How to cultivate Gastrodia elata in indoor bed frames and troughs

① Bed frame setup: Basically the same as the bed frames used for cultivating mushrooms, generally the frame is 1.2 m wide, 2.5-3 m high, and 5.5 m long. The lowest layer can be cultivated on the ground, using the pit-style double-layer Gastrodia cultivation method. The spacing between each layer of the bed frame is 60 cm, and 5-6 layers can be planted. Either iron frames or wooden poles can be used to build the frame, as long as they are sturdy and durable.

The bottom of each layer of the bed frame can use wooden boards, board scraps (preferably not pine or fir boards; if broadleaf tree boards really cannot be found, pine or fir boards can also be used as a substitute), wide slats, etc. If there are no wooden boards, bamboo poles can also be used for the bed bottom, but they must be laid densely, or a layer of plastic film (with some holes punched) should be spread over the bamboo poles to prevent the culture material from leaking down. Use wooden boards or sorghum stalk curtains around the sides to form a trough, with a trough height of 30 cm. Before planting Gastrodia, fumigate the room with sulfur dioxide produced by burning sulfur. Close the doors and windows in advance, using 1-1.5 kg of sulfur per 100 cubic meters; or use 100-150 g of sulfur, 50 mL each of dichlorvos and formalin (also called formaldehyde), mixed with an appropriate amount of sawdust for fumigation; or use 500 mL of formalin, then add 20% potassium permanganate for fumigation, fumigate for 24 hours, and then release the residual gas;

② Planting time: Cultivating Gastrodia on bed frames can begin in October-November, but the room must have heating equipment, preferably using coal gangue as fuel and a sealed stove for heating, adding coal only once every 24 or 36 hours, which saves labor, has low cost, and can also maintain a constant indoor temperature; cultivation can also begin in February of the following year, but planting in October-November gives higher yields.

After the indoor disinfection is completed, plant the Gastrodia immediately. For the lowest layer, dig a pit in the ground and plant the Gastrodia. Spread perforated plastic film in the trough on the bed frame. The fungus sticks are 1.1 m long, or 2 fungus sticks each 55 cm long can be joined together. For the specific planting method, refer to the outdoor flat-bed Gastrodia cultivation method or the box-cultivation double-layer Gastrodia cultivation method.

③ Temperature and humidity management: When cultivating Gastrodia in autumn and winter, the indoor temperature should be low at the beginning, maintained at 1-5°C for 50 days. This allows the Gastrodia to pass through its dormant period. After the dormant period has passed, the indoor temperature should be gradually increased. When the temperature in the culture material rises to 8°C, Armillaria mellea begins to grow; when the temperature reaches 12°C, the Gastrodia begins to germinate, and at the same time the Gastrodia easily connects with Armillaria mellea. When the temperature rises to 15-20°C, the humidity should reach 55%-60%; when the temperature rises to 20-25°C, the humidity should increase to 65%. A temperature of 20-25°C is exactly the peak growth period for Gastrodia and Armillaria mellea. The longer the temperature is kept constant at 20-25°C, the easier it is to obtain a high yield, but the temperature must not exceed 25°C, and the humidity must not exceed 70%. The room temperature should be constant, not fluctuating up and down, to prevent rotten Gastrodia. After September, as the air temperature drops, the growth of Gastrodia gradually slows down, and the humidity should also decrease accordingly; only then should watering be stopped. By early October, the humidity of the culture material should drop to 30%-40% (excessive humidity easily causes rotten Gastrodia), and from mid-October to early November the Gastrodia can be harvested. The room should be kept clean and hygienic to prevent contamination by miscellaneous bacteria, and the harm of rats and mole crickets should also be controlled.