St. John's wort planting and care in the garden. St. John's wort, planting and care

The numerous genus St. John's wort (Hypericaceae) has more than 400 species. Members of the genus include annuals, perennials, shrubs, subshrubs, herbs and even low trees that are found throughout the world and in a variety of habitats.

Mostly shrubby forms of St. John's wort are highly decorative. They can be broadleaf, semi-evergreen or evergreen. These plants are popular among gardeners due to their unpretentiousness, ease of cultivation, and exquisite golden flowers, which usually appear among the lush foliage in the summer and fall.

The most famous and widespread herbaceous plant is St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), which is widely found in wildlife and is used in folk medicine. It is not particularly decorative, but can be grown near bodies of water, as it prefers moist soil.

Rules of care

Popular bush varieties grow quickly, often characterized by abundant flowering, but rather low winter hardiness. Therefore, when choosing a variety, focus on your climate zone. Thrive in light sandy or loamy, well-drained soils. The abundance of flowers depends on the light.

They require regular moistening, but the soil must dry out between waterings. During prolonged droughts or in very warm climates, watering should be increased to twice a week. Reduce it in the fall, when the plant begins to enter a dormant state.

At the beginning of spring, all shrubby species of St. John's wort require good pruning. The procedure is needed to rejuvenate the plant, as it stimulates the growth of new shoots and abundant flowering. Propagated by root cuttings in late spring or by dividing the bush in spring or autumn.

Can be affected by thrips and fungal diseases.

Landing

When planting, the root collar should remain at soil level.

St. John's wort shrub planting and care

Soil drainage is achieved by adding sand, expanded clay or broken bricks. Feeding is carried out in early spring with complex fertilizer.

IN garden design ground cover semi-shrub forms are used for rock gardens and rockeries, and the flowering bush perennial looks great as a hedge or for decorating paths in the garden.

Popular types of bush St. John's wort

St. John's wort (Hypericum androsaemum)

This is a dense, deciduous semi-evergreen subshrub with erect branches up to 1.5 m high, native to Western Europe and the Caucasus. The leaves are up to 4 cm long, and when pruned, aromatic resins are released. The flowers are bright yellow. In autumn, red fruits ripen and decorate the plant.

Hypericum calycinum ‘Brigadoon’

St. John's wort with shiny greenish-yellow foliage. Golden-yellow flowers appear from late spring and bloom continues into autumn. Shrub plants form a thick carpet up to 30 cm in height. In the sun, the small, oval leaves turn a dazzling orange gold. Brigadoon requires well-drained soil and partial shade.

St. John's wort (Hypericum frondosum) ‘Sunburst’

It is a small deciduous shrub with reddish-brown bark on mature stems and bright blue-green leaves. At the height of summer - early autumn, the bush is decorated with golden-yellow flowers. The reddish-brown fruits ripen in September and persist through the winter. Used in hedges or in single plantings.
Provide the plant with full sun or partial shade. Prefers rich sandy soils that are moist but well drained. Sunburst can tolerate short periods of drought. Mulch is needed in winter.

St. John's wort (Hypericum calycinum)

Grows in a range of light conditions from full sun to full shade. It is an evergreen shrub from 1 to 2 meters in height and up to 1 meter wide. Shade-tolerant perennial very unpretentious. Large yellow flowers bloom in June and continue to bloom until autumn.

St. John's wort has a number of very valuable and useful properties.

St. John's wort in landscape design - description and photo

Its antibacterial effect has been proven by official medicine. This article will be about these and other properties of St. John's wort. Let's also look at how to grow it. valuable plant on a summer cottage.

Growing and caring for St. John's wort

St. John's wort is used for medicinal purposes. It is becoming less and less in nature due to land cultivation. Therefore, many summer residents grow St. John's wort on their property. For planting, sunny places or partial shade are chosen. St. John's wort is not picky about soil. Moderate moisture content, easily tolerates drought and heat. Is perennial herbaceous plant, up to 60 cm in height. Blooms from June to August. yellow flowers, after rubbing in the palms, they release red juice, which is business card this type of St. John's wort. It can grow in one place for up to 10 years. It is not demanding in terms of care. It is important not to be lazy in pulling out weeds in young plants so that they gain strength and can become stronger. Therefore, in the first year after planting, you need to weed the beds with St. John's wort 3-4 times per season. Flowering occurs in the second year. For better growth and flowering, it is recommended to feed with organic and mineral fertilizers (rotted peat compost, humus, potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen).

