Which month is the best to dig Pueraria root?

Pueraria root has always been known as "little ginseng". Although it is not as expensive as ginseng , its whole body is full of treasures. It has both medicinal value and nutritional and health-care effects. It is a state-approved medicinal and edible plant. Many people like to dig Pueraria root. So, when is the best month to dig Pueraria root? Let’s take a look below.

1. Which month is the best to dig Pueraria root?

The best time to dig Pueraria root is in the twelfth month and the first month of the lunar calendar. At this time, the Pueraria root is equivalent to hibernation. In the spring, the Pueraria root begins to sprout, and the nutrients and starch in the roots will be taken away, and the Pueraria root powder will not be as delicious and nutritious.

2. High-yield planting methods and cultivation techniques of Pueraria root

1. Choose a good variety of Pueraria root

Excellent Pueraria root varieties are the key factors for high yield and high quality in Pueraria root cultivation . Therefore, when planting Pueraria root, we should choose excellent varieties with high yield, high quality, strong adaptability and good disease resistance according to the final processing purpose of Pueraria root. When used in food processing, Pueraria root should be selected from high-quality varieties with higher starch content. The main high-quality varieties include Sichuan and Chongqing large powder Pueraria, powder Pueraria No. 7, etc.; if Pueraria root is planted to provide raw materials for medicine and industry, high-quality varieties with high flavonoids should be selected. The main high-quality varieties include Song Ge No. 1, Qing Ge No. 1, Li Gen No. 2, etc.

2. Site selection and land preparation for Pueraria root

Pueraria root is an economic crop that is drought-tolerant but not flood-tolerant. Apart from acidity and alkalinity, Pueraria root cultivation does not have high requirements for soil, and the soil pH value should be controlled between 5.0-8.0. Therefore, planting Pueraria root can make full use of local barren mountain resources. Selecting barren mountains with sufficient sunlight, convenient drainage and slope no more than 30° to plant Pueraria root on a large scale can fully improve the utilization rate of land. Before sowing, the land must be weeded and insect-proofed, and ridges must be formed. The plowing depth should be between 30-40cm. When forming ridges, the width of the ridge should be controlled between 60-80cm and the height should be controlled between 40-50cm. Sufficient passages should be left between ridges.

3. Cultivation of Pueraria lobata seedlings

Before cultivating kudzu root, sufficient base fertilizer should be applied to the soil to ensure that the soil contains sufficient nutrients needed for the growth of kudzu root. Mix 2% high-quality compound fertilizer , 2% phosphate fertilizer, and 98% fine sand, and sprinkle them evenly on the planting area. Pueraria root is generally cultivated in early spring. Before sowing, a nursery bed should be built to cultivate Pueraria root seedlings . The soil temperature, water content and nutrients of the nursery bed should be guaranteed. In areas with lower temperatures, double mulch covering technology can be used to cultivate seedlings to ensure the seed germination rate.

4. Field management of Pueraria root

(1) Transplantation of Pueraria root

After the kudzu seedlings are cultivated, they should be transplanted and planted in the early spring of the following year. The plant spacing should be controlled between 10 and 15 cm. Fertilization should be carried out about a week before transplanting the kudzu seedlings. Organic fertilizer or decomposed livestock manure can be used as the main fertilizer. It is more appropriate to transplant on a rainy day. Diseased, damaged and weak seedlings should not be planted as much as possible. The cultivated high-quality kudzu seedlings should be tilted 30 degrees and inserted into the seedling hole. Water in time after transplanting to maintain the survival rate of Pueraria seedlings. Within one week after transplanting the kudzu seedlings, check the survival status of the kudzu seedlings regularly, and replant the wilted or dead seedlings as soon as possible.

(2) Water and fertilizer management of Pueraria root

One week after transplanting and planting the kudzu seedlings, they should be topdressed with fertilizer to promote the growth of the seedlings. Use 5-10kg of urea, 5-8kg of compound fertilizer or 10-15kg of potassium chloride per mu and mix with water for application. After applying the fertilizer to promote the growth of the kudzu seedlings, apply appropriate amounts of fertilizer at irregular intervals according to the growth of the kudzu seedlings. After the kudzu vine grows to 1 meter, reduce the amount of fertilizer or do not apply topdressing.

(3) Trellising and pruning of kudzu root

Pueraria root is a climbing vine. A trellis is needed to allow the vines to climb and grow, which can promote the enlargement of the tubers and ensure the yield and quality of Pueraria root. When the kudzu vine is about 50cm long, it is necessary to build a trellis for it in time. To build the frame, you can choose thick and long bamboo poles or wooden poles, cross them in the shape of a "human" and then put a thin and long bamboo pole at the intersection, tie them up and secure them firmly.

It should be noted that if the kudzu vines grow too long, it will affect the expansion of the tubers and affect the yield of kudzu roots. Kudzu vines should be pruned in time. It is only necessary to keep 2 to 3 main vines for each kudzu seedling and reduce the branched side vines to prevent the kudzu head from consuming too many nutrients, thereby slowing down the expansion of kudzu roots.

5. Timely mining

In winter every year, Pueraria root will enter a dormant period and its expansion growth basically stops. At this time, Pueraria root has accumulated a lot of nutrients and is of high quality, so it can be harvested. When harvesting kudzu root, it is necessary to dig out the big ones and leave the small ones. This will ensure the yield and quality of kudzu root while reserving the good varieties.

With the increasing demand for Pueraria root at home and abroad, farmers can make full use of local dry land, field edges, fields and even wasteland to appropriately expand the planting area, master the key technologies for high-yield cultivation of Pueraria root, and thus create considerable economic benefits.