How to cultivate Gastrodia elata bonsai indoors for high yield
Gastrodia elata is a precious Chinese medicinal herb, sweet in taste and neutral in nature, with the effects of calming the liver and extinguishing wind, lowering blood pressure and soothing the nerves. It mainly treats dizziness, numbness of the limbs, high blood pressure, epilepsy and other diseases. Wang Jianshe, former Party branch secretary of Da'e Village, Huangwan Township, Emeishan City, Sichuan, succeeded in cultivating Gastrodia elata bonsai using the abundant wild Gastrodia elata and Armillaria mellea of Mount Emei. The specific methods are as follows.
1. Growing conditions. Gastrodia elata relies on Armillaria mellea to absorb nutrients from wood and rotting leaves for its growth, development and expansion. The tuber has no roots, no leaves, and does not carry out photosynthesis. When Armillaria mellea is sufficient and temperature and humidity are suitable, a single tuber can grow to 200-300 grams, with a yield of 5 kg to 6 kg per sq m. The bonsai blooms from April to May, and the seeds mature from June to July. Generally, Armillaria mellea is cultivated from July to October, and Gastrodia elata is planted and harvested from November to February of the following year.
2. Cultivating Armillaria mellea
1. Selection and preparation of fungal wood: Any branches, trunks and leaves of non-oily broadleaf trees can be used, with hard miscellaneous trees such as Qinggang oak, white chestnut, chestnut and hazel being the best. Select tree trunks and branches with a diameter of 5-8 cm; split large-diameter wood and saw it into sections 40-60 cm long. Use a knife to cut slanted fish-scale notches around the wooden stick, with a notch depth of about 1 cm and a notch spacing of 6-8 cm. After sun-exposure disinfection for 4-6 hours, set aside for use.
2. Cultivation of fungal sticks: From July to October, select rectangular wooden boxes, bamboo baskets or plastic boxes with an inner space of 60 cm long, 40 cm wide and 40 cm high, with 3-5 drainage holes at the bottom of the box. Spray and disinfect the inner walls of the box with a 1:10 fresh limewater disinfectant solution. After disinfecting dead leaves with limewater, place them at the bottom of the box to a thickness of about 1 cm. Cover the leaf surface with uncontaminated sandy soil or humus soil to a thickness of 6-10 cm. Place new wooden sticks parallel on the soil, with a spacing of 2-3 cm. Place already-cultured Armillaria mellea sticks in the gaps, or place already-cultured Armillaria mellea mycelium on the fish-scale notches of the new sticks. Then place a layer of dead leaves, put sandy soil or humus soil on the leaf surface to a thickness of 8-10 cm, and spray potato nutrient solution on the soil, preferably until thoroughly moistened. Preparation of potato nutrient solution: boil 1 kg of potatoes, mash into starch, add 10 kg of water, add 5 tablets each of vitamin B1 and B2, and stir to mix. Place 2-3 layers according to the above method, with the topmost soil layer 15 cm thick, cover the soil surface with a layer of dead leaves, and then cover well with plastic film.
3. Cultivation of Gastrodia elata
1. Selection and preparation of seed tubers: For cultivating commercial Gastrodia elata, select uniform white-tipped tubers. The tubers are 5-8 cm long, with intact and shiny bud tips, free of damage and black spots, and individuals produced by sexual reproduction are best. For cultivating Gastrodia elata bonsai, select arrow tubers with reddish, disease-free bud tips, with a single weight of 150-200 grams being best.
2. Cultivation method: Carry out from November to February of the following year. Prepare dead leaves and soak them in limewater for disinfection before use. Take out the fungal sticks already covered with Armillaria mellea mycelium from the cultivation box (do not take out the bottommost layer), and place the selected white-tipped tubers close to the fungal sticks in the gaps between sticks; the tuber spacing is 6-10 cm, and the seed tubers and mycelium should contact each other. Then place a layer of dead leaves, put the soil taken from the original box on the leaves to a thickness of 10 cm, and spray thorough potato nutrient solution on the soil. The method for planting the second layer is the same as the first layer. If planting bonsai and producing Gastrodia elata seed tubers in the second layer, use arrow tuber seed pieces, place the removed fungal sticks on the first layer of soil, and use the same method as for planting white-tipped tubers, cover with the topmost layer of soil 15 cm thick, and cover tightly with plastic film. Place in a clean, ventilated room; bamboo or wooden racks can be used for three-dimensional placement of 2-3 layers.
4. Post-planting management
1. Temperature: The most suitable temperature for Gastrodia elata growth is 18-25%. In winter, close the doors and windows of the cultivation room, cover the cultivation boxes with film to keep warm, and at the same time hang a 60-watt light bulb in a room to increase temperature. In summer and autumn, when the temperature exceeds 25%, open the doors and windows, spray water around, and if necessary turn on an electric fan to blow air and cool down.
2. Humidity: During the growth process, Gastrodia elata needs watering to maintain moisture, and the soil water content should be kept at 50%-65%, that is, it is appropriate if it can be formed into a ball when squeezed by hand and scattered when the hand is released.
3. Pest and disease control: For tuber rot, the pathogens mainly come from seed tubers and fungal sticks. As long as seed tuber selection is done well and the fungal sticks, cultivation boxes and site are strictly disinfected, it can be avoided. The main insect pest is termites damaging the fungal sticks. Mirex can be spread to kill them, or an appropriate amount of 2.5% trichlorfon powder can be mixed into meat residue and placed as bait to trap and kill them. Rats mainly burrow and steal Gastrodia elata to eat; comprehensive control methods such as catching by cats, trapping and poisoning can be used.