St. John's wort propagation

For growing on site, St. John's wort can be propagated in the following ways:

• sowing seeds in open ground;
• growing seedlings;
• replanting wild plants.

Sowing seeds in the ground. You can sow in spring or before winter. If you sow in spring, then you need to stratify the seeds in wet sand, at a temperature from +2℃ to +5℃, for one to two months. A refrigerator or cellar is suitable for this purpose. When sowing in autumn, germination is better, and sprouts appear earlier. The only negative: if the spring is dry, the seeds may die. You need to sow the seeds in prepared furrows, 1 cm deep. There is no need to cover the crops. Just powder it thin layer land. Row spacing is 30 -40 cm.

Growing seedlings. To avoid all the problems with sowing seeds in open ground, you can grow St. John's wort seedlings in pots or greenhouses. The plants grow very well and take root easily after transplanting the seedlings.

Transplanting wild St. John's wort. If you find this plant in a vacant lot or field, you can easily transplant it to your plot, collect the seeds and propagate it in a convenient way.

Collection of medicinal raw materials

St. John's wort is harvested during the flowering period: June-August. The stems with flowers need to be cut at the beginning of flowering; the height of the cut shoots is 20-25 cm. St. John's wort should be dried in the shade or in a well-ventilated area. You can collect them in small bouquets, hang them and dry them in a draft. Raw materials can be stored for three years in dry rooms. After cutting the first flowers, St. John's wort may bloom again in a month, then the flowers can be collected again. If you need to collect seeds, then there is no need to cut off the stems that bloomed first. Leave them until the seeds are completely ripe.

Medicinal properties of St. John's wort

St. John's wort has the following effects:

• antispasmodic;
• regenerative;
• antiseptic;
• hemostatic;
• antibacterial;
• anti-inflammatory;
• soothing;
• restorative.

Therefore, it is used in the form of decoctions, lotions, alcohol infusions, essential oils, teas, in such cases:

• Oral diseases: gingivitis, stomatitis.
• Diseases of the upper respiratory tract: sore throat, pharyngitis, tonsillitis.
• Depigmentation in vitiligo.
• Inflammatory processes in the kidneys and bladder.
• Gastrointestinal diseases: gastritis, cholelithiasis, inflammation of the gallbladder, colitis, enteritis, flatulence, diarrhea.
• At depressive states, insomnia.
• Difficult to heal wounds, purulent formations on the skin, burns.
• Pain during menstruation and PMS.
• For diseases of the ENT organs.

In cosmetology it is used for acne, hair loss, dandruff, and has a rejuvenating effect.

Use of St. John's wort

The most popular are infusions, decoctions and teas from St. John's wort.

How to prepare them is described below. Important! There is no need to self-medicate; you should definitely consult a doctor.

Alcohol tincture of St. John's wort. Place St. John's wort flowers in a glass container and compact well. Pour in high-quality vodka or diluted alcohol (1:1). Leave in a dark place at room temperature for 2 weeks. The infusion will acquire a ruby ​​color. Strain and pour into a dark glass bottle. It is used in diluted form for rinsing the mouth, lotions, and compresses. Ingestion only in diluted form. The number of drops depends on the specific disease.

St. John's wort decoction. The decoction is prepared in a water bath. To do this, take 1.5 tablespoons of dry crushed raw materials, place in an enamel container and pour a glass of boiling water. Leave in a water bath for 30 minutes. Strain. Take 1/3 cup 3 times a day, half an hour before meals.

St. John's wort tea. Prepared either in a thermos or in a cup. Pour in the required amount of raw material (at the rate of 1 teaspoon per 250 ml of water). Leave for 15 minutes.

Before consuming decoctions, tea and infusions of St. John's wort, you need to clarify contraindications to avoid side effects.

