How to Grow He Shou Wu (Fallopia multiflora) as a Bonsai, How to Make Medicinal Wine with It, and What It Should Not Be Eaten With
Many friends only know that He Shou Wu (Fallopia multiflora) can be used as medicine, but many people do not know that it can actually also be grown for ornamental purposes. He Shou Wu can not only be made into a bonsai for people to admire, so do you know what the methods for growing a He Shou Wu bonsai are? What can it not be eaten with? What are the methods for making medicinal wine with it?
I. What Are the Methods for Growing a He Shou Wu Bonsai?
Sunlight: Potted He Shou Wu likes a warm and humid environment and is cold-hardy. I planted mine and placed it on the security window bars of a sunny balcony to grow. He Shou Wu is a perennial twining vine, and the bars of the security window are just right for it to climb.
Air: Make sure the He Shou Wu vines have enough space to spread out. He Shou Wu tolerates pruning, so you can buy a flower stand or make one yourself for it to climb on, and prune as needed based on its direction of growth and your needs, to ensure good air circulation around the branches and leaves.
Water: He Shou Wu likes moisture, and drought can easily cause its tuberous roots to dry out and die. However, the pot must not become waterlogged, otherwise the tuberous roots and root system of the He Shou Wu can easily rot. So when mixing the potting soil, make sure it drains well; no matter how much you water, any excess water must be able to seep out from the bottom of the pot immediately, so that waterlogging is avoided.
Fertilizing: He Shou Wu is a fertilizer-loving plant, so apply plenty of base fertilizer and top-dress several times. For top-dressing, follow the principle of applying organic fertilizer in the early stage, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer in the middle stage, and no fertilizer in the late stage. Once the plant has taken root and grown new roots, you can apply a suitable amount of human manure and urine, then top-dress according to the plant's growth, generally 2 more times. After September, when the tuberous roots begin to form and grow, apply a heavy dose of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, using a mixed fertilizer of barnyard manure and plant ash.
Planting: When transplanting, more than half of the He Shou Wu tuberous root should be exposed above the potting soil, because only then does it have ornamental value. Transplanting and setting out are best done in spring or autumn. After planting in the setting-out spot, cover with soil and firm it down, then water thoroughly to settle the roots.
Earthing up: In southern production areas, earth up around the roots at the end of December to increase propagation material and promote tuberous root growth; in the north, earth up before winter sets in to help it overwinter.
II. What He Shou Wu Should Not Be Eaten With
1. Whether you boil, stew, steam, or steep He Shou Wu in water, the container used must not be made of iron; ceramic is best, otherwise the medicinal potency will be reduced.
2. He Shou Wu should not be eaten with pork, pig blood, or scaleless fish.
3. He Shou Wu should not be eaten with radish; eating them together will reduce the medicinal potency of He Shou Wu.
III. What Are the Methods for Making Medicinal Wine with He Shou Wu?
Seven Great Ways to Make Medicinal Wine with He Shou Wu:
First
Ingredients: He Shou Wu (Fallopia multiflora), Cistanche deserticola, goji berries, gardenia fruit, safflower, Poria cocos, Angelica sinensis, Ophiopogon japonicus, rock sugar, baijiu (Chinese white liquor).
Method: Clean all the ingredients thoroughly, then put them together into a glass jar, and then add rock sugar and baijiu according to the specific situation.
Effects: The wine made from this He Shou Wu is only for adults with kidney deficiency; children must not use it. Besides treating kidney deficiency, this He Shou Wu wine also has the effects of improving eyesight, nourishing the liver, and tonifying the kidneys.
Second
Ingredients: Prepared He Shou Wu, Rehmannia glutinosa (raw), baijiu.
Method: First wash the He Shou Wu clean, then cut it into pieces and put it in a drafty spot to air-dry. Put the air-dried He Shou Wu and raw Rehmannia glutinosa together into a glass jar, then add baijiu and seal it well. Place the glass jar in a ventilated and dry spot, then shake it once every three days; after twenty days it is ready to drink.
Effects: This wine mainly treats various diseases caused by insufficient liver and kidney function in the body, such as weakness after illness, soreness of the lower back, and physical fatigue. It is recommended to take it once each morning and evening, with each dose at about twenty milliliters.
Third
Ingredients: He Shou Wu, Angelica sinensis, white peony root, raw Rehmannia glutinosa, ginseng, Atractylodes macrocephala, white Poria cocos, Ligusticum chuanxiong (southern), licorice powder, Acanthopanax gracilistylus bark, walnut meat, glutinous rice wine.
Method: Wash all the medicinal materials clean with the wine, then soak them in glutinous rice wine, seal well, and after about twenty days it is ready to drink.
Effects: The wine made from this He Shou Wu is called Eight Treasures Wine, and it has a strong effect of nourishing the five viscera and six bowels. It also has the effect of replenishing the body's qi and blood.
Fourth
Ingredients: He Shou Wu, sweetener, wine.
Method: Wash the He Shou Wu clean, then sun-dry it, then slice it and set aside. Put the He Shou Wu and the sweet ingredients together into a glass jar and seal well. After about two months it is ready to drink; this wine tastes rather astringent. If the medicinal wine has already been opened, it is best to transfer it to another container for storage, and after about two weeks the taste of the medicinal wine will be better.
Effects: Regularly taking this medicinal wine can effectively promote good health, and it can also improve sexual performance and enhance married life. It is recommended to drink it around dinner time or before bed; the amount is not limited, but it is best to decide based on your physical condition. Men and women, young and old, can all drink it, with no particular contraindications. Besides the effects above, this medicinal wine can also strengthen the body, increase physical strength, and has a good conditioning effect on physical fatigue.
Fifth
Ingredients: He Shou Wu, prepared Rehmannia glutinosa, goji berries, Polygonatum sibiricum (Solomon's seal), Angelica sinensis, baijiu.
Method: Wash all the materials clean and chop them up, then put them into a cloth bag. Put the cloth bag into a wine jar, then add baijiu and seal well. Shake the wine jar several times every day, and after soaking for one week, remove the dregs and it is ready to drink.
Effects: It is recommended to take it once each morning and evening, with each dose controlled at about ten to twenty milliliters. The main effect is to strengthen the spleen and tonify the kidneys, and it also has a good promoting effect on essence and blood. If the body shows soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees, or dizziness and blurred vision, decreased appetite, or poor spirits, taking this medicinal wine has a very good effect.
Sixth
Ingredients: Goji berries, Polygonatum sibiricum (Solomon's seal), Polygonatum sibiricum (Solomon's seal), baijiu.
Method: Wash the materials clean, then put them together into a wine bottle, add baijiu, and seal. After about ten days the medicinal wine is ready. It is recommended to take it three times a day, each time drinking a small wine cup on an empty stomach.
Effects: This medicinal wine can effectively nourish the liver and tonify the kidneys, so it has a very good effect on poor memory, incontinence of urine, premature graying of hair, neurasthenia, physical weakness, dizziness and blurred vision, and nocturnal emission, and it can effectively improve the body's resistance.
Seventh
Ingredients: Ginseng, Polygonatum odoratum (fragrant Solomon's seal), Angelica sinensis, He Shou Wu, goji berries, Polygonatum sibiricum (Solomon's seal), and yellow rice wine.
Method: Slice all the medicinal materials, then put them together with the yellow rice wine into a wine jar and seal; after one week, filter out the dregs and drink. It is recommended to take it each morning and evening; drinking twenty milliliters a day is enough.