Detailed Explanation of Gastrodia Planting Techniques and Management Methods

Gastrodia, a name in Chinese materia medica. This product is the rhizome of the orchid plant Gastrodia elata. It is dug in winter and spring; that dug in winter is called winter gastrodia and is of superior quality; that dug in spring is called spring gastrodia and its quality is not as good as winter gastrodia.

Planting Methods

1. Growing environment of Gastrodia:

   Gastrodia grows under forests with abundant humus and moisture, and also occurs in sunny shrubland and grassy slopes. It must live symbiotically with the Tricholomataceae fungus Armillaria mellea and the fungus Mycena osmundicola in order for the seeds to germinate, form round corms, and grow into healthy Gastrodia tubers. Mycena osmundicola provides nutrients for seed germination, and Armillaria mellea provides nutrients for the protocorm to grow into a Gastrodia tuber.

2. Selection of Gastrodia planting site:

   It is best to choose semi-shaded, semi-sunny gentle slopes or valley gullies rich in organic matter for planting; the soil should be loose loam, well-drained sandy loam or sandy soil, with virgin land being especially good. A soil pH of 5-6 is suitable. Avoid clay and waterlogged, water-accumulating land, and avoid continuous cropping.

3. How to select Gastrodia seed corms:

   Gastrodia can be propagated in two ways, limited propagation and unlimited propagation. When selecting seed corms, choose Gastrodia dug up in the current year, remove the commercial gastrodia, select out all the seed corms and then screen them again, picking out rotten corms, deformed corms and other inferior seed corms, and finally determine those of comparable size, robust, uniform in appearance, large, good in color and free of wounds as the seed corms to be used the following year.

4. Management of Gastrodia after planting:

   After Gastrodia is planted, no fertilizer is needed, and no loosening of soil or weeding is required; keep it in a wild state. The soil moisture content should often be kept at about 40%, and the ground temperature at 15-28 degrees. During the rhizome enlargement period, spray the medicinal material Gendaling solution on the leaf surface, which can promote the transport of leaf-surface photosynthesis products (nutrients) to the root system, improve the nutrient conversion rate and soil-loosening capacity, make the rhizome expand rapidly, and greatly increase the content of effective substances. In the high-temperature summer season, use shade nets or branches to shade and cool, and prevent trampling by people and livestock.

5. Pest and disease control in Gastrodia planting:

   The main disease of Gastrodia is root rot. There are two causes of root rot: first, infection by miscellaneous fungi causes Gastrodia root rot; second, too much rain during the growing period causes Gastrodia root rot. Control methods: choose well-drained land for planting Gastrodia. The fungus wood should be free of miscellaneous fungal infection, and the gaps between fungus wood should be well filled. Always pay attention to drainage. Control method: spray targeted drugs + 800-fold Xin Gaozhi Mo solution to kill them. The main insect pests are white grubs and mole crickets. Control methods: spray targeted drugs to kill them or use light traps to kill the adults.