By growing St. John's wort on your property, you can make your own medicinal tea or infusion. Unpretentious, perennial and healing, St. John's wort is capable (according to legends) of driving away evil spirits and protecting the house from diseases. So there are only advantages to growing this plant.

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St. John's wort (Hypericum) - a flowering herb or shrub in your garden

Plant type: perennial.

Description: St. John's wort Most residents of our country are probably familiar with a low herbaceous species that can be found almost everywhere: on the edges, in light forests, in dry meadows. This is one of the many species of this plant - St. John's wort.

This modest flower attracts not only ordinary residents, but also doctors and scientists. St. John's wort has many benefits. It contains carotene, vitamin C, essential oils, resinous and tannin substances. Medicines containing substances from this plant have hemostatic, astringent and antimicrobial effects that can stimulate tissue regeneration. For such a wide medical use The flower is popularly called a “remedy for 99 diseases.”

But the following fact is interesting. St. John's wort, so popular here, is considered a harmful weed in the pastures of Australia, North America and New Zealand. The reason why farmers in these countries are worried is that this plant can cause serious illness in livestock. Sheep and horses are most sensitive to it. Perhaps this is where the name of the flower came from.

Species of this plant can be found in the wild in the most different places, and even in the savannah of Africa. Moreover, they can be found on mountain slopes up to the Alpine belt. For example, the Kenyan species grows even at an altitude of 4200 m above sea level.

Appearance various types, of course, diverse. St. John's wort can be a shrub, low grass, or upright subshrub various sizes, almost spread out or creeping. They can also be either deciduous or evergreen. Some short trees are even known to science. Almost all types of St. John's wort grow intensively, bloom well and do not freeze only in the subtropical and warm temperate zones. Therefore, to grow them on the site, you need to know whether the selected species is suitable for the existing climate.

St. John's wort can often be found in the forest and on garden plots. This herb is widely known for its healing properties, so it is readily planted on personal plots. St. John's wort is a herbaceous perennial with smooth, straight stems up to 80 cm high. St. John's wort leaves grow upward relative to the ground and are penetrated by numerous glands. St. John's wort flowers have a golden yellow hue and are covered with reddish dots. St. John's wort grows well in soils with a light texture, so you can add some sand and manure to the bed before planting it. This is done a month before sowing, giving the soil time to acquire the necessary beneficial qualities. St. John's wort seeds germinate when the soil temperature reaches 50° C. The first shoots appear in the third week from the moment of planting, but they are not viable enough for independent existence, so during the first year they should be closely monitored and well cared for. St. John's wort begins to bloom in the second year of its existence, when it acquires the necessary resistance to the environment. St. John's wort should be planted early spring or before the onset of winter. St. John's wort is best sown in even rows along the perimeter of the site on the south side. To do this, create a narrow bed on which the seeds are laid out without subsequent leveling. In spring, sowing is done with germinated seeds, and when planting in autumn, it is better to keep them in a dried state. For St. John's wort, winter sowing is most suitable, since the sprouts appear in the garden two weeks earlier than those planted in the spring, and are more viable in comparison. Some time after the first shoots appear, the bed-strip of St. John's wort must be thoroughly weeded, since weeds can choke its thin shoots. It is best to collect St. John's wort at the time of general flowering. garden plants. When harvesting, the top of the stem and flowers with unopened buds are cut off from this medicinal plant. The length of the cut stem should not exceed 30 cm. After harvesting, the resulting stems and flowers should be laid out in dry and warm places for further distribution and drying. A month after the first collection, you can repeat this process. St. John's wort, dried and ready for use, can be stored in barns or attics for three years from the date of harvest.

For growing St. John's wort shrub in middle lane Several species have been identified in Russia.

For example, St. John's wort Kalma (Hypericum kalmianum) And St. John's wort (Hypericum densiflorum). The first grows in the central, and the second in the eastern states of North America. They differ in the height of the bush. Densely flowering reaches height at 3 m, and Kalma – about 1 m. Each species has dark green foliage with a bluish coating, leathery to the touch. St. John's wort flowers of a golden yellow hue are collected in dense corymbose inflorescences. They appear in mid-summer and open until autumn.

