Flowering Plants and Health Maintenance

Author: Qin Xiangkun, Xu Lei / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features:
1. Ground Planting Management
Ground-planted winter jasmine fears wind, so it should be planted in a sheltered, sunny location. The best time to transplant is during winter or spring. The root ball of the transplanted seedling must be kept with soil. Winter jasmine loves fertilizer, so sufficient base fertilizer should be applied in the planting hole. The best choice is well-rotted manure, stable manure, or soybean cake, etc. Ground-planted winter jasmine can be managed more roughly. From June to September, liquid fertilizer should be applied every 20 days, ensuring good development of branches, leaves, and flower buds. Watering is not usually necessary, but it is best to water once in early winter. After the flowers fade, apply fertilizer and water once. Winter jasmine has strong budding ability, so it should be pruned promptly after flowering. Generally, cut off parts of the flowering branches above the 20 cm fork. Thisnutrient and promotes the growth of new branches, creating favorable conditions for flowering the following year.
Pot Planting Management
The potting soil for pot-planted winter jasmine should be loose, fertile, and rich in organic matter, such as sandy soil. After potting, water immediately and place it under a shade shed for a month before moving it to a sunny location for care. Watering should follow the principle of "water only when the soil is completely dry." The potting soil should not be too wet. During the growth season, fertilize frequently. Every two weeks from May to October, apply well-rotted thin liquid fertilizer. After winter, allow the potting soil to dry slightly and stop fertilizing. In December, move the winter jasmine indoors. If the room temperature is high, it can bloom by New Year's Day; if the room temperature is low, the flowering period may be delayed to the Chinese New Year. However, after flowering, move it to a cool place to prevent premature budding of branches and leaves. Pot-planted winter jasmine should be pruned every year. When potting, cut off the main branches. Retain 3-4 evenly distributed lateral branches on the main branches. Prune annually in spring. Leave 2 pairs of buds on each new branch, cut off the top of the branch, and trim dense small branches appropriately. Pot-planted winter jasmine is generally repotted every 2-3 years, usually in late March. When repotting, remove the old soil from the bottom, trim long old roots, and fill in new potting soil.
Propagation
Winter jasmine is mostly propagated by grafting (especially for Mume and Qingkou varieties), but this requires certain skills and experience, making it difficult for beginners. For home cultivation, division or air-layering methods can be used. Division should be done after autumn leaf fall to early spring before bud break. Dig up the plant, divide it into several small plants with 1-2 main branches each, leaving about 10 cm of the main stem. Cut off the upper part and plant it. It can bloom after two years of cultivation. Air-layering can be done from April to June. Choose an appropriate location on the lateral branch, make a 2 cm wide ring cut. Use a mixture of sawdust, moss, or chaff ash as filler, wrap it with plastic cloth, and keep it moist. Roots will form in 8-10 weeks. After rooting, separate and transplant it elsewhere.
2. Medicinal Uses
The flower buds of winter jasmine have a taste of sweet, slightly bitter, pungent, and warm, with effects of relieving summer heat, generating fluids, improving appetite, dispelling depression, and soothing cough. The root bark has a taste of pungent and warm, with effects of dispelling wind, detoxifying, and stopping bleeding.
Collection and Processing
Flower buds are harvested in late winter or early spring, dried by fire to half-dryness, and then sun-dried to prevent pests and blooming. Leaves are collected from July to September, washed, and dried. Root bark can be collected all year round and dried or air-dried for storage.
Reference Recipes
(1) For lumbar muscle strain and rheumatoid arthritis: 15 grams of winter jasmine root (peel off the outer thin skin). Decoct in water and drink.
(2) For scalds and burns: Soak winter jasmine flowers in tea oil to make "winter jasmine oil." Apply to the affected area when needed.
(3) For summer heat, restlessness, and thirst: 3.6 grams of winter jasmine flowers. Decoct in water and drink.
(4) For liver and stomach pain: 5 grams of winter jasmine flowers, 15 grams of angelica, and 10 grams of safflower. Decoct in water and drink.
(5) For chronic cough: 50 grams of winter jasmine root, soaked in 250 ml of alcohol. Take 25-50 ml each time.
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