Fake Ginseng, also known as Tu Renshen, Tu Yangshen, and Shui Renshen, is a type of tonic Chinese medicine that has the effects of tonifying the middle and benefiting qi, moistening the lungs and generating fluids. The tender stems and leaves have a crispy and smooth texture and can be stir-fried or used in soup. Let's learn about the plant morphology and propagation methods of Fake Ginseng together with the following editor!
【Plant Morphology of Fake Ginseng】
Fake Ginseng is an annual herbaceous plant that can grow up to about 60 centimeters in height. It is fleshy and completely hairless. The main root is thick and branched, with a brownish appearance. The stem is cylindrical with branches at the lower part and slightly lignified at the base.
The leaves are alternate, inverted ovate or inverted ovate-oblong, measuring 6 to 7 centimeters in length and 2.5 to 3.5 centimeters in width. The apex is pointed or bluntly rounded, with entire margins. The base gradually narrows to form a short petiole, and both sides are green and smooth.
The top of the stem branches into a conical inflorescence. The peduncle is purplish-green or dark green; there are multiple small flowers, pale purple-red in color, with a diameter of about 6 millimeters. The sepals are oval and pointed, and they fall off early. The petals are obovate or elliptical. There are more than 10 stamens, and the filaments are slender. The pistil has a spherical ovary, a linear style, and a 3-cleft stigma, which bends outward slightly.
The mature fruit is grayish-brown and has a diameter of about 3 millimeters. The seeds are small, black, and flattened. The flowering period is from June to July, and the fruiting period is from September to October. The leaves of this plant (Fake Ginseng leaves) are also used as medicinal materials, please refer to the relevant article for details.
【Efficacy and Functions of Fake Ginseng】
1. Treats fatigue and weakness
When feeling mentally fatigued, often experiencing a sense of exhaustion, and having physical weakness, you can use 5 to 10 grams of Fake Ginseng along with a dried cuttlefish, stewed in alcohol and consumed.
2. Treats spleen deficiency diarrhea
When suffering from spleen deficiency diarrhea, with reduced appetite, discomfort and fullness in the epigastric region after eating, and loose or watery stools that are undigested, you can use 5 to 10 grams of Fake Ginseng and 5 grams of jujube, decocted in water and consumed.
3. Treats consumptive cough
If suffering from consumptive cough, with long-term coughing or severe coughing leading to lung damage, dry and painful throat, extreme fatigue, bloody or foul-smelling phlegm, and inability to speak, you can use Fake Ginseng, Tonghua root, Geshanqiao, rock sugar, and chicken, stewed together for consumption.
4. Treats night sweats and spontaneous sweating
If suffering from spontaneous sweating or night sweats, with sweating during the day and worsened sweating upon slight movement, or excessive sweating after falling asleep that stops upon waking up, you can use 20 grams of Fake Ginseng and a pig stomach, stewed together for consumption.
【Propagation Methods of Fake Ginseng】
1. Sowing
Choose loose and fertile soil that is easy for irrigation. Before sowing, plow and expose the soil to the sun for 10-15 days, and apply 50kg of leaf vegetable seedling fertilizer per hectare. Fine rake the soil after application.
Generally, the sowing amount per hectare is about 150 grams, and the seedbed area is about 300 square meters.
When sowing, thoroughly water the seedbed, mix the seeds with fine sand, and sow sparsely. Cover with a layer of soil about 0.5cm thick. Cover with plastic film in spring and shade net in summer and autumn. The seedlings will emerge after 10-12 days.
After emergence, remove the covering material in a timely manner. When the seedlings have 1-2 true leaves, the seedlings should be spaced 5cm apart. The seedlings can be transplanted when they have 3-4 true leaves.
Alternatively, you can use seedling trays with substrate. Water the 72-cell seedling tray filled with professional seedling substrate in the greenhouse, sow 1-2 seeds per cell, cover with 0.5cm of substrate, and cover with plastic film for heat preservation and moisture retention. Remove the film after about 10 days when 60% of the seedlings have emerged.
The seedlings grown from sowing have a very slow growth rate, and the seedling age is about 2 months.
2. Propagation through cuttings
In late May or early June, when the temperature reaches 20-30°C, select strong branches and cut them into 6-8cm long cuttings with two pairs of leaves. Keep them moist before insertion.
In Nanjing, greenhouse production can achieve year-round production and supply;
In protected cultivation in a greenhouse, plant in mid-March and market from late April to early December;
In open field cultivation, plant from April 20th to August, and market from early June to early November.