St. John's wort berries in the photo

There are species that are relatively stable. They must be planted in places protected from cold winds, and in winter their root system must be covered with spruce branches or leaves. If the temperature drops below 25 degrees, then these measures will no longer be enough and the plant may die.

St. John's wort (Hypericum olimpicum)

The most a prominent representative of these species is St. John's wort (Hypericum olimpicum). His homeland is Türkiye and Bulgaria. This is a dwarf creeping deciduous shrub with drooping branches. Its leaves are 4 cm long, bluish opposite, elliptical, thin and leathery. The flowers are collected in bunches and have a lemon-yellow or sometimes reddish tint. The shape is star-shaped. Moreover, this species has a separate variety, “Citrinum,” which has flowers up to 3.5 cm in diameter.

Subshrub 15-35 cm high. The root system is strong, but not deep. The leaves are linear-elliptical, glaucous. The flowers are large (up to 5 cm in diameter), yellow, collected in apical semi-umbrellas. Blooms in July-August. In culture since 1706. Easily propagated by seeds, pre-sowing treatment not required. The seedlings are small, but develop quickly. Flowering occurs in 2-3 years. Vegetatively propagated by division and root cuttings in the spring. It does not require transplantation for many years, but tolerates it easily. It is undemanding to soil, but prefers loam. Requires a sunny location, does not bloom in shaded and cold places. Drought-resistant, does not tolerate waterlogging. Winter-hardy with good drainage.

Seeds germinate in light, in warmth at 10 - 30 °C. Laboratory germination 90%. Stratification at 2 - 4 °C accelerates germination and increases germination. Embedment depth c. 0.3 - 0.4 cm.

His homeland is the Caucasus. Long golden stamens protrude from its yellow star-shaped flowers. Its fleshy fruits, boxes of a bright red hue, are also famous for their extraordinary beauty. During ripening they turn black. In the wild, you can also find a form with white-pink foliage, thanks to which it was possible to create varieties with golden yellow and dark purple leaves.

It grows in Transcaucasia and Crimea. It's short and evergreen shrub, which does not exceed 20-60 cm in height. But its feature is large golden-yellow single flowers up to 8 cm in diameter. Its foliage is leathery, dark green and shiny. The value of this decorative species also increases due to the long flowering period that occurs from July to September.

Also found in nature individual species St. John's wort, which are quite demanding environment. Their decorative properties can only be fully observed in the south. For example, this is the prostrate, dwarf, evergreen leathery St. John's wort (Hypericum coris). It does not exceed 45 cm in height. The foliage is linear and small with a bluish tint. The golden-yellow petals have a red tint visible along the veins. This species is ideal for dry rocky screes and rockeries. Subshrub up to 50 cm tall. The leaves are evergreen, leathery, elliptical or oblong. The flowers are large, solitary, 6-8 cm in diameter, with numerous stamens. Blooms in July - September. In culture since 1676. It has a decorative variety "Citrinum" - with lemon-yellow flowers.

Seeds germinate in light, in warmth at 10 - 30 °C. Laboratory germination 80%. Stratification at 2 - 4 °C accelerates germination and increases germination. Embedment depth c. 0.2 - 0.3 cm.

In the 19th century, a hybrid species was bred - Moser's St. John's wort. This shrub reaches 30-50 cm in height and has arched, drooping red shoots with greenish-blue leaves. The flowers reach 7 cm in diameter. Their pink or red stamens are of particular interest. This species of St. John's wort has a special variety "Tricolor", which is famous for the fact that on one plant the simultaneous existence of variously colored leaves is possible: pink, cream and green.

Hypericum nummularioides var. pumila

Rare plant. Semi-ampelous petrophyte. Most dwarf species St. John's wort is the only one known to me in the Caucasus. It is also distinguished by the special smell of flowers, not similar to the smells of other St. John's worts, and not only them. Occasionally found in cracks in rocks of the Alpine mountain belt; altitude interval 2000-2500 m.a.s.l.

