Winter Management Methods and Technical Key Points for Gastrodia elata in Jilin Province

Jilin Province has a long, cold winter, during which Gastrodia elata is in a dormant state. Preventing freezing damage and rot in Gastrodia elata is the key to achieving a bumper harvest.

① Management of pit-cultivated Gastrodia elata. Pit-cultivated Gastrodia elata usually overwinters outdoors. Before the onset of winter, the soil moisture in the Gastrodia elata pit should be kept at 30%-40%, and excessively wet conditions and water accumulation should be prevented. Drainage ditches should also be dug around the Gastrodia elata pit to prevent snowmelt water from flowing into the pit. Before freezing, cover the Gastrodia elata pit with a 15 cm thick layer of leaves or weeds, then add 20-30 cm of cold-protection soil. When adding the cold-protection soil, keep the soil loose; never firm it by treading on it or patting it down with a shovel. In cold mountainous areas, snow should also be used for protection. Special attention should be paid to preventing freezing damage to Gastrodia elata when temperatures rise again in early winter and early spring.

② Management of box-cultivated Gastrodia elata. Box-cultivated Gastrodia elata is usually moved indoors for management before late October in autumn. The moisture of the culture medium in the box should be kept at 30%-40%, and the temperature should be kept at 12-18°C, so that Armillaria mellea and Gastrodia elata can combine before overwintering. After 15-20 days, gradually lower the temperature of the Gastrodia elata cultivation room to 1-5°C, so that it passes through the dormant period at a relatively low temperature. After February and March of the following year, gradually raise the temperature to 18-20°C and the humidity to 50%, creating good conditions for the growth of Gastrodia elata and Armillaria mellea.