The lovage plant (Levisticum) is a representative of the Umbrella family. This genus includes only one species - medicinal lovage. In nature, this perennial plant is found in Iran and Afghanistan, but today it is grown all over the world. Lovage is also called lover, pet, love (or love spell) potion, dawn, and winter celery.
The popularity of lovage is due to its beneficial properties, as well as its pleasant aroma. It allows the herb to be used in cooking - as a seasoning for fish and meat. The value of lovage was known in the old days - the plant was mentioned in the works of Pliny, as well as in poems about herbs dating from the 9th-11th centuries.
Description of lovage
The only representative of the genus, Levisticum officinale, is a perennial herb. From its large and branched root, bare hollow stems are formed, branching closer to the apex. They are about 1-2 m long and are gray-colored. Large glossy foliage has a rich green color. The leaf blades have a double-pinnate structure and slightly incised lobes. During the flowering period, umbrella inflorescences are formed on the bushes, consisting of small yellow flowers. After flowering, which occurs in the summer months, flattened oval fruits appear closer to September.
Lovage is considered a medicinal and edible plant. It is grown as a raw material for medicines or food condiments. The aroma of lovage is similar to that of celery. The essential oils obtained from this plant are used in perfumery and cooking. The foliage and stems, as well as the roots of the plant, are used not only as a medicine, but also as a seasoning for various dishes. Greens are added to canned food, sauces. Like basil and dill, lovage is widely used in the diet.
Brief rules for growing lovage
The table shows brief rules for growing lovage in the open field.
| Landing | Seeds are sown on the beds before winter or in the middle of spring. Sowing for seedlings is carried out in March, the seedlings are transferred to the street by the beginning of May. |
| Lighting level | To grow lovage, a sufficiently bright sun is necessary, but partial shade or scattered rays are acceptable. |
| Watering mode | In sunny places, the bushes are watered more often, in partial shade there will be enough rainfall. |
| The soil | Any soil is suitable for the plant. Lovage is able to thrive even on clay soil. |
| Top dressing | Plant feeding is carried out twice a month, using mineral compounds or organic matter. |
| Pruning | It is necessary to remove peduncles at an early stage of development, before they reach ten centimeters in length. |
| Bloom | Flowering usually begins in the first half of summer. |
| Reproduction | Seeds. |
| Pests | Aphids, slugs, carrot fly. |
| Diseases | From waterlogging - the development of white spot is possible. |
Planting lovage in open ground
Sowing seeds
Lovage is able to thrive even on clay soil, but it is still recommended to prepare the ground before planting. The future bed is dug up, introducing compost (about 3 kg per 1 sq. M.), Urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfate (25 g per 1 sq. M.), Wood ash (about 1.5 cups).
Direct sowing of lovage seeds on the beds is carried out before the onset of winter or in the middle of spring. Seeds should be sown in rows. The sprouts that appear are thinned out, maintaining a distance of about 10-15 cm between them. too crowded.
Growing seedlings
To be sure to get high-quality seedlings and avoid thinning, it is recommended to use the seedling method. In this case, sowing is carried out in March. The seeds are placed in containers filled with fertile soil. Each seed is buried by about 2 cm, maintaining a distance of about 5-6 cm. In a warm (about 20-25 degrees) room under good lighting, shoots appear within a couple of weeks. When sprouts form in the container, it is recommended to keep them in a cooler (about 12-15 degrees) corner, but after a week the growing temperature can be left constant - about 15-20 degrees. Two weeks after the formation of the shoots, they can be fed with a mineral composition. It should include 15 g of ammonium nitrate and calcium chloride, as well as 25 g of superphosphate per 10 liters of water. Two weeks later, the composition is reintroduced.
The seedlings are transferred to the ground 1.5-2 months after the emergence of seedlings - by about the end of April. Most varieties are not afraid of frost. Planting is immediately carried out at a distance necessary for adult and developed bushes - about 65 cm. In the first year of cultivation, bushes form a leaf rosette from seeds, and they begin to bloom only the next season. An adult lovage is able to reproduce by self-seeding. The resulting seedlings can be transplanted to a new location.
Lovage care
Lovage is highly winter-hardy and can grow successfully in areas of the garden with different lighting. Both the sun and partial shade are suitable for the bushes. The greatest amount of light is required for plantings during the flowering period - starting from the second year of life.
Watering
The degree of care for the bushes directly depends on where they are planted. In the sun, lovage will have to be watered much more often. Otherwise, the taste of its greenery may change and become more bitter, and the foliage will coarsen. The growth rate of the bush will also slow down. In semi-shady areas, plantings often have enough natural precipitation: the soil in such corners of the garden dries out more slowly. After rain or watering, it is necessary to carry out weeding, as well as to loosen the ground near the bushes to a depth of 6 cm. This will improve the air flow to the root system.
Although planting in the sun becomes more demanding on moisture, it is very important to avoid overflow. Excessive moisture often leads to root diseases. To reduce the number of waterings, you can mulch the beds with peat or other organic compounds.
Top dressing
The bushes do not need frequent fertilization, but periodically they can still be fed. Nutrient mineral formulations or organic solutions are applied twice a month. Features of feeding are related to how exactly the grown bushes will be used. If the seeds will not be collected from the plants, it is recommended to remove the peduncles immediately after emergence. If lovage is grown for the sake of collecting rhizomes, wood ash can be used as top dressing. At the same time, too much foliage is not cut off from the plants - this will prevent them from growing a root. If lovage is grown specifically for the sake of foliage, you can feed the bushes with nitrogen contained in organic additives.This will allow you to cut fresh growth without hesitation - it will develop very actively.
Pruning
In order for the leaves to remain tender and tasty and suitable for human consumption, it is necessary to remove the peduncles at an early stage of development, before they reach ten centimeters in length.
