Paris polyphylla planting time: when is best for direct seeding, seedling transplanting and rhizome planting
Paris polyphylla, also called seven-leaf-one-flower, is a perennial herb of the Liliaceae family, and its rhizome is used as medicine. It can clear heat and detoxify, reduce swelling and relieve pain, and there is a folk saying, "seven-leaf-one-flower, grab any nameless swelling and toxin." It likes warmth, moisture and shade, and is also cold-resistant and drought-tolerant, but fears frost and strong light. It is suitable for environments with an average annual temperature of 13-18°C. Both sandy soil and loam soil with high organic matter and humus content can be used for planting, and riversides, ravine edges and shady mountain land are especially ideal.
Before sowing: first "wake up" the seeds
Paris polyphylla seeds have a long dormancy period and a low natural germination rate, so direct planting in the field gives poor emergence. Variable-temperature stratification combined with plant hormone treatment can be used to break dormancy: first use fine sand stratification with cold storage and variable-temperature treatment, then soak with 50-100 mg/L GA for 24 hours, and then use fine sand as the substrate and germinate at 20°C for 60 days. The germination rate can reach more than 90%.
Three planting methods, each with a different time
The first is direct seed sowing. It is generally carried out in early to mid-January after thorough rain. On the prepared seedbed surface, make small shallow holes 3-5 cm deep at a row spacing of 30-35 cm and a plant spacing of 20-25 cm. For a narrow bed of 130 cm, make 4 rows; for a wide bed of 150 cm, make 5 rows. Before sowing, soak the seeds in cold water for 24 hours, mix with plant ash and then sow. Put 2-3 seeds in each hole, cover with 2-3 cm of fertile soil made of half fine manure and half fine soil, and water promptly if the soil is dry. Seedlings can emerge in 7-10 days.
The second is seedling transplanting. In early April, choose a seedbed on dry land with a water source or in vegetable garden land. Before plowing, use 5-10 g of 40% quintozene per sq m mixed with fine soil and broadcast it for disinfection. After the bed surface is leveled and finely prepared, open sowing furrows about 5 cm deep at a row spacing of 15 cm, sow in the furrows at a plant spacing of 5 cm, cover with 3 cm of soil, then cover with 2 cm of fine manure, water thoroughly and cover with plastic film. Seedlings emerge in 5-7 days. One month after seedling raising, transplant the young seedlings to the field according to the direct seeding specifications.
The third is rhizome planting. In autumn and winter, dig up healthy rhizomes free of pests and diseases, store them in sand in a cool, dry place, take them out in early to mid-April of the following year, cut them into small sections according to bud scars, ensuring each section has 1 bud scar, dry them in the shade and mix with plant ash, plant them in rows in the seedbed and cover with film. They take root and sprout in 15-20 days, and in mid-to-late May they are transplanted to the field according to the direct seeding specifications.
How to manage after planting? When to harvest?
The aboveground part of Paris polyphylla grows weakly, so loosen the soil and weed frequently. In mid-to-late May, thin the seedlings and check the holes to fill gaps. From late May to early June, there are many rainstorms and the soil easily becomes compacted, so drain in time to prevent waterlogging, cultivate frequently and weed shallowly to avoid damaging the roots. In fertilization, base fertilizer accounts for 70%-80% of the total fertilizer amount and must be applied before transplanting, while topdressing accounts for only about 20%. After the seedlings emerge, apply one round of human manure water, use less chemical fertilizer and prohibit chemical nitrogen fertilizer. It likes shade and moisture, so water in time during the dry season and drain the furrows during the rainy season. When flower stalks appear in May-June, cut them all off except those kept for seed, so that nutrients are concentrated for the underground tubers. Maintain 40%-50% light transmittance throughout the growth period, and shade can be provided with shade nets, inserted branches or intercropping corn between rows. In early June, apply a heavy dressing of 2000-3000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu plus 20-30 kg of calcium superphosphate, combined with cleaning the furrows and heavy hilling, because mid-to-late June to August is the period when tubers expand fastest.
For harvesting, tubers from direct seed sowing can be harvested for medicine after 5 years, and those from rhizome planting after 3 years. Around the time of aboveground dieback in autumn, that is, from November-December to before March of the following year, they can be dug. Tubers mostly grow in the surface soil layer, so first cut off the stems and leaves, then dig from the side with a hoe, taking care to keep the tubers intact. Shake off the soil, wash clean with water, and while fresh cut into slices 2-3 mm thick and sun-dry them. On cloudy days, they can be dried over a low fire at about 30°C.