Stems are numerous, slightly branched from the base, woody in the lower part, 5-15, rarely 20, cm long. The leaves are oval, almost sessile, 5-10 mm. dl. and 4-8 mm. wide, bluish, with gaps in glands. Flowers 2-5 in the upper half-umbrellas. Sepals are broadly elliptical, obtuse, with dark glands along the edge. Petals are 3-4 times longer than the calyx, with scattered glands.

Old perennial curtains already represent a compacted turf intertwined with roots and form a cluster of shortened multi-flowered stems bearing an even larger number of flowers; and this parade lasts for two weeks, or even three. Flowering in mid-summer.
In the conditions of the middle zone, the seeds ripen well and self-sow. Any substrate with good, but special organic matter (old birch bark).

Growing and care: St. John's wort can grow on both sandy and loamy soils. They must be sufficiently moistened and drained. The landing site should be sunny and well protected from northern, cold winds. For the winter, the roots should be covered with spruce branches or dry leaves. IN spring period It is recommended to trim dead shoots. The flowers of the plant are formed on the young shoots of the current year. These shrubs are not so durable and in the middle zone they will have to be renewed after 7-10 years, even with good care.

Location: prefer open places; St. John's wort and St. John's wort tolerate partial shade.

Soil: They are undemanding to soil, but prefer soil that is not very heavy and moderately moist.

Reproduction: dividing the bush, cuttings and sowing seeds, which are best sown before winter in open ground. Young plants bloom in the second year. The bush is divided in early spring or autumn.

The most in an efficient way reproduction should be recognized as sowing seeds . St. John's wort does not need stratification (cold processing). The main feature is the need for light for germination. Sow seeds in a seedling box in early May and plant them directly into the garden bed in June. If it's dry hot weather shade while you adapt nonwoven materials or newspapers.

Don't forget about watering. By autumn you will receive standard planting material that will bloom on next year. It is necessary to plant in a permanent place in early spring.

In many areas, St. John's wort self-sows. To avoid it, cut the stems after flowering. Sometimes this causes a second wave of flowering, although you can only count on it in the southern regions.

The second method of propagation is cuttings . In mid-May (when the shoots have grown slightly), break them down to the ground and plant them in a shaded greenhouse for rooting.

Application in the garden:

Large St. John's wort is good for tapeworm, mixed borders or thickets; Olympic St. John's wort is traditionally cultivated in alpine hills. When planting, it is useful to mulch the soil between plants with pine bark or crushed stone, which prevents the growth of weeds.

St. John's wort relates well to both organic and mineral fertilizers , although he can do without them. St. John's wort can grow in some shade; other species are light-loving.

Usage: For mixed plantings, singly and in groups, near bushes and on rocky hills (low species).

Modern gardeners, with all the abundance of flower varieties, often use ornamental St. John's wort to decorate their plots. People search for and find different types of this beautiful shrub. This plant is favored by its extraordinary unpretentiousness; it is distributed almost everywhere. Planting and caring for the ornamental St. John's wort shrub is not difficult. It does not grow only in permafrost. There are more than 400 varieties; there are also several species that are of exceptional interest to gardeners for their lush and long flowering.

Preparation for planting ornamental St. John's wort in open ground

The most productive time is to sow ornamental shrubs in early spring. To do this, dried and stratified seeds are mixed with wet sand and allowed to sit in a cool place for at least a month (2-3 months is possible) before sowing. The fruit compartment in the refrigerator is great for storing seed.

Landing dates

For seed germination in spring, a stable above-zero temperature is sufficient - within 5–6°C. In central Russia this corresponds to the second half of April. This means that you need to start preparing the seeds no later than the second half of March, and preferably in the second half of January. They should be dried before sowing. The seeds will begin to grow vigorously at a temperature of 20–25°C. The plant can also be sown before winter. Depending on climate zone this can be done from September to November.

Landing place

Translated from Greek, the name of St. John's wort - Hypericaceae - sounds like “among the heathers”. Indeed, there are some similarities. The cultivated plant can be planted in any free area of ​​the garden where there are no weeds and plenty of sun. It also grows well between young trees and shrubs, and looks wonderful on a slope, in the front garden.

