Key cultivation techniques for Angelica sinensis seedling transplanting and direct seeding propagation

1. Seedling transplanting

(1) Seed selection: Fresh seeds set in the second year after transplanting should be selected as seed. Around the Start of Autumn, when the seed coat turns sky blue or pink and the flowering stems droop, cut them off together with the flowering stems, place them in a ventilated and dry place to dry, then thresh and store for later use. Never expose to strong sun, roast, or rain.

(2) Sowing and seedling raising: Generally sow around the Start of Autumn, sowing immediately after harvest; in lower-altitude areas with slightly higher temperatures, sowing from mid-August to early September is suitable. Timely sowing can avoid early bolting of Angelica sinensis. If too early, the seedling growth period is long, the seedlings are vigorous and prone to bolting early; if too late, the growth period is short, the temperature has already dropped, and the seedlings grow poorly. Use drilling: on the prepared seedbed, open horizontal furrows at a row spacing of 25 cm, with a furrow depth of 3-5 cm, and level the furrow bottom. Before sowing, soak the seeds in warm water at 25-30°C for 24 hours, take them out and dry them, then sow them evenly into the furrows, cover with fine soil, just enough that the seeds are no longer visible. Finally, cover the seedbed with grass about 3 cm thick. Use 60-75 kg of seed per hectare. Seedlings emerge about 15 days after sowing. After 1 month, when the seedlings are 1-2 cm tall, choose a cloudy day, first gently shake the covering grass loose, then carefully remove it, so as to prevent the seedlings from getting into the gaps in the grass and being damaged. After removing the covering grass, remove weeds as soon as they appear, keep the field free of weeds, and thin the seedlings while weeding, removing the weak and keeping the strong, maintaining a plant spacing of about 1 cm. In mid-to-late October, when the seedling leaves turn yellow and wither, dig up the seedlings, tie the small seedlings into small bundles 5-6 cm thick, cut off the upper stems and leaves, keep a little soil on the roots, dry off the surface moisture, and then store them in a cellar; alternatively, in a dry, sunny place indoors, dig a pit of suitable size, about 60 cm deep, first spread a layer of fine sandy soil 5-7 cm thick on the bottom of the pit, then place 1 layer of seedlings on it, then cover with 1 layer of fine sand, and repeat this alternating layering until 15 cm from the top of the pit, then seal the opening with dry soil about 30 cm thick, and shape the top of the pit like a turtle shell. Fine sandy soil can also be used to stratify and store the seedlings in a specially made square bamboo basket, placed in a cool, dry place indoors for storage. This method is simple and easy to manage.

2. Direct seeding method: The most commonly used is autumn direct seeding, which neither bolts early nor is complicated, and has low cost. It can be drilled or hole-sown, with hole sowing being better; dig holes at a spacing of 27 cm in a triangular arrangement, 3-5 cm deep, level the bottom of the holes, sow 10 seeds per hole, arranged in a radial pattern. After pressing lightly, cover with fine fertile soil 1-2 cm thick, finally rake the seedbed surface level, and cover with fallen leaves to help retain moisture.