Collection and storage of lovage
Rhizomes are harvested in early spring or autumn. In springtime, the roots are removed from the ground, washed, and then dried in a ventilated place or under a canopy, strung on a rope. Copies that are too large can be halved. For drying, you can use suitable electrical appliances or an oven. Lovage dries well at 35 degrees. Dried raw materials can be crushed in a coffee grinder, sieved and stored in a glass container. Keep the rhizome powder in a dark, dry and cool place.
When harvesting in autumn in winter, the rhizomes can be kept in the cellar, sprinkled with sand like carrots.
The collection of lovage leaves is carried out from the beginning of the flowering period until the end of the season. It is believed that before the formation of peduncles, they contain insufficient valuable substances. The best time for cutting is the time after the rain, but the leaf blades should have time to dry. Drying foliage is no different than drying roots. They can be laid out on paper or linen in a well ventilated area. In the dryer, the foliage is also dried at 35 degrees, and then folded into a glass container.
Harvested seeds can also be used for drugs. After ripening, they are removed from the bushes, dried, threshed and kept in tightly closed containers.
Diseases and pests
Lovage bushes can be harmed by aphids and carrot flies. The fight against them is hampered by the use of plant greens in food, as well as its use in the composition of medicinal products. Because of this, the use of potent insecticides is prohibited. Pest control can be carried out only in sparing folk ways. Having noticed the problem in time, you can get rid of it in the early stages.
Aphids feed on the testes of bushes and multiply very quickly. Spraying the aerial part of the lovage with a solution of green soap (300 g of soap shavings per 10 liters of water) or an infusion of burning herbs (yarrow, tobacco) or vegetables (pepper, onion) will help to overcome it.
To cope with the carrot fly larvae devouring the roots of the bush, processing the foliage with a solution of pepper will help. Pepper (ground black or hot) is used in a proportion of 1 tbsp. spoon for 10 liters of water. This volume is enough for processing 10 sq. m landings.
Gastropods can also harm lovage. Snails and slugs are able to make large holes in its foliage, sometimes eating the whole leaf blades. An obstacle will help to save from them: ash or ash is scattered half a meter from the bush, and granular superphosphate is thrown on top. It will not only prevent slugs from getting to the garden, but also serve as fertilizer for plants.
Of the diseases, lovage is most often affected by septoria. It is also called white spot - yellow spots with black dots in the center appear on the leaves and their petioles at this time. As the foliage develops, it begins to dry, and the bush itself dies. You can prevent infection by adjusting the watering regime. Moisture should feed the ground, but not stagnate at the roots of the bushes. When signs of the disease appear, the affected plates are removed, and the remaining bush is treated with a composition prepared from milk whey with a few drops of iodine.
Types and varieties of lovage with photos and names
Medicinal lovage (Levisticum officinale)
The only plant species that has a number of varieties that differ in their characteristics:
- Amur - forms small bushes up to 60 cm tall. They have large, fragrant leaves of a grayish-green color. Leaves grow back in about 25 days. The variety has medium frost resistance.
- Hercules - a more winter-hardy plant with a high yield.The fragrant green foliage is bright green and has a slight waxy coating. Leaves can be cut about 3 weeks after germination.
- Don Juan - is distinguished by especially fragrant toothed leaves on long petioles. In one season, up to 6 crops can be harvested from a bush.
- Leader - forms bushes up to 70 cm in size. The variety is fruitful and cold-resistant. It has pale green leaves with slightly pungent notes in taste and a mild garlic aroma. The first foliage can be removed within a month after the formation of the shoots.
- Odysseus - the variety has good frost resistance and fragrant foliage with a spicy taste. The size of the bushes reaches 2 m. They can grow for about 10 years without transplanting.
- Preobrazhensky Semko - forms two-meter, but compact bushes. They have large, deep green foliage, pungent and bitter in taste. Leaves develop in a root rosette. This variety is considered not only high-yielding, but also particularly frost-hardy and does not need shelter even in cold regions.
- Dandy - bushes reach a height of one meter. They have large greenish-yellow foliage with a pleasant aroma. One rosette contains up to 40 leaves.
Lovage properties and applications
Medicinal properties of lovage
The value of lovage is related to its composition. The plant contains vitamins and essential oils, numerous mineral elements, organic acids, gums, starch, as well as coumarin, resins, monosaccharides and disaccharides.
The rhizomes of the bushes can produce antibacterial, bile and diuretic effects, help to cope with cramps, and also relieve pain. Powder obtained from dried roots can improve appetite, cure gout and swelling, and cope with urinary problems.
A decoction of rhizomes will help against coughs and insomnia. It is indicated for pain in the heart and with increased excitability. Roots can help in the treatment of diseases of the reproductive system. In addition, the foliage of the plant is considered a natural aphrodisiac - this feature is reflected in its many popular names. Lovage is able to normalize the menstrual cycle and reduce pain during this period, serving as an antispasmodic. Among the indications of this herb are also called renal failure and disorders of the digestive system.
Due to the presence of ascorbic acid in lovage, the plant helps to strengthen immunity, protects against the development of oncology. By the content of carotene, lovage is practically equal to carrots. Its foliage can be added to salads both as a flavoring agent and for its beneficial properties. It helps to improve the activity of the nervous system, strengthens the body's defenses, helps maintain good vision, fights premature aging, dry skin and early wrinkles.
As with any herbal medicine, self-medication with lovage should not be practiced. Any course of such drugs had to be agreed with the doctor.
Contraindications
Lovage has a number of contraindications, including pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis. It should not be consumed during pregnancy - the plant promotes blood flow to the pelvic organs. Refrain from it should be people with intolerance to the components that make up the plant.
