Growing a lovage, the care of which we will consider, is a very useful activity, because the plant is quite valuable. We will discuss varieties of herbs, especially the care and collection. All you want to know about the lovage is below in the article.
Lovage: what is this plant?
This plant belongs to the Umbrella species. In nature, it can reach a height of about 2 m. A perennial plant boasts a thick root. Above, the hollow stem gradually branches out. Pleasing appearance: cirrus large leaves of green hue are decorated with small yellow flowers, which in appearance resemble closed umbrellas. Many confuse it with celery. A distinctive feature of the plant is its spicy smell. We will talk about this below, but it should be noted that due to this property it is used in many national cuisines. Flowering time falls at the beginning of summer, full ripening of seeds - in August.
Often you can find it in summer cottages, because people know about the medicinal properties of the plant. In any part of it there is an essential oil, only its quantity varies. Most of all oil is in seeds, least of all is in fresh leaves. In appearance, the lovage is thick and dark brown. Completely soluble in alcohol.
Beneficial features
The most common in the field of diet. Despite the fact that the roots of the plant have a bitter aftertaste, it smells nice. Many use ground roots of a lovage as seasoning for various dishes (vegetables, meat, fish). It's hard to believe, but candied fruits and jam are made from fresh roots. The plant will be indispensable for the marinade.
Useful properties are simply impressive. For therapeutic purposes, use different parts of the plant. It is rich not only in vitamins, but also in valuable trace elements and essential oils. It is known that herbal decoctions and juices contribute to the normalization of the gastrointestinal tract, and also enhance metabolism. This provides the grass with such popularity among those who want to lose weight. Moreover, it is known for its tonic, diuretic and antispasmodic effects. It is recommended to use for disorders of the nervous system, aggression, severe excitability. Effectively helps with circulatory problems. In some cases, the plant is an excellent medicine for poisoning. However, in order not to harm yourself, you need to understand in detail the useful properties and contraindications.
Application found in cosmetology. For female beauty and health, the plant is indispensable. Decoctions of it are used to treat skin with wounds and minor lesions. It is useful for hair. After it, they will become lush and fortified, but only with regular rinsing. It is known that if you hang a lovage at the entrance to the room, then flies and mosquitoes will not fly. Also, the aroma of grass is not like cockroaches and bugs.
What else can a lovage be useful for? Many women cultivate and care at home, but why? The thing is that if you apply only a few drops of essential oil to the female skin, then attention from the husband is provided. Yes, the plant is a powerful natural aphrodisiac, returns masculine strength.
When is a lovage prohibited?
Despite the fact that there are many useful properties, as well as methods of application, there are certain contraindications. In no case should you use the roots shortly before flowering, because during this period they are poisonous. Better workpieces to do in the fall or spring. Tinctures and decoctions can not be boiled, because then all valuable properties will be lost.
Doctors insist that you should not take decoctions for women who have menstruation or uterine bleeding. Moreover, any preparations from different parts of the plant are strictly prohibited during pregnancy, ulcers and hemorrhoids. This is because the plant contributes to a rush of blood to the pelvic organs. Drugs that include lovage extract reduce appetite. Do not touch the plant in the summer in extreme heat, because you can instantly get a burn.
Varieties
There are 4 of the most popular varieties of farmed lovage. Many summer residents are engaged in caring for such a plant. Among the varieties: Hercules, Don Juan, Preobrazhensky Semko and Leader. We consider two varieties separately, because they are the most popular and deserve special attention.
Hercules is characterized by a small height of the bush. If on average the height can reach 2 m, then the bush of this variety will not grow by more than 0.5 m. They choose it if the cultivation site is characterized by low temperatures, because this variety tolerates cold well.
Grass lovage, photo of which we see the article, namely the variety Preobrazhensky Semko is one of the most frost-resistant plant species. The most common in the northern regions.
Don Juan
This variety is used if they want to achieve the maximum external effect or to obtain a large yield of green mass. In one season, the leaves can be cut up to 5 times, and from one bush it turns out about 6 kg of green mass. If for medicinal purposes it is the leaves of the plant that are needed, then this variety should be grown.
Leader
Lovage care requires special, and we will talk about it below, but the benefit is that different varieties need similar care. The peculiarity of the variety under the proud name Leader is that the leaves can reach a height of 80 cm. This is the kind of plant that can grow up to 2 m.
Growing plants
Thinking about growing and caring for a lovage, you should understand that this is a perennial plant that blooms only in the second year. When planting, pay attention to the soil, because the grass is very demanding on it. Ideal will be moderately moist and loose kidney. However, in the territory where the lovage grows, there should be no stagnation of water, since the roots can quickly rot from this.
Grass will grow better not in the sun, but in the shade. Once again, back to the question of soil. It can be peat, sand or clay. The main condition for good development is nutrient soil. That is why, before planting a plant, it is necessary to fertilize the soil. For this, urea, compost, rotted manure, superphosphate or wood ash are suitable.
What else have we said about the lovage? We examined the cultivation and care in the open ground, but the question remained of how the grass reproduces. There are several ways that we will discuss below.