Lighting requirements. Despite their unpretentiousness, these colorful shrubs achieve optimal conditions in good light conditions. When choosing a place for sowing, you should pay attention to open, sunny areas.

Predecessors. As a perennial plant, St. John's wort can be easily grown in one place for 5 years or more. But every year the soil will be depleted. Therefore, it would be wiser to initially sow the crop in richly fertilized areas. The most successful areas are those after grain crops or those that were fallow (rested for one season). Or the plant is sown after another perennial crop. An indispensable condition for good growth and development of bushes ornamental St. John's wort- absence of weeds. Otherwise, young seedlings are quickly overwhelmed by weeds.

Soil preparation. St. John's wort grows well on black soil or sandy soils and does not like clayey, acidic and alkaline soils. Application organic fertilizers- humus, compost, a mixture of peat and compost - has a very good effect on the appearance and yield of the crop. About 5 kg of organic matter per square meter of land is enough. Fertilizer can be sprinkled both after sowing and during plowing. In the absence of organic fertilizers, it is allowed to enrich the soil with inorganic additives containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Before sowing, the designated area is carefully cultivated. The soil should have a fine-grained structure.

Preparation of planting material

St. John's wort is grown from seeds. You can purchase St. John's wort seed material at special retail outlets, at fairs, in pharmacy chains, or order it online. For pre-winter planting, dry material is used, without any admixture of river sand. For spring sowing, 1–3 months in advance, seed material must be mixed with raw river sand and store until sowing in a cool place. More hardened plants grow from winter crops. They have strong roots, allowing for stronger bushes.

Planting St. John's wort

Sowing is carried out in rows on the surface of compacted soil, then the seeds are sprinkled with river sand so that they are not blown away by the wind or washed away by rain. If possible, it is recommended to cover the plantings with a covering cloth until seedlings emerge.

A curious method of reproduction shrubby type plants - cuttings. It is quite suitable for use on a personal site. Cuttings are cut from a mature plant in the fall and kept in a container with water until roots form. Then the seedlings should be planted in pots with soil from equal parts sand and peat. In them, the bushes are left at home for the winter, and when stable warm days arrive, they can be planted on permanent place. It is advisable to pour a little organic matter into the holes. There is no need to deepen the root system, but you need to compact the soil tightly around the bush. Plants obtained using this method proper care bloom in the same season. IN further bushes remain in place for up to 5 years.

Shrub care

Planting and caring for the ornamental St. John's wort shrub is simple. Do not allow the soil to dry out and become overgrown with weeds.

Watering

St. John's wort crops are not afraid of heat, and they need to be watered only when the soil dries out. Overfilling of water is not permitted. If possible, it is advisable to organize drip irrigation. Increasing watering is justified only during long dry weather, but even in this case you should not flood the plantings, you just need to increase the frequency of watering. For better penetration of moisture, it is necessary to loosen the soil in time and prevent overgrowing by weeds.

Top dressing

To obtain colorful and lush bushes there is no need to fertilize the plantings during the season. If the soil was well prepared before sowing, then you can only limit yourself to watering and weeding.

But additional feeding can significantly affect the splendor of flowering and the size of the buds. In addition, fertilizer elements help increase immunity, and, as a result, the plant’s resistance to pests and diseases. For fertilizer you can use nitroammophoska. It is enough to add 800 g per hundred square meters.

It is necessary to take into account that the application of mineral fertilizers promotes richer flowering.

In moist soil, the granules will dissolve faster, and useful elements will reach the roots of the plant. Starting from the second year of cultivating a St. John's wort plantation, this fertilizing is mandatory, since the soil is depleted and the yield may decrease.

Trimming

It is recommended to prune St. John's wort bushes twice per season. During spring pruning, damaged, broken and frozen branches are cut out. This will not affect tillering. The bush will very quickly produce fresh shoots. Autumn pruning involves removing woody and damaged branches. The stems are shortened to prevent them from breaking under the weight of snow. The exception is bushes decorative varieties, which the gardener forms according to his own idea. In this case, depending on the remaining height of the bush, you will have to accept additional measures for its safety, for example, cover it with boxes or build a hut shelter.

