Fritillaria planting technology and cultivation management

Fritillaria is a perennial herb belonging to the lily family, well known for its medicinal value, mainly using its bulbs. This plant was given the name "Fritillaria" because of its appearance. It also has many nicknames, including bitter mother, bitter vegetable , bitter flower and empty grass, and is sometimes also called medicine fruit. The natural distribution area of ​​Fritillaria is wide, mainly in Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinba Mountains in Shaanxi and Gansu in China. The specific climate and soil conditions in these places provide an ideal environment for the growth of caladium. Let’s learn about the planting techniques and cultivation management of Fritillaria.

1. Site selection and land preparation

When planting Fritillaria, you should choose sandy loam with high terrain, good drainage, deep soil, loose and fertile soil. After tillage, the land needs to be carefully raked and made into an arched bed surface with a width of 1.5 to 2.0 meters and a height of about 15 centimeters. When applying base fertilizer, use decomposed animal manure and garbage fertilizer as the main fertilizer, combined with 100 kg of cake fertilizer and 25 kg of superphosphate. The total amount of fertilizer applied per mu is 1,500 to 2,000 kg. Spread it evenly and cover it with soil.

2. Reproduction method

The reproduction of Fritillaria mainly relies on bulbs, and healthy and disease-free bulbs are selected as seed sources. The density and depth of planting depend on the size of the bulbs. The row spacing should be kept at 15 to 20 cm, the plant spacing should be 2 to 4 times the diameter of the bulb, and the planting depth should be 2.5 to 3 times the height of the bulb. Use the shallow trench planting method, ensure that the buds are facing upwards, arranged neatly, and tamp down the soil after covering. The seeding amount is adjusted according to the size of the bulbs, generally 300 to 400 kilograms per mu.

3. Field Management

Irrigation and drainage: The soil needs to be kept moist from planting to emergence. Irrigation should be done during the period from seedling emergence to budding in case of drought. During the summer, drain the water promptly after rain to prevent the bulbs from rotting due to high temperature and humidity.

Key points for top dressing: Fritillaria likes fertilizer, and sufficient base fertilizer and reasonable top dressing are crucial to cultivating strong seedlings and increasing yields. The growth cycle is relatively short, with basal fertilizer being the main fertilizer and top dressing being applied 2 to 3 times. For the first time, when the seedlings are in full growth, apply 1000 to 1500 kg of human and animal manure or 7.5 to 10 kg of urea per mu; when buds appear, the amount of fertilizer is the same as the first time. After the flowers bloom, you can add "flower fertilizer", apply 1500 to 2000 kg of human feces and urine or 10 to 15 kg of ammonium sulfate. Around the winter solstice, apply heavy fertilizer, 750 to 1000 kg of human feces and urine, add 75 to 100 kg of cake fertilizer, cover it with 1500 to 2500 kg of stable manure or garbage fertilizer.

Summer management: Lower the ground temperature to prevent the bulbs from rotting due to heat. Avoid direct sunlight, interplant shade crops, and pay attention to the harvest period to avoid affecting the growth of Fritillaria. At the same time, avoid trampling by people and animals, and prevent the soil from becoming solid and sinking, causing water accumulation.

4. Disease and Pest Control

Gray mold: It mainly attacks stems and leaves. The lesions are light brown at first, and then expand into large gray spots. When the temperature and humidity are suitable, gray mold will be produced. The disease begins in late March and reaches its peak in mid-April. The disease occurs early and is severe in continuously cropped fields.

Black spot disease: It is more likely to occur in rainy years and attacks the leaves. After infection, the leaf tips begin to turn light brown with obvious boundaries. It occurs in late March, and the pathogen overwinters in diseased and damaged tissues as hyphae.

Dry rot: Mainly attacks bulbs. The scales of the affected bulbs become brown and wrinkled, and sometimes rot into hollows. The damage is more serious from June to August.

White grubs : The larvae of scarab beetles , they start to damage bulbs from mid-April, are most harmful during the summer, and stop damaging after mid-November.

Pest and disease control should focus on prevention, combining biological and chemical control, and using appropriate pesticides based on the severity of pest and disease occurrence and the guidance of the plant protection department.

The above are the key points of Fritillaria cultivation and management techniques. As a kind of Chinese medicinal material with large market demand, Fritillaria has very good planting prospects. Friends who want to plant it should be careful not to follow the trend blindly.