Seeds
Experienced summer residents and gardeners prefer the seed method of plant propagation. This is done simply, and the results are good. Two days before the planned sowing date, it is necessary to soak the seeds in warm water. On the day of planting, they must be thoroughly wiped so that they are dry - then a lovage will be better taken. It is best to start growing and nursing in the open field in spring or autumn, but it is preferable to first plant the seeds in a pot so that they germinate accurately. They should be laid in the soil no more than 1.5 cm. You should not wait for quick shoots, because the first signs of growth appear only after 25 days. After 70 days, the seedlings are considered ready for normal planting in the ground. It is better to plant in rows to get a good aesthetic appearance. However, we must remember the distance between the seedlings, which should be at least 70 cm due to the lush growth of leaves.
Bush division
By dividing the bush, lovage can be propagated. Cultivation and home care will be more effective if the first method is carried out, but if you have your own cottage, then you can try another way. Reproduction by dividing the bush is best done in late spring. Ideally use a mature 3 year old bush. It must be dug up and divided with a shovel into several equal parts, each of which will have at least 3-4 kidneys. This method is worth trying, if only because in this case the plant grows quickly and develops well. In theory, it is believed that grass can grow in one place for up to 10 years, but in practice it is verified that lovage should be replanted every 5-6 years.
Care
Growing and caring for a lovage will not require particularly complex manipulations. The main thing is to remember a few key points that have a big impact on how the grass grows. It is necessary to regularly loosen the soil, remove weeds on time, so that they do not pick up useful substances from the soil, water the plant abundantly in especially dry periods, occasionally apply top dressing and trim the leaves on time. These are the main points in the implementation of which growing and caring for a lovage at home will turn into a pleasure.
If you need to get large roots at the exit, then it is worth using wood ash as lure. Also, it is necessary to trim the flower stalks so that they do not waste extra energy. The main thing is to remember that the plant is frost-resistant, it grows well throughout the country without additional care.
At home, it is better to abandon organic fertilizers, since nitrogen accelerates growth, but reduces the quality of the green mass, as a result of which it becomes loose. Fertilizer is suitable if the lovage lands on a large territory and poor soil.
Disease
Care and growing a lovage in the garden or at home can be difficult if the plant becomes sick. The greatest harm to the grass is caused by a carrot fly, the larvae of which quickly destroy the roots. After a short time, the bush turns yellow and completely dries. Another problem is septoria. You can detect it by small yellow spots on the sheets. A black pea quickly appears in the middle of each yellow dot, and after that the plant dries slowly until it dies completely.
A very common problem is the aphid that settles on the testes. To combat this pest, it is worth using agrotechnical methods, since in this case they are most effective. It must be remembered that the use of chemicals will make the plant unsuitable for medicinal purposes.
Collection
Lovage (photo of the plant can be seen in the article) begins to bloom in early summer, and fully ripens by September. It is worth remembering that in the first year after planting, only the leaves of the plant are suitable for use, which must be collected several times. The roots can be applied only after the bush is 3-4 years old. Digging out the roots is best in spring or late autumn. They are cleaned of the earth, cut into equal parts and dried in a natural way. If necessary, you can accelerate this process with special food dryers, however, the temperature should not be above +35 degrees. Before flowering, the roots of the bush should not be used, as it is believed that they can be poisonous. After the roots have completely dried out, they must be grated and stored in a dark place, preferably in a glass bowl.
Leaves are best harvested during flowering. They should not be dried in the open sun, but under a canopy and preferably on paper. They are also dried, frayed and stored in glass containers.
Health Recipes
Reviews about the lovage suggest that the plant is really able to help in many cases. Women use such a decoction from hair loss: 2 tsp. grated roots pour 1 cup boiling water and insist 5 hours. Then the broth is filtered, cooled and rubbed into the scalp. So you have to go 3 hours, and then wash your hair with egg yolk, go brown bread in hot water. In order for the first results to appear, it is necessary to carry out 3-4 procedures per week.
From diseases of the larynx 1 tsp. Pour the roots with 1 cup boiling water and warm in a water bath for about half an hour, not bringing to a boil. Then the broth is infused for an hour. Need to take 2 tbsp. l 3 times a day before meals. It is useful to rinse your mouth with a decoction. For best results, it is recommended to use at least 2 glasses of tincture per day.
With edema, it is recommended to brew 1 tbsp. l leaves 1.5 cups of boiling water. The broth is insisted for 3 hours, after which it is cooled and filtered. Take 1 tbsp. l 4 times a day before meals. Remember that such a medicine will have some diuretic effect.
Leucorrhoea is treated with tincture of 1 tbsp. l root drenched in a glass of boiling water. The broth is infused for 60 minutes, after which it is drunk 3 times a day after meals. You need to drink half a glass at a time. The effect will be much better if you use douching with root infusion. To do this, brew 1 tbsp. l finely chopped roots 1 liter of boiling water.
We examined all the main points regarding such grass as a lovage. Cultivation and care are not so difficult, and the results are worth the trouble. This is really a very useful and unpretentious plant that will help solve many health problems and simply improve well-being.