Our ancestors have always used the properties of plants in the treatment of diseases. Decoctions, tinctures, extracts were used. The healers were very much appreciated in Russia. Almost every person had basic knowledge about the power of herbs and flowers. For example, everyone knew that wormwood has the ability to stimulate appetite and fight against neurasthenia. Let us dwell on this grass in more detail.
What does wormwood look like?
Grass belongs to the family Asteraceae. Most often there are two- and multi-year representatives. Wormwood can also have the appearance of a shrub with a height of 3 to 150 cm, with a woody root. There are two types of stems: shortened, barren (perennial plant) and upright, fruiting (annuals). The arrangement of leaves is another. Wormwood flowers of small size, yellow or red, collected in baskets of various shapes. Grass usually has a pungent smell and taste. Wormwood is not afraid of frost and drought, it is very hardy.
In the world there are 250 species of plants, but according to some reports, there are 470 of them. These include, for example, medicinal, bitter, Australian, northern, field, and so on. Where does wormwood grow? In the countries of the former USSR, grass is most common in Central Asia, Transcaucasia, and Northern Kazakhstan. It is also found in Japan, Norway, Alaska, North America.
Wormwood
Translation of the name from the Latin language means that this plant has a bitter taste and therefore does not bring pleasure. What does wormwood look like? It is a perennial grass with erect stems. Shoots with inflorescences and leaves, as well as basal leaves, can grow on the rhizome. The grass has yellow flowers and brownish fruits that ripen in early autumn. Unusual color has wormwood. The photo shows how a large number of pressed hairs give it a silver-gray shade. Due to this property, the grass is also called "silver".
Harvesting raw materials
In medicine, the upper flowering stems and leaves are used. The first is harvested in June – August, when wormwood blooms. The grass should consist of basal leaves and leafy tops. At the beginning of flowering, leaves are collected, stacked in bags and sent for drying as quickly as possible. It happens that other types of wormwood fall into the collection, for example, ordinary, Sivers. Such an admixture does not reduce the healing properties.
Harvesting ingredients usually lasts 10-15 days. First, all parts are carefully scanned and removed inflorescences of late flowering, which are brown in color. Then, in air or in a ventilated room, they start drying, the end of which is determined by the fragility of the petioles and stems. Ultimately, the product should contain no more than 13% moisture. You can store raw materials for two years.
Reproduction and care
Wormwood breeding is carried out in two ways: using seeds and cuttings. In the first case, the collected seeds are sown in rows. As they grow, weak shoots are removed, as well as excess plants. As a result, strong sprouts remain. Silver wormwood is transplanted to a permanent place after two weeks. It can be soil or a pot.
Reproduction in the second way is carried out by cutting a stalk with a heel of 10 cm. Then it is planted in a pot and left in a cool place. In the first month of spring, cuttings with roots are planted separately in flower pots, and in the autumn they are transferred to a permanent place.
Silver wormwood prefers drained soil. Although the plant is unpretentious, but for good growth, it needs sunlight. In the summer, the grass is watered abundantly, and in the winter, as the soil dries. During the period of rapid growth for wormwood, it will be useful to introduce complex fertilizers, but no more than two times.
Common wormwood
This is a perennial plant that can be found in almost all regions of Russia. The second name of the species is Chernobyl. What does common wormwood look like? A distinctive feature of the plant is the brownish-purple color of the stem, whitish-silver leaves. The height of the grass reaches 150 cm. The flowers are collected in oval baskets forming panicle inflorescences. The fruit is an olive-brown achene, ripening during August-October. Flowering common wormwood begins in June and ends in August. The smell of grass is specific. This variety, as well as wormwood (photo and description of which is given above), is found quite often and is widely used.
Decorative look
This species includes wormwood Schmidt and Steller. They are grown in garden areas. The first grade is found on the Kuril Islands, on Sakhalin. Used to live in poor soils, namely in the mountains and on the coast. What does Schmidt's wormwood look like? It is a rounded, openwork bushes 25-30 cm high. August-September - this is the time of flowering.
