What are the storage and cultivation methods of Cistanche deserticola?

The living environment of Cistanche deserticola is mainly in Inner Mongolia, and it is mainly suitable for this type of land with slight salinization. The desert is also where Cistanche deserticola grows. The Cistanche deserticola grown in these places is mostly wild, and most of the Cistanche deserticola sold now is cultivated, but the price is also very high, and ordinary families cannot afford it. Because the medicine is expensive, we need to pay attention to the storage method and the quality of the cultivation method. So what are the storage and cultivation methods of Cistanche deserticola?

Store in a dry and airtight place

Cistanche is prone to insect infestation and mildew, so it should be sealed in a plastic bag and stored in a cool, ventilated and dry place, or steamed and refrigerated. Avoid storing in copper or iron containers.

Reproduction method

Seed propagation: Dig a seedbed on the east or southeast side of the wild Haloxylon ammodendron, 50-80 cm away from the host. The seedbeds can vary in size, 1-2m long, 1m wide, and 50-80 cm deep. Or where the hosts are densely populated, dig a large seedbed ditch around many host plants, sow the seeds on the seedbed, apply camel dung, cow and sheep dung, etc., and cover with 30-40 cm of soil. Leave trenches or seedbed pits on top to facilitate watering. Artificial Haloxylon ammodendron forests grow neatly in rows, and trenches can be dug on both sides of the plants to serve as seedbeds. Keep the seedbed moist after sowing to induce host roots to extend into the seedbed. Sow in spring or autumn. In the second year, some seedbeds will be parasitic on Cistanche deserticola. A few will emerge from the soil and grow, while most of them will emerge and bloom and bear fruit within 2-4 years after sowing.

Cultivation management

Site selection: Cistanche is a desert plant and should be planted in desert hills with plenty of sunlight, little rainfall, good drainage, and a large temperature difference between day and night.

Cistanche deserticola is a perennial parasitic seed plant that is selective to hosts, soil, and climatic conditions. The more suitable hosts are Haloxylon ammodendron, Tamarix chinensis, and Althaea officinalis. The hosts can be natural Haloxylon ammodendron, Tamarisk, etc., or they can be artificially planted with Haloxylon ammodendron and Tamarisk and then inoculated with Cistanche deserticola after 2-3 years.

Vaccination method

1. Combine afforestation with inoculation of Cistanche deserticola

When afforestation, place the seed paper horizontally at one end of the afforestation pit with the absorbent paper facing up, then backfill with an appropriate amount of soil, plant the host at the other end of the afforestation pit, and compact the backfill soil.

2. Inoculate on the original host

In the area with dense external roots of wild hosts, dig a pit 40cm long, 30cm wide and 40-80cm deep, put in the seed paper with the water-absorbing side facing up, and backfill the soil to about 10cm from the edge of the pit to facilitate the storage of snow water or rain water.

3. Artificial host inoculation

The artificially cultivated Haloxylon ammodendron and Tamarix tamarisk have a plant spacing of 1.5m, a row spacing of 3m, and a density of more than 140 plants/667m2. You can dig trenches on both sides of the plants to make a seedbed. After inoculation, keep the seedbed moist to induce the host to extend onto the seedbed.

Cistanche deserticola is usually inoculated in spring and autumn. It starts to grow after inoculation. A few of them emerge in the second year, and most of them emerge and bloom and bear fruit within 2-4 years.

This article explains the storage and cultivation methods of Cistanche. Cistanche must be dried and stored, and attention must be paid to the environment. It must not be invaded by moisture, otherwise it will affect the shelf life of the drug and have obvious limitations on its efficacy. As long as the patient pays attention to storage, the shelf life is generally two years. Therefore, when growing a large amount of Cistanche, it is necessary to choose a good sales point to avoid drug accumulation. Expired drugs will cause harm to the body after use.