St. John's wort (Hypericum) is a flowering plant of the St. John's wort family. The growing area of the plant is areas with a temperate climate, the southern regions of the Northern Hemisphere, the Mediterranean. There are about 300 species in culture, but varieties are better known: perforated or ordinary and tetrahedral. St. John's wort is of the greatest interest. There will be a conversation about its properties and cultivation.
Description of the plant St. John's wort
Hypericum has several popular names. And one thing is very suitable for him, because of its rich vitamin composition and beneficial properties. It is called medicinal. And this confirms the real purpose of the species.
A plant with a thin and strong rhizome. Every year, several stems are pulled out of it, reaching a height of 0.8 m. The dihedral, branched stem is erect. Initially green, but later it has a red-brown color. On the outside of the stem, there are two grooves that run along the entire sprout.
The leaves acquire an elongated, ovoid shape and can reach a length of 3 cm. By their structure, the leaves are sessile, entire and opposite, speckled with many glands, which is why the term perforated St. John's wort originated.
Bright yellow flowers with accrete long stamens are collected in racemose umbrellas. The beginning of flowering is June. It should take 4 weeks before the fetus appears. It is a triangular box with a mesh surface and many seeds inside. When the capsule ripens, it cracks, and the seeds slip out.
Planting St. John's wort in open ground
Garden species, like other representatives of the culture, reproduce by seeds. Sowing is carried out in early spring or mid-October. Freshly harvested seeds are sown in the fall. Before the spring sowing grain undergoes stratification. To do this, they, together with wet sand, are placed in bags or jars, put on the vegetable shelf of the refrigerator, where they are stored from one and a half to two months. With this preparation, the shoots that appear will delight you with their density. In dry and hot spring, the shoots may not emerge or disappear. If St. John's wort breaks through, then development will be very slow.
The landing site is prepared in advance. Spring sowing involves preparation in the fall. If the planting is in the fall, then the site is prepared in the summer. The plant loves a sunny area protected from cold winds. Prefers sandy or loamy soil with good drainage. Favorable is the site after carrots or onions.
Before sowing, the soil is dug up, hoes 2 times and leveled with a rake. Fertilize with rotted manure or peat compost, which per 1 sq. meter make 3-4 kg. Then the soil is well moistened.
Sow in rows, leaving an interval between them of at least 15 cm. The seeds are not buried in the ground. Sprinkle on top with soil or sand. Water carefully. During the spring planting, the beds are covered with foil. It is later removed.
Caring for St. John's wort in the garden
During the growth and development of St. John's wort, the area is weeded 3 times and the moisture and loosening are monitored. Starting from the second year, the spring soil is harrowed, the old stems are thrown away. Watering is carried out when the surface layer dries. In hot summer they water it much more often than at other times. And if it rains constantly in the summer, watering is generally excluded.
St. John's wort is a perennial plant. During the period of its development, the soil is depleted. So, it needs to be fed. In early spring, nitroammofosk is applied, at the rate of 8 kg per 1 sq. meter. The procedure is repeated before flowering.
You do not need to shelter St. John's wort for the winter. Even if it freezes a little in winter, it will soon recover during the new season. But if winter promises to be very cold, and even without snow, then it is still worth covering the beds with spruce branches.
Collecting St. John's wort
After 2-3 years, the grass will bloom profusely. So you can start harvesting St. John's wort. This usually happens in the middle of summer, on a sunny and calm day. Use a sharp knife, pruner, or sickle. If the areas are large, take a scythe. Cut off the stem from above. It is enough to measure 25-30 cm. Then the cut shoots are dried to prevent rotting and the appearance of black stripes.
For these purposes, a semi-dark well-ventilated room is used, maintaining a temperature of 50 degrees in it. The raw material is constantly turned over and agitated for the purpose of uniform ventilation. Noticing that the stems break and collapse well, and the leaves and flowers crumble, they finish drying. St. John's wort is prepared for storage. It is laid out in ceramic or glass dishes, in paper bags, cardboard. Shelf life is about three years at temperatures from 5 degrees below zero to 25 degrees Celsius.
Diseases and pests
St. John's wort is immune to disease. But still they are. These are rust and fungal rot. Rust is especially popular, which manifests itself in the form of the appearance of orange streaks on the leaves. The growth rate of such a plant slows down.
