Detailed Explanation of Purple Salvia (Salvia miltiorrhiza) Planting Techniques and Management Methods
Purple salvia, also known as salvia, red ginseng, or mountain ginseng, gets its name because it is mainly produced and sold in Yunnan. It is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, with its roots used as medicine. It has the effects of promoting blood circulation and regulating menstruation, and treating insomnia and palpitations. In modern medicine, it is used to treat coronary heart disease and angina pectoris with remarkable results. So how should purple salvia be planted? Let's take a look at the planting techniques.
1. Land Selection and Preparation
Purple salvia prefers a warm and humid environment with sufficient sunlight and is not tolerant of low temperatures. At a low temperature of minus 5°C, the stems and leaves will suffer frost damage, but the root system is cold-resistant and can overwinter. It is also not tolerant of high temperatures; during the seedling stage, high temperatures can cause seedlings to stop growing and die. It is intolerant of waterlogging. When planting, choose a plot with higher terrain, deep soil layers, loose and fertile soil, and good drainage. Apply decomposed farmyard manure as base fertilizer, level and rake the land, then make beds and wait for sowing.
2. Seedling Raising and Transplanting
On the bed surface, open furrows at a row spacing of 30 cm with a depth of about 1 cm. Mix the seeds evenly with fine sand and scatter them into the furrows, then cover with soil until the seeds are no longer visible. After sowing, cover the ground to keep warm and moist to facilitate germination. After emergence, punch holes in the plastic film to release the seedlings. When the seedlings grow to 5-6 cm, thin them out, and by late May they can be transplanted. Transplanting can be done in spring or autumn; spring transplanting in May, autumn transplanting in October. Earlier transplanting leads to earlier rooting. When transplanting, dig holes at a plant and row spacing of 23×33 cm, apply base fertilizer at the bottom of the holes, and place 1-2 strong seedlings per hole.
3. Field Management
After transplanting and survival, do a good job of intertillage, weeding, watering, and fertilizing, generally three times a year, to promote growth. When intertilling, pay attention to the depth to avoid damaging the root system; when fertilizing, pay attention to the concentration and amount of fertilizer; during the rainy season, pay attention to drainage measures to avoid water accumulation and root rot, and water timely during drought. When purple salvia buds, except for those kept for seed, all flower buds should be cut off to concentrate nutrients in the root system and improve yield and quality.
4. Pest and Disease Control
The main diseases of purple salvia include leaf spot, root rot, and root-knot nematode disease. Leaf spot can be controlled by spraying 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate or carbendazim or thiophanate; root rot can be controlled by spraying carbendazim and methyl thiophanate; root-knot nematode disease can be controlled by rational crop rotation, and when the disease occurs, methyl isothiophos can be used for root irrigation. The main pest is the silver-striped noctuid moth, whose larvae cause damage; in severe cases, they will eat the leaves clean. After harvest, clean up residual branches and diseased leaves, and spray pesticides such as fenvalerate, omethoate, and trichlorfon for control.
The above is an introduction to purple salvia planting techniques. Hope it helps you. For more related knowledge, please follow us.