Luxembourgguidelines.org – How To Grow Ashwadandha Plant. Ashwagandha is a plant originating from India with the scientific name Withania Somnifera. Later, this plant was used in traditional Indian medicine and has various health benefits. In addition, it is known as an adaptogen which can help the body adapt to stress and pressure. In traditional medicine, this plant is used to treat various diseases. Then, starting from insomnia, headaches, and impaired adrenal gland function. So, how can you plant these plants? Come on, see the explanation in the article below.
How To Grow Ashwadandha Plant
The following is a complete guide to planting these plants, including:
1. Seed Selection and Planting Distance
Quality ashwagandha seeds are essential in increasing crop yields. Choose seeds that are resistant to pests and diseases, so they can produce abundant harvests. The ideal spacing for planting ashwagandha is 1 x 1.5 m, 1 x 2 m, or 1.5 x 2 m. Apart from that, longer planting distances can be used for sabrang plants, starting from 2 x 1 m, 2 x 2 m, or 2 x 3 m.
2. Making Planting Holes
The planting hole is made two or three weeks before the planting process. Then, plant the hole measuring 40 x 40 cm with a depth of around 40 cm. Two weeks after digging the hole, the soil is returned after being mixed with manure in a 1:1 ratio. In some places, planting holes can be planted directly.
3. Fertilization
Basic fertilization is given before planting using 1-2 kg of manure per hole. Furthermore, fertilization is carried out every 6 months with a dose of 100-140 kg urea, 75-100 kg SP36, and 75-160 kg KCI per hectare.
4. Treatment
The time for replanting should be done 2-3 weeks after the planting stage. Then, the land is cleaned of weeds to avoid disturbing growth as a hiding place for pests and diseases. Then, mulch is applied to maintain soil moisture and keep nutrients dissolved. Mulch can be old leaves from shade plants or from the ashwagandha plant itself with a thickness of about 3-5 cm. The shade for the ashwagandha plant remains adjusted to allow 30-70% sunlight to enter. If it is too dense, shade plants must be pruned.
5. Soil Type and Topography
Ashwagandha plants can grow in red and yellow Latosol, Andosol and Podzolic soil types. Then, suitable soil textures are loam, clayey loam, sandy loam, silty loam and sandy loam. Organic materials and good drainage can support the growth of ashwagandha to be fertile and safe from waterlogging. Suitable topography is flat land and sloping land, with a degree of soil acidity (pH) ranging from 5.0-6.8.
6. Land Preparation
Ashwagandha plants cannot tolerate direct sunlight and strong winds. Therefore, the land needs to be prepared with shade trees that can provide a fairly humid environment with light intensity. Some types of shade trees that are suitable are coconut, sugar palm, duku, durian, petai, lamtoro/china petai, sengon, gamal, coffee, banana, jackfruit, and jasa.
7. Seeding With Sapling Cuttings
It is not customary to propagate ashwagandha plants using seeds, but by cuttings. The requirements for selecting seedling cuttings are to have seedlings that have 2-10 leaves, have false stems, rhizomes that sprout, and have a few adventitious roots. The need for seeds for each hectare depends on the planting distance. Local cardamom requires 5,000-10,000 seeds per hectare, while sabrang cardamom requires 2,500-5,000 seeds per hectare.
8. Planting Time and Planting Method
The right planting time for ashwagandha is at the beginning of the rainy season (October-December). The planting method is to make a small hole and place the seedlings 10-15 cm deep, then compact the soil around it, paying attention to the shoots so that they are not disturbed, damaged or broken.
So, hopefully after reading the discussion in this article you can understand it well, use it as an additional reference, increase your knowledge and insight. Then, and in the future it can be useful and can apply this knowledge in everyday life.