Key Points for Preparatory Work Before Sowing Gastrodia elata Seeds from Sexual Reproduction

The sexual reproduction of Gastrodia elata uses hybrid seedling seeds of Gastrodia elata, which reproduce under the combined action of germination fungi and Armillaria mellea. The growth period of sexually reproduced Gastrodia elata is one and a half years, that is, planted in June-July of the current year and harvested at the end of the second year. Its characteristics are small investment, high success rate, and stable yield, and it is currently a relatively advanced high-yield cultivation technique for Gastrodia elata in China.

1. Selection of planting site. The growth of Gastrodia elata hardly requires sunlight, so it can be planted in basements, air-raid shelters, mountain streams, and other places with certain ventilation conditions, as well as in all idle land such as the edges of courtyards, fields, roads, slopes, forests, and bamboo groves. In areas with relatively high temperatures such as semi-mountainous and plain areas, indoor planting is advocated. For the sexual reproduction of Gastrodia elata, river sand, hemp-bone stone sand, etc. should be used as much as possible. In places where there is really no river sand, sandy loam soil with a sand content of more than 50% should also be selected.

2. Material preparation. 1. Prepare sand. The amount should be determined according to the planting scale. Generally, three loads of sand can plant two pits. The sand should preferably be coarse sand the size of mung beans. If planting indoors on a cement floor, walnut-sized cobblestones should also be prepared, and the amount should be enough to cover the planting site to a thickness of 10 cm. 2. Prepare wood, sawdust, branches, and leaves. Oak tree species are better for wood; in addition, broadleaf tree species such as birch, sugar pear wood, and Elaeagnus umbellata are all acceptable. Sawdust, branches, and leaves should also come from the above tree species, and coniferous tree species must not be used. Wood and branches should be fresh, and can be cut within half a month before planting or cut and planted at any time. Sawdust should be fresh sawdust with a bright yellow color and no contamination by miscellaneous fungi. Leaves should be fallen leaves from the previous year, preferably half-rotted. For each pit, use 10 pieces of wood, with a thickness of 6-8 cm and a length of 50 cm; use 1-1.5 kg of sawdust per pit; and use 1 kg each of branches and leaves per pit. To eliminate miscellaneous fungi, also prepare a bottle of carbendazim or lysol, and a small amount of ammonium nitrate fertilizer.

3. Treatment of wood, branches, and leaves. Before planting, first put the leaves into woven bags and soak them in water for 12-24 hours. Cut the wood uniformly into 50 cm lengths, make cuts with a sharp axe, one cut every 10 cm, with the depth just reaching the xylem. Make one row of cuts on each side of the wood; for thicker pieces, 3-4 rows can be cut. Cut the branches into 10 cm small sections, with both ends cut into slanted surfaces. Then soak the wood and branches in a 0.2%-0.25% ammonium nitrate solution, remove them after 8-10 minutes, and set aside for use. Mix the sand and sawdust used for planting evenly at a ratio of 3:1, maintain a moisture content of 60%, and set aside for use.