How to Grow Sarcandra glabra? Cultivation Techniques and Management Methods

Sarcandra glabra, scientific name: Sarcandra glabra (Thunb.) Nakai, is a perennial evergreen subshrub of the family Chloranthaceae, commonly known as manshanxiang, guanyin tea, jiujiehua, jiegu mu, and other names. It has an elegant appearance and fragrance throughout the four seasons, and possesses extremely high medicinal, edible and ornamental value.

Planting Methods

Soil: For planting Sarcandra glabra, it is best to choose hillside fields with convenient water sources, terraced fields, or sandy soil sites beside mountain streams and valleys and under the shade of valley forests. In autumn and winter, dig up the land and let it weather naturally, then prepare the soil before planting in the spring of the 2nd year. The nursery bed is best chosen as a plot under an evergreen broad-leaved forest that is shady and moist, with deep soil and a loose texture. When preparing the soil, apply 2000 kg of farmyard manure per mu and plough it into the soil, rake it fine and level it, and make raised beds 1 m wide.

Propagation Methods

• Cutting propagation: From March to April, select 1-2 year old branches from robustly growing plants, cut them into cuttings with 2-3 nodes and a length of 10-15 cm, tie them into small bundles, soak their basal ends in a 0.05 ml/L No. 3 ABT rooting powder solution for 2-3 minutes, or dip them quickly in a 1 ml/L NAA solution before cuttings. With treated cuttings, the rooting time is significantly shortened, and the survival rate reaches almost 100%. After treating the cuttings, insert them obliquely into the previously prepared nursery bed at a plant spacing of 5 cm x 0 cm, leaving 1 node above the soil surface, press firmly, and water thoroughly. If the canopy density of the nursery bed is low, it is best to set up a shade shed and keep the nursery bed moist at all times. About 30 days after cutting, the cuttings root and begin to sprout. After surviving, attention should be paid to loosening the soil and weeding, and applying thin human and livestock manure water at the right time to promote seedling growth. After 10-12 months of cultivation, they can be lifted from the nursery and planted out.
• Seed propagation: From October to December, when the fruits turn red and ripe, collect them, mix them with fine moist sand (seeds : moist sand = 1:2), store them in a pile indoors in a tall, dry and ventilated place, or put them in a wooden box and store them in a ventilated indoor place. In February-March of the following spring, take out the seeds and sow them. On the prepared nursery bed, open sowing furrows 2-3 cm deep at a row spacing of 20 cm, sow the seeds evenly in the furrows, cover with burnt soil ash or fine soil until the seeds are no longer visible, cover the bed surface with grass, and set up a shade shed. About 20 days after sowing, seedlings emerge, and the covering grass should be removed in time. During the seedling period, loosen the soil and weed frequently, and topdress at the right time. If seedling management is careful, they can be lifted from the nursery and planted out in November-December of that same year.
• Division propagation: Carry out in early spring or late autumn. First cut off the aboveground part of the plant 10 cm above the ground for medicinal use or as cutting material, then dig up the root crown, divide it according to the stems into small plants with root systems, and plant them directly in the field at a plant spacing of 20 cm x 30 cm. After planting, water continuously to keep the soil moist. After surviving, pay attention to weeding and fertilizing. This method is simple, has a high survival rate, and the plants grow quickly, but the propagation coefficient is low.
• Transplanting: Seedlings from seed and cutting propagation are generally lifted and transplanted in November-December of the same year or in February-March of the following spring. On the prepared bed, plant at a plant spacing of 20 cm x 30 cm and water thoroughly to settle the roots. After surviving, field management must be strengthened in time.

Land Management

• Checking seedlings and filling gaps: After transplanting, check the seedlings in time. If dead seedlings or missing plants are found, replant them with soil to ensure a full stand.
• Intertillage and weeding: During the seedling stage, remove weeds in the field in time and carry out appropriate intertillage and soil loosening. Generally, intertill 3-4 times each year to keep the soil loose and the field free of weeds.
• Drainage and irrigation: After planting out, keep the soil moist at all times. If drought occurs, irrigate and water in time. In rainy seasons, if water accumulates in the field, drain it in time to avoid root rot.
• Additional fertilizing: Generally, topdress once each in spring and summer every year, applying 2 to 3 kg of potassium chloride and 6 to 7 kg of ammonium nitrate or urea per mu, diluted with water and poured on. In winter, combined with earthing up, apply 1 application of farmyard manure, placing composted manure or barn manure at the root zone of the plants, and cover the fertilizer with soil from the edge of the furrow, which can both keep warm and protect against cold and promote early and rapid growth of the plants the following spring.
• Intercropping for shade: Sarcandra glabra has strong shade tolerance and prefers diffused light, so it is best to plant it under evergreen broad-leaved forest. It can also be intercropped with tall-stem crops, using the tall-stem crops for appropriate shading. Through the management of the intercrops, this can both promote the growth of Sarcandra glabra and increase economic income.

Because Sarcandra glabra has only recently been converted from wild growth to artificial cultivation, its ability to resist pests and diseases is relatively strong, and no serious pests or diseases have been found so far, so no control is needed. However, if in summer with strong sunlight the shading conditions in the field are poor, leaf scorching may occur. At this time, spots and withering appear on the leaf margins or leaf tips, and in severe cases the entire leaf scorches and dries up. Measures such as irrigating to lower the temperature and improving shading conditions can be adopted to reduce the damage.