The stone silkworm is the whole plant of the orchid family's Hemerocallis fulva. It is also known as Hemerocallis fulva, stone lotus, true gold grass, and stone lotus. It is mainly distributed in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Hainan, Guangxi, and southern Yunnan. It has the effects of nourishing yin and moistening the lungs, cooling the blood and stopping bleeding. Let's take a look at the cultivation methods of the stone silkworm below.
Stone Silkworm Image
Cultivation Methods of Stone Silkworm
1. Growth Habit
The stone silkworm prefers warm temperatures and dislikes high temperature and humidity. The suitable temperature for its growth is 15-25 degrees Celsius. The preferred cultivation soil is fertile sandy soil with good drainage and no waterlogging.
It grows on tree trunks or rocks at altitudes of 300-1760 meters, and also often grows on rocks or trees by streams.
2. Propagation Methods
It can be propagated by cuttings or rhizomes, or by division. However, small families do not need to collect seeds, and can be propagated by cuttings.
3. Soil Cultivation
The stone silkworm is not strict in soil requirements, but fertile soil is most suitable. Since its roots do not penetrate deep into the soil, deep cultivation is not necessary. Before preparing the soil, apply well-rotted organic fertilizer and shallowly turn it into a flat bed.
In spring, cut the rhizomes with 2-3 leaves or leaf buds into small segments of about 10 centimeters, and lightly bury them in the topsoil of humus and keep the humidity. New roots can grow in about 40 days.
4. Field Management
The stone silkworm has a long growth period, so we should pay attention to intertillage and weeding. In summer, pay attention to controlling water and fertilizer to prevent excessive plant growth. When flower buds appear, they should be promptly removed, along with the apical buds, to save nutrients and promote the growth of rhizomes.
After the beginning of autumn, during the period when the underground rhizomes enlarge, apply compound fertilizer and the medicinal root enhancer Daoling to promote rapid rhizome growth.
Prevention and Control of Powdery Mildew on Stone Silkworm
1. Hazards of Powdery Mildew
It mainly damages the leaves, but can also affect the stems. The leaves are susceptible to disease, with both sides of the leaves being affected, but the disease mainly occurs on the front side of the leaves. At the early stage, small white patches appear, which later develop into irregular powdery spots.
When powdery mildew on stone silkworm is severe, the white powdery spots merge into patches or cover the entire leaf surface. Eventually, the diseased leaves turn yellow, wither, and die.
In warm southern regions, the pathogen can survive the winter on the host as mycelium and conidia, while in cold northern regions, the pathogen overwinters as resting spores on diseased remains.
After the wintering pathogen infects the field, a large number of conidia are produced on the diseased leaves and spread by air flow, penetrating through the epidermis. The disease can then spread rapidly under suitable conditions.
2. Prevention and Control Measures
(1) Choose resistant varieties.
(2) Strengthen the management of fertilizer and water for the stone silkworm, keep the plants healthy, and improve disease resistance.
(3) Clean the field thoroughly. After harvest, remove all diseased remains from the field and burn or bury them.
(4) Spray fungicides for prevention and control at the early stage of the disease. Recommended fungicides include 20% powdery rust Ning emulsion at a dilution of 1500 times, or 25% Diflubenzuron emulsion at a dilution of 4000 times, or 40% Fuxing emulsion at a dilution of 9000 times, or 12.5% Carbendazim wettable powder at a dilution of 2500 times, or 10% Procymidone gel suspension at a dilution of 2000 times, or 30% Tebuconazole wettable powder at a dilution of 2000 times, or 40% sulfur suspension at a dilution of 500 times.