The second grade grows on the rocks of Japan, the Far East, Alaska, as well as in river mouths. This is a perennial plant with silver gray leaves. The decor is often used to decorate borders. To maintain the desired shape, wormwood is trimmed and rejuvenated annually by hilling or dividing.
The color of the plant varies from green to white, with different shades. Shrubs are added to dry bouquets, combining with many different flowers. Low-growing species are mainly used to create alpine hills and decorate borders. Tall varieties are used to decorate flower beds.
Care and reproduction
The main advantage of decorative wormwood is the lack of need for special care. It will grow both on a site with always cold earth, and under the open hot sun. But heavy, very moist soil is not for her. Frequent watering is not required. For better development, the plant is fertilized with compost in spring. And to keep the decorative qualities longer, you need to trim the flower stalks. Decorative wormwood is not susceptible to disease, and pests bypass it. But if the conditions are too hot and humid, then the plant may become stained - powdery mildew is manifested. A fungicide will help to cope with such an ailment.
Wormwood reproduces in different ways: seeds, cuttings, segments of rhizome, division of the bush. Parts that will give rise to a young plant are immediately planted in a new place. Cuttings are best done at the end of May. Shoots are planted in boxes of sandy soil. A year later, they are transplanted into the open ground. If seeds are used in reproduction, then they are sown in April in greenhouses.
Tarragon
In addition to the common name, this type of wormwood is called tarragon, dragoon grass, turgun, and so on. The plant is a perennial herb with a spicy smell. There is also an odorless form of tarragon. The aroma is due to the presence of essential oils. Wormwood leaves contain vitamin C and carotene, as well as mineral salts such as manganese, cobalt, and copper.
No special breeding conditions are required. But for better growth and accumulation of essential oils you need to plant wormwood in unshaded areas with loose, light soil. Propagated both by seeds and vegetatively. Planting care consists of several stages: loosening, weeding, watering, fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. Grass grows almost everywhere - Mongolia, India, Pakistan, China, Alaska, North America and Russia do not suffer from a shortage of this useful plant.
Features of landing tarragon
An ideal place for plant life is a site with direct sunlight. The soil is better to use sandy loam. Heavy land is broken by sand and organic fertilizers. If the soil is acidic, wood ash is added before planting. Tarragon does not like clay soil, too moist. Fertilize in the fall, after digging the site. Plant the plant both in spring and autumn. Over time, the leaves become stiff, due to this taste qualities are lost, so it is better to renew the beds every four years.
It is necessary to cut the plant before flowering. Dry in a warm, well-ventilated place. Well, if in the morning scattered sunlight will fall on the grass. After drying, tarragon is placed in containers with a sealed lid, which allows you to preserve the aroma of grass for a long time.
Harvesting is carried out in the first year of planting. The tops with leaves are cut off from plants that have reached a height of 20 cm. Thanks to this action, the stems become more powerful. The second time is cut off at the very base of the shoot. In winter, the stems can be reduced, and it is better to carry out this action in the first months of autumn. And you can leave it, then in the spring they are already removed dry. If there is a threat of freezing, then the plant can be covered with humus.
Tarragon varieties
The plant can distinguish odorless species and those that have a smell. For instance:
1. "French" has a delicate, spicy aroma. The plant does not produce seeds, has an average size and dark green leaves.
2. "Volkovsky" is considered one of the ancient tarragon species. The smell is a little audible. Leaves are opaque.
3. "Russian" has a faint, spicy aroma. Bushes are tall and powerful.
4. "Zhulebinskoe Semko" is a rather universal form. It can grow in one place up to seven years. The average bush size is up to 150 cm. The leaves are green, and the flowers are small, yellow. Frost resistant.
5. "Monarch" is a perennial. It has many lateral shoots and has large leaves with short pubescence.