To protect the neighboring individuals, the sick St. John's wort is treated with fungicides. Fungal rot develops from oversaturation with water. Full control over soil moisture will help get rid of it. Among the pests are St. John's wort and leafworm.
To use St. John's wort for medicinal purposes, decoctions, teas, tinctures and infusions are prepared. You can always buy it at any pharmacy and prepare the medicine at home. But if possible, harvest the grass yourself. There is practically no need for care, and besides that, pretty flowers will create a wonderful atmosphere in the garden, and more mature plants, grown and dried with their own hands, will serve in the treatment and prevention of many diseases.
Useful properties of St. John's wort
St. John's wort contains many useful components, which means that its use has a beneficial effect on the human body. Decoctions, infusions, teas are used for the prevention of various diseases, as well as for medicinal purposes. This is understandable. Such a rich composition could not remain unnoticed by folk and professional medicine. Beneficial substances contained in St. John's wort:
- Rutin and Querticin;
- Vitamins C and PP;
- Carotene;
- Essential oils;
- Resinous and tanning agents;
- Phytoncides;
- Sahara;
- Other useful ingredients.
Due to its varied composition, the herb is a good antiseptic and diuretic. It has antibacterial and wound healing functions. Copes with pain and rheumatism. Differs in choleretic and antihelminthic actions.
John's wort blanks are used to treat many diseases, including:
- Colds;
- Diseases of the liver and stomach, pelvic organs;
- Headache and oral diseases;
- Hemorrhoids;
- Enuresis and diarrhea;
- Nervous and mental illnesses.
The list is endless, since St. John's wort contains a particle of life-giving power for each disease.
Contraindications
Like any drug, St. John's wort has contraindications that can be avoided if it is not used by pregnant women and hypertensive patients. Due to the intake of strong herb tea, stomach pains are possible, and with prolonged use, problems with potency. Since the herb increases the sensitivity of the skin, sunburn and dermatitis are possible. So you need to beware of sunbathing.
Types and varieties of St. John's wort
The following types of grass are cultivated:
St. John's wort large - it can be found in the south of Siberia, the Far East, in Japan and China, in the eastern part of North America. The height of a perennial culture is up to 1.2 m. There is a tetrahedral, branched stem in the upper part. Opposite whole-edged leaves with translucent veins and a bluish lower surface, sometimes reaching 6-10 cm. Yellow flowers, 8 cm in diameter, are arranged singly or in 4-6 pieces at the tip of the branches.
John Gebler's wort - habitats Siberia, the Far East, Central Asia, China. The branchy plant reaches a height of 1 m. The leaves are oblong sessile. The flowers are lemon yellow, 1.5 cm in diameter and located at the tips of the branches. Flowering lasts about one and a half months, starting in July and ending with the appearance of fruits.
St. John's wort - a low shrub with a strong but shallow root system. Oblong gray leaves and yellow flowers of small diameter, gathered in half-umbrellas. This variety has been cultivated since the beginning of the 18th century.
St. John's wort Is an evergreen variety. It is often found in the western regions of the Caucasus, the Balkans and the Mediterranean. Stretches up to half a meter in height. Leaves are leathery, ovoid. The flowers have a lot of yellowish stamens, the diameter of which varies from 5 to 8 cm.It was cultivated in 1676.
St. John's wort - This dwarf species grows on rocks and stones. Its height is only 10-15 cm. Slightly branched numerous stems stiffen downwards. Oval gray leaves, almost sitting, with a branched network of veins. There are about 5 flowers in the apical semi-umbellate baskets.
St. John's wort sprawling - usually found in East Asia. Strongly branched shrub, reaching one meter in height. Semi-evergreen species with brown stems and leathery ovoid leaves. In juveniles, the arrows are thin and bare, greenish-red in color. Flowers are large, pale golden with long stamens, collected in several pieces in umbrellas.
St. John's wort - it is also called a dye shop. In his homeland the Caucasus, the peninsula of Asia Minor and in the countries of Western Europe, he settles in crevices, on slopes, in forests. It belongs to a semi-evergreen species. Growing fast. And reaches 1 m in height. The flowers do not stand out in any way, while the fruits are special. Each of them is fleshy, berry-like. At first it is green, turns red when ripe, and turns black in winter.
St. John's wort odorless - this is the most striking representative of the decorative type in comparison with others. The leaves are stored for a long time, and the massive fruits have a wide variety of colors.