Soil care and weeding

In the first year of cultivation special attention It is necessary to pay attention to timely weeding of plantings. The seedlings of the plant are very delicate, fragile, and it costs nothing for wild weeds to choke them out. When the seedlings become stronger, the second wave of weeds will no longer be able to displace them, but can prevent full growth and productivity. Therefore, weeding should be regular during the season. You shouldn’t overdo it either, to avoid damaging the roots. It is advisable to leave the cut grass in place - firstly, it helps retain moisture, and secondly, as it rots, it will serve as an additional organic fertilizer.

Pests and diseases

The bushes of the plant must be regularly inspected for infection with any disease or pest invasion. Although this plant is very resistant to all kinds of pests and diseases, sometimes they appear. There are several reasons:

• rare weeding of crops;
• insufficient watering;
• overflow of plantings.

The main diseases to which St. John's wort is exposed and the fight against them:

Rust. These are red spots on the leaves that are uncharacteristic for this type of plant. When detected, the affected leaves are immediately collected and burned, and the entire plant is treated with a pesticide, for example, Bordeaux mixture, "Agate".

Fungal infection Fusarium type, powdery mildew. In this case, the leaves and branches are covered with a fluffy gray-white coating. For treatment, after removing the affected parts, fungicides will also help. It could be the same Bordeaux mixture. Reason fungal disease Basically it is an overflow of water. The following harmful insects can attack St. John's wort:

• St. John's wort moth. It settles on the tops of branches and sucks out the juices of the plant, preventing buds from developing;
• leaf roller It lives on the leaves and, feeding on their juice, leads to the death of first the leaves, then the entire plant;
• thrips. Larvae and adults of the insect feed on the sap of the plant, which leads to premature withering of leaves and buds. If this scourge is detected, it is urgent to treat the crops with an insecticide.

Usage chemicals justified only in critical situations; it is undesirable to use them often - it can cause harm to health. Therefore, it is best to prevent such a situation from occurring. It is important to follow the recommendations for cultivating crops and conduct regular inspections of plantings to manually remove and burn affected parts of the plant.

Harvesting

Harvest during abundant flowering. The best time for the first collection is the end of June. After a month and a half, the time comes for the second cutting. Branches with leaves, buds and flowers are suitable for harvesting. The length of the branches is about 30 cm. They can be cut with pruning shears or a sickle.

The cut stems are immediately laid out to dry. A ventilated attic or terrace without direct sunlight is suitable for this. The optimal temperature for drying is about 30°C. The grass needs to be stirred during the drying process.

The readiness of the raw materials can be determined by light crumbling when pressing on the branches and leaves. Upon completion of the process, the raw materials are removed to a dry, ventilated place. The fee is retained until three years without losing its medicinal qualities.

Plant species

St. John's wort is a perennial plant, some species grow up to 1 meter, but there are also very short ones. There are more than 400 species of this herb. Many of them are medicinal, but most are decorative. The best of them are:

St. John's wort (Hypericum ascyron)

As the name suggests, the shrub reaches large sizes. At home, in the countries of Asia and the Far East, these perennials reach a height of 1.2 m. They differ from other species by large leaves (6–10 cm) in the shape of an egg, with a gray-blue color on the underside and large yellow flowers, collected in 3– 5 pieces at the tops of the stems.

St. John's wort (Hypericum nummularioides)

These tiny bushes are hanging, reaching a height of only about 10 cm. They grow mainly on rocky rocks. The bush is highly branched, the leaves are longitudinally oval, blue-gray, covered with glands. A group of 3–4 buds is located at the top of the branch.

St. John's wort (Hypericum calycinum)

The calyx species grows mainly in the Mediterranean and Transcaucasia. The bushes grow to a maximum of half a meter in height. The leaves are oblong-oval, the flowers are bright lemon, large (6–8 cm in diameter) with an abundance of stamens. Blooms profusely all summer.

St. John's wort (Hypericum x inodorum)

This variety of St. John's wort is considered decorative. What distinguishes it from its fellows are its large multi-colored fruits. A bush with yellow, pink, