdressing, and irrigation: After transplanting, weed according to field conditions, 4-5 times each year, with a cultivation depth of about 10 cm, to achieve loose soil with good aeration and also play a role in drought resistance and water retention. During weeding, be careful not to damage the roots. Topdress twice each year. The first time is applied in mid-to-late May before flower buds open, which can increase the fruit-setting rate; ammonium sulfate and superphosphate can be used at 25 g each per plant. The second time is in early to mid-July, applying 50 g of superphosphate per plant to promote flower bud differentiation. The flowering period of Schisandra coincides with the dry season, so irrigation should be done to prevent flower and fruit drop. During the fruit expansion period, the soil should be kept moist. Before freezing in autumn, water the roots thoroughly, then mound soil over them to help overwintering and growth in the following year.

3. Pruning: Schisandra is a trunkless, multi-branched plant. To achieve continuous high yield, in addition to maintaining sufficient fertilizer, water, ventilation, and light, pruning must also be carried out. Pruning is mainly done in winter and spring. When pruning, the cut should be 2-2.5 cm from the bud eye and 30 cm from the ground. No lateral branches should be left on the trellis surface. On the ground, except for the 2-3 main vines tied to bamboo poles, all parasitic branches should be cut off. When the branches and vines have not yet covered the trellis surface, only the immature part of the extended main vine should be cut off. For lateral vine pruning, mainly medium and long shoots are retained, with a spacing of 15-20 cm, and about 13 medium and long branches per pole is best. In principle, leaf cluster branches are not pruned. When the main vine ages, robust branches should be selected and retained from the base of the plant as new main vines for renewal. Parasitic branches, overlapping branches, side cavity branches, diseased branches, and overly dense new shoots should be cut off. Reasonable pruning can improve structure, rejuvenate the plant, and prolong the fruiting age.

4. Disease and pest prevention: The main diseases include damping-off, root rot, powdery mildew, and black spot. The main pests include leaf roller, fruit borer, and red spider mite. Disease and pest control must adopt pollution-free control methods to preserve the medicinal value of Schisandra. The basic principles for using pesticides are:

(1) Prohibit the use of highly toxic, high-toxicity, and high-residue pesticides;

(2) Reasonably mix pesticides;

(3) Alternate pesticide use to reduce disease and pest resistance;

(4) Master the dosage and spraying time to avoid pesticide damage;

(5) Improve pesticide utilization and apply the right pesticide for the right problem;

(6) The interval between continuous pesticide applications is 7-15 days. Schisandra production fields must be protected from 2,4-D butyl ester damage.

4. Harvesting. Pick the fruit in September-October when it turns bright red. After cutting it off, dry it in the sun. On clear nights, it may be left to be moistened by dew. In this way, Schisandra has high oil content and good quality. When it feels elastic in the hand and returns to shape after being released, it is properly dried. Remove the fruit stalks and impurities, and it can be stored in the warehouse or @#@136@#@.