Detailed Explanation of the Planting Methods and Technical Points for Houttuynia cordata
Houttuynia cordata (English name HERBA HOUTTUYNIAE) is a medicinal herb recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The medicinal source is the dried aerial part of the plant Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (Latin scientific name: Houttuynia cordata Thunb.), a plant of the family Saururaceae. In summer, when the stems and leaves are luxuriant and there are many flower spikes, it is cut, impurities are removed, and it is sun-dried.
The key cultivation technical points are:
1. Site selection and land preparation Houttuynia cordata likes moisture and avoids drought. Besides using marginal land or wasteland, it is more suitable to choose dry land or paddy fields with convenient irrigation and drainage for planting. Before land preparation, first plow and harrow, apply organic fertilizer as base fertilizer. Before planting, apply 1500-2500 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer plus an appropriate amount of plant ash (per mu) into the planting furrow as base fertilizer, and mix it thoroughly with the soil, then cover with 3 cm of crushed soil. After it decomposes (to avoid root rot), turn and level it once more, and make low beds 1.3-1.5 m wide, then dig planting furrows 15 cm wide and 20 cm deep horizontally, with a furrow spacing of about 25 cm.
2. Seedling collection Houttuynia cordata mainly uses underground stems for asexual propagation. Houttuynia cordata has two types, white-stemmed and red-stemmed; red-stemmed Houttuynia cordata has a stronger fragrance. Generally, it is suitable in winter to dig up its thick underground stems as seedlings, bury them under loose soil to overwinter, and after they sprout in the following spring, dig them up and cut them into small sections (each section with 2-3 nodes), then plant them.
3. Planting management Plant around "Qingming". Place one seedling every 6-8 cm, then immediately cover with 6-7 cm of crushed soil, and water as appropriate. After planting, pay attention to moisture retention and drought prevention. When the base fertilizer is sufficient, generally there is no need to apply additional fertilizer. If necessary, a thin application of manure water can also be made once during the vigorous growth period to promote increased yield and harvest. The key to daily management is to keep the soil moist and never let it suffer drought; otherwise, there will be many fibrous roots and poor quality. Pay attention to weeding in the early stage; after the rows close, there is no need to weed. Apply dilute human urine once each when the seedlings are 5 cm tall and before the rows close. In addition, when flower buds first appear, it is advisable to remove them early and combine this with one pinching to inhibit excessive vegetative growth. Houttuynia cordata has very few diseases and insect pests; occasionally root rot may be seen, which can be treated by watering the base with a dilute thiophanate solution. When the plant height is above 10 cm, timely earth up so that the underground stems grow long, white, and tender.
4. Harvesting When the underground stems reach more than 30 cm, they can be dug up, the leaves removed, washed clean, and sold.
5. Seed reservation When digging, the tips of small underground stems can be left in the ground to sprout naturally. Thick underground stems can also be selected for temporary planting for seed use. If not dug up that year, remove the aboveground stems and leaves to prevent frost damage; this also helps store sufficient nutrients, and after further cultivation the following year, they can be harvested and sold.