Cassia seeds are the dried and mature seeds of the annual sub-shrub-like herbaceous plant Cassia or Cassia minia in the Fabaceae family. They are also known as grass Cassia, Huanpuzi, false mung bean, etc. They are used as medicine to clear the liver and improve eyesight. It has a laxative effect and has a high cultivation value. It is widely cultivated in provinces and regions south of the Yangtze River in my country. Let’s take a look at how to grow cassia seeds!
The growth environment of cassia seeds
Cassia prefers a warm and humid climate, is not cold-tolerant, and is afraid of frost. The leaves of the adult plant will fall off or even die after being frosted. It likes sufficient sunlight during the growth period. It requires ventilation and light during the flowering and fruiting period, which is beneficial to the firmness of the pods and full seeds. It does not have strict requirements on the soil. , as long as the drainage is good, general land can be planted. It is not suitable for continuous cropping. You can also use scattered land in front of the house or behind the house or on the roadside or ditch outside the yard for planting. It likes a warm and humid climate, and sufficient sunshine is beneficial to its growth.
How to sow cassia seeds
1. Seed selection: Choose disease-free, large, and plump cassia seeds, soak them in 50°C water for 24 hours, and remove any floating seeds. grains and insect-eaten grains. Take out the plump seeds, dry them out of the surface moisture, and then sow them.
2. Sowing time: The Cassia seed sowing period is during the "Qingming" and "Grain Rain" periods. Sow in drills. Divide the rows into rows at a distance of 45 cm in the finished border. Open a ditch about 3 cm deep and scatter the seeds. In the ditch, cover with soil and suppress lightly.
3. Sowing method: Before sowing Cassia seeds, if the land is dry, water the border first, and then sow the water. The amount of seed per acre is 1 to 1.5 kilograms, in front of the house, behind the house or on scattered land. Planting is generally done in holes, and 2 to 3 seeds can be placed in each hole.
How to plant cassia seeds
1. Land selection and preparation: For cassia seeds, it is better to choose flat land or sunny slopes with better drainage and irrigation conditions. Avoid continuous cropping. Apply 2,000 kilograms of farmyard manure per acre, with added 60 kg of calcium phosphate is used as base fertilizer. Deeply plow and rake it flat to make a 1.3-meter-wide flat border.
2. Thinning and setting the seedlings: Start thinning the cassia seedlings when they are about 5 cm high. When the seedlings are 15 centimeters tall, combine cultivating and weeding and set the seedlings at a spacing of 30 to 40 centimeters.
3. Cultivating and weeding: weeding should be carried out frequently after Cassia seedlings emerge and before the rows are closed. Cultivating should be carried out in time after watering and raining when the soil is compacted. Pay attention to shallow hoeing between plants and deep hoeing between rows. The height of seedlings is about 40 cm. When carrying out the last cultivating, the soil can be built up to prevent lodging.
4. Timely top dressing: Before the closure of Cassia seeds, combine soil cultivation with top dressing 1 to 2 times. Apply 1,000 kilograms of farmyard manure per acre, plus 15 kilograms of urea, and water immediately after application.
5. Drainage and irrigation: The soil should always be kept moist during the entire growth period of cassia. Especially during the flowering period, water should be watered in time, and drainage should be paid attention to during the rainy season.
6. Harvesting and processing: Harvest cassia seeds before and after "cold dew" when the pods turn yellowish brown. Cut off the whole plant, dry it in the sun and lay the seeds. Remove the peel and impurities and it can be used for medicinal purposes. It is better if it is plump, dry, yellowish brown, and free of sand and impurities.