Full Analysis of the Key Techniques for Cultivating Gastrodia elata f. glauca
Gastrodia elata f. glauca has a good form, a high dry-to-fresh ratio (3 jin of fresh product dries into 1 jin of dried product), and excellent quality, and its price is three to four times higher than that of Gastrodia elata f. elata and Gastrodia elata f. flavida. The reason Gastrodia elata f. glauca commands such a high price is also that both the areas and quantities of its artificial cultivation and its wild distribution are very small. Therefore, cultivating Gastrodia elata f. glauca artificially requires grasping the following key points:
1. Cultivation region. Gastrodia elata f. glauca is mostly distributed in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan, and is also found in the three northeastern provinces. In the Yangtze River basin, Gastrodia elata f. glauca is distributed, or artificially cultivated, only in high mountains above 1500 m in altitude. So for artificial introduction and cultivation, it is best to use places at 1500-2000 m. According to our trials, introduction and cultivation in places below 1200 m in altitude gives very poor results. Therefore, artificial cultivation of Gastrodia elata f. glauca should choose cool high-mountain locations if it is to achieve both high quality and high yield.
2. Selection of seed tubers. Because the arrow tuber of Gastrodia elata f. glauca has a relatively low water content, the same is true of its seed tubers. Therefore, for white tubers of the same quantity and the same shape and size, 1 jin of Gastrodia elata f. elata usually contains 40-50 tubers, while Gastrodia elata f. glauca contains only 30-40. Thus, when introducing Gastrodia elata f. glauca seed tubers, you must both weigh them and calculate the number of seed tubers. Planting 1 sq m of Gastrodia elata f. elata requires 1 jin of seed tubers, while planting 1 sq m of Gastrodia elata f. glauca requires 1.2 jin of seed tubers.
3. Cultivating Armillaria mellea fungus wood. Trees such as Quercus variabilis, Quercus acutissima, Quercus aliena, cherry trees, rowan trees, Elaeagnus umbellata and Platycarya strobilacea have solid, rot-resistant wood and thick bark that does not easily fall off. Such trees are best for cultivating Gastrodia elata f. glauca. The tree diameter should be 5-12 cm, and when cutting into logs, a length of 50 cm is suitable. Branches with a diameter below 5 cm can be chopped into short pieces 5-10 cm long and placed evenly around the thick fungus wood. For the amount of fungus wood, prepare 8-10 pieces per sq m (or per pit), weighing 25-30 kg, plus 8-10 kg of short branches. For the fungus wood cultivation time, in spring, March-April, use two bottles of fungus spawn per pit; in autumn, August-September, use 1.5 jin of fungus branches per pit.
4. Cultivation method. When sowing, place the seed tubers close to the fungus wood, placing 6 seed tubers on each piece of fungus wood, 4 in the middle and one at each end. Either pit planting or row planting may be used. The cultivation depth is about 15 cm. When covering the cultivation pits with soil, use fine soil and fill it firmly. Make sure there are no gaps between the seed tubers and the soil, or between the fungus wood and fungus branches and the soil. Cover the top of the cultivation pits with broadleaf tree fallen leaves, thatch, rice straw, corn stalks and the like, with a covering thickness of 2-3 cm. Then open drainage ditches properly.
5. Field management.
(1) In winter and early spring, use mulch to keep warm, maintaining the soil temperature below 10 cm in the pits at 0-5°C. In the three months of July, August and September, be sure to use mulch or build a shade shed to regulate the temperature, keeping the temperature within 26°C.
(2) Water management. From December to March, control moisture and prevent freezing, with a soil water content of 30%, just showing moisture. From April to June, increase water to promote growth, with a soil water content of 60-70%, forming a ball when squeezed in the hand and breaking apart when dropped. From July to August, reduce moisture and lower temperature, with a soil water content of about 60%. From September to October, control water to inhibit bacteria, with a soil water content of about 50%, forming a slight ball when squeezed in the hand and breaking apart with a light squeeze. In November, the soil water content is about 30%, dry and loose. At the same time, during the growing season, pay attention to clearing weeds and preventing and controlling pests and diseases.
6. Harvest. Dig after Frost's Descent. When digging, do it on a clear day when the soil is dry; avoid digging on rainy days or within 1-2 days after rain. When digging, prepare two types of baskets and boxes, one specifically for seed tubers and one specifically for commercial tubers. The seed tubers should be sown promptly or transported and stored as required. Commercial tubers should also be processed and dried promptly.