How to grow mugwort?

Mugwort is known for its tenacious vitality. It can thrive in a variety of environments, whether it is mountains, slopes, riverbanks or roadsides, mugwort can adapt to and grow in almost any environment. However, in order to achieve high-yield cultivation of mugwort, farmers still need to master some key planting techniques. Let’s learn how to grow mugwort.

1. Timing of sowing

The sowing of mugwort should be done in spring, from February to March in the south and from March to April in the north. The sowing method can be direct sowing or transplanting after raising seedlings. After sowing, the covering soil should not be too thick to facilitate seed germination. When the mugwort seedlings grow to 10 to 15 cm in height, they are transplanted to a spacing of 20 to 30 cm.

2. Planting density

When the mugwort seedlings grow to 5 to 10 cm high, choose to plant them when the ground is moist, with a row spacing of 30×40 cm, place 2 to 3 seedlings in each hole, and cover with soil and compact it. If there is no rainfall within 2 to 3 days after planting, artificial irrigation is required to maintain soil moisture.

3. Fertilization method

After the mugwort takes root, when the plant grows to 30 cm in height, you can apply seedling-promoting fertilizer. Apply by broadcasting on rainy days and by spraying on leaves on sunny days. In early November, farmyard manure or cake fertilizer can be applied as base fertilizer.

4. Moisture management

After the mugwort is harvested in mid-to-early June, the garden needs to be turned over and dried, the dead branches and leaves need to be cleaned up, and the dense stem bases and perennial roots need to be thinned out. During the dry season, foliar spray irrigation is carried out for seedlings below 80 cm, while full-garden flooding is carried out for plants above 80 cm.

5. Field management precautions

Cultivation and weeding: When the temperature reaches 9 to 10°C in spring, if the mugwort buds have just begun to sprout, use a sprayer to spray the entire area with herbicide . As weeds grow, carry out weeding once in March and April, with a depth of no more than 10 cm. After harvesting, use a small nozzle sprayer to weed the plots where weeds are still present, and perform manual weeding for small amounts of weeds.

Top dressing tips: When the mugwort seedlings grow to about 30 cm, spread 60 to 90 kg of seedling fertilizer along the rows on rainy days; on sunny days, dissolve the fertilizer in water and apply it or spray it on the leaves. Chemical fertilizers are only suitable for the first crop planted in the first year. The use of chemical fertilizers should be avoided thereafter to avoid affecting the quality of mugwort.

Irrigation arrangements: Clean ditches in time during and after rain to prevent water accumulation. In dry weather, foliar spray irrigation is carried out for seedlings below 80 cm, and full-garden flooding is carried out for plants above 80 cm.

6. Harvesting method

Mugwort is usually harvested in summer, by cutting the stems with leaves when the plant is lush and before it blooms. After removing impurities and dead leaves, spread the mugwort in the sun to dry, then tie it into bundles and store it in a dry place, paying attention to moisture and mildew prevention.

The above is an introduction to the key points of mugwort cultivation. By mastering these cultivation and management techniques, farmers can effectively improve the yield and quality of mugwort.