Growing Imperial Chrysanthemum for three years to get rich, stemming from an epiphany during a trip to Wuyuan

Imperial Chrysanthemum is praised as the finest among chrysanthemum teas, and the most famous is produced in Wuyuan, Jiangxi.

Song Libin, a farmer from Jiaozhou who was in the door and window business, started growing Imperial Chrysanthemum on Mingshan Ridge in Gaoshangou Village, Licha Town. Over 3 years, through loosening the soil, watering and fertilizing, the planting area expanded from the original 10 mu to 50 mu. November happens to be the full bloom period of Imperial Chrysanthemum, and today's Mingshan Ridge is already "the soaring fragrance penetrates Chang'an, the whole city is clad in golden armor."

On November 20, the reporter came to the Imperial Chrysanthemum planting base in Gaoshangou Village, Licha Town. Large patches of Imperial Chrysanthemum had entered the full bloom period. The female workers carried bamboo baskets on their left arms and skillfully placed chrysanthemums into the baskets with their right hands. One chrysanthemum after another was golden in color and blooming at the stem tips. In the field hut, a curled small yellow flower, after being brewed with boiling water, soon turned into a plump and lustrous yellow flower ball. Paired with green tea as the base, it was like a delicate chrysanthemum blooming in the cup, with a refreshing fragrance that made people love it too much to put it down.

Song Libin, 50 years old, did farm work during busy farming seasons and ran a door and window business during slack farming seasons. Three years ago, he traveled to Wuyuan, Jiangxi, and saw that Imperial Chrysanthemum was planted on a large scale locally. Because of its high quality, the market price was not cheap either, which made him feel this was a business opportunity. "At that time, business was very ordinary, so I had the idea of changing careers. I heard the government supported agricultural development, and I had felt attached to the land since childhood, so I decided to give up the door and window business and return to the village to do agriculture," Song Libin said. So he brought some Imperial Chrysanthemum seedlings back from Wuyuan and planted them on the ridge land of Mingshan Ridge. "Because we had no experience, we were reluctant to prune the branches, which made the appearance of the Imperial Chrysanthemum we grew not good enough. But when the Imperial Chrysanthemum harvest came at the end of October, the field was golden and the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. Many nearby villagers came specially to visit, and we were still very happy."

Imperial Chrysanthemum is planted from May to June each year and picked around November. To grow Imperial Chrysanthemum well, he went south to Wuyuan many times to ask local growers for advice. After two years of trial planting, he gradually figured out the growth habits of Imperial Chrysanthemum. "In the first two years, we were reluctant to prune. Later we understood that for good quality, only three or four branches could be kept per plant, and this year we fixed the plants with small bamboo stakes, so they would not easily fall over and the chrysanthemums at the top could receive sunlight and rain well," Song Libin said. Now, the planting area of Imperial Chrysanthemum has expanded from the original 10 mu to more than 50 mu. Because of the later drought and little rain, in order to ensure the water needed by Imperial Chrysanthemum, he drilled four 100-meter-deep wells on the ridge land. Coupled with proper field management, these Imperial Chrysanthemums have ushered in the full bloom period.

Tea is usually weighed in liang, and chrysanthemum tea is no exception, but Imperial Chrysanthemum stands in a class of its own. There is a folk proverb, "I would rather get one gram of October chrysanthemum than ten thousand taels of yellow gold," which shows how precious it is. "A single plant has nearly 100 flowers, but only 1 to 2 premium-grade Imperial Chrysanthemums can be picked. The most difficult step in making Imperial Chrysanthemum is still drying. To ensure the petals and flower shape are undamaged when brewed, the picked Imperial Chrysanthemum must retain natural dew and be dried over pure natural charcoal, turned and roasted entirely by hand. The Imperial Chrysanthemum roasted this way not only retains its naturally bright golden color and pure sweet and refreshing taste, but its nutrition is not lost either. It is a rare fine beverage treasure," Song Libin told the reporter. Roasting Imperial Chrysanthemum greatly tests a person's patience and perseverance.

Any Imperial Chrysanthemum with a diameter above 4.5 cm after drying belongs to high quality, and above 5 cm is premium-grade Imperial Chrysanthemum. In Wuyuan locally, the most expensive premium-grade Imperial Chrysanthemum can sell for more than 1600 yuan for 12 flowers. In recent years of trial planting, in order to expand sales channels, Song Libin sold each flower above 4 cm for 1 to 2 yuan, while 36 flowers above 5 cm sold for more than a thousand yuan. "There are too few above 5 cm at the base, with at most just over 5000 flowers, so the price is much higher," Song Libin said.

Although Imperial Chrysanthemum is expensive, because it is extremely popular with consumers in both taste and appearance, demand in the market exceeds supply. "This year the Imperial Chrysanthemum has grown very well, and most flower diameters are above 4 cm, so it should be a good harvest. By rough estimate, this year the base's yield per mu is around 10,000 Imperial Chrysanthemums. At present, a large portion of these Imperial Chrysanthemums has been preordered by some customers in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and the profit can reach one million yuan."

Song Libin said he will stay on the farm with peace of mind. Next year he also plans to expand the planting scale and attract some villagers to join in, growing better-quality Imperial Chrysanthemum with dedication, so that everyone who drinks Imperial Chrysanthemum feels breathtaking beauty and experiences top-level enjoyment from taste buds to vision.