Introduction to Spring and Winter Sanqi
Spring Sanqi
Spring Sanqi refers to the buds that are removed and harvested in July. They have good weight, color, and both high yield and quality.
The height of the Sanqi plant is basically fixed in May of the third year, with a height of 30-80 centimeters and a flower stem length of 10-30 centimeters. The palmate compound leaves usually have 4-5 leaflets, most of which have 7 leaflets and a few have 5 leaflets. The leaf length is 6.5-11 centimeters, the middle width is 2.2-3.8 centimeters, the petiole length is 5-10 centimeters, and the length of the petiolules is also inconsistent, generally longer in the middle and shorter on both sides. At this time, the flower buds begin to sprout, and the inflorescence emerges in June, blooming in July and August. If there is no plan to keep seeds, or if there is heavy disease and cannot bear fruit, the Sanqi flower buds should be removed in a timely manner during this period (after drying, they can be made into Sanqi flower medicine). This can increase the yield of Sanqi rhizomes, and they can be harvested and processed from late September to October, which is called Spring Sanqi. In other words, if the three-year-old Sanqi is not intended for seed production, the flower buds should be removed during the inflorescence period, and the Sanqi harvested for commercial purposes during the growth period is called "Spring Sanqi".
Winter Sanqi
If the three-year-old Sanqi is harvested after collecting Sanqi seeds, it is called "Winter Sanqi". In other words, if you plan to keep Sanqi seeds and the disease is relatively mild, you can raise offspring. The three-year-old Sanqi that is kept for seeds generally blooms and bears fruit in July and August, with more red seeds than the two-year-old Sanqi and earlier maturity. After picking the red seeds, the Sanqi that is harvested and processed is called Winter Sanqi.
Harvesting of Spring and Winter Sanqi
Spring Sanqi is harvested from September to November of the third year, while Winter Sanqi is harvested from January to February of the following year. Spring Sanqi is not Sanqi harvested in spring, and Winter Sanqi is not Sanqi harvested in winter. The difference lies in whether red seeds have been raised.
Appearance of Spring and Winter Sanqi
Active Ingredients of Spring and Winter Sanqi
Spring Sanqi: By removing the moss during the flowering period, all the nutrients are supplied to the roots, allowing the rhizomes to grow better and naturally have a higher content of active ingredients.
Winter Sanqi: Without removing the moss, the flower absorbs a large amount of nutrients during the fruiting and ripening process, resulting in less nutrient absorption by the roots and naturally lower content of active ingredients.
