What are the precautions for growing He Shou Wu (Fallopia multiflora)?

He Shou Wu (Fallopia multiflora) is a perennial twining vine in the Polygonaceae family, also known as many-flowered knotweed and purple vine. He Shou Wu uses its tuberous root as medicine and has effects such as calming the mind, nourishing the blood, and detoxifying; it can also be used to darken the hair and beard and to tonify the liver and kidneys. It is a relatively common and frequently used Chinese medicinal herb. Today we will learn about the precautions for growing He Shou Wu. Friends who are interested and in need can take a look.

1. Soil

He Shou Wu has requirements for the soil of the planting site. Generally, it is best that the soil fertility be abundant, the planting site be close to water resources, the water quality be pollution-free, and the drainage and permeability of the planting site be strong. For the nutrient soil for growing He Shou Wu, we need to mix it with decomposed mixed culture soil; otherwise, He Shou Wu may rot during the growth period.

2. Time

He Shou Wu cannot be planted at just any time, and when different propagation methods are used, the planting time also differs to some extent. If seed propagation or cutting propagation is used, then the planting time is sowing from early March to early April; but if division propagation is used, then generally the divisions are dug up in autumn and planted before spring budding.

3. Density

We also need to pay attention to the planting density of He Shou Wu. When direct sowing is used, the initial sowing row spacing is about 15 cm. When the seedlings grow to a certain height and are transplanted, the planting row spacing is generally about 30 to 35 cm, and the plant spacing is about 30 cm. For cutting propagation and division propagation, the initial planting row spacing is 35 cm and the plant spacing is 30 cm, which can ensure ventilation and light penetration in the field.

4. Light

He Shou Wu has very strict requirements for light. It does not need very strong light; generally, as long as the growing temperature can reach the standard for He Shou Wu's growth, it is enough. If the light intensity during growing is too high, it will instead affect the normal growth of He Shou Wu. Therefore, when choosing the planting site, we can appropriately choose an area with shade, or during the growing process build a shade shed, but the shade shed cannot completely block the light and must retain a certain amount of light. It is best to ensure that the light for He Shou Wu throughout the day is scattered light rather than direct light.

5. Humidity

He Shou Wu has a relatively large demand for water, so during the growing process we should keep the soil moist and effectively manage the water in the field. Although He Shou Wu has a large water requirement, we still need to control it scientifically to avoid water accumulation and waterlogging in the field. If He Shou Wu lives in such an environment for a long time, its roots will quickly rot, causing very great losses to He Shou Wu. Also, the planting site cannot be too dry; otherwise, He Shou Wu will shrivel due to lack of water, and such losses are also considerable.

The above issues are the ones that need special attention when growing He Shou Wu. We hope this can help all friends who grow or want to grow He Shou Wu. If you want to learn about detailed cultivation techniques for He Shou Wu, you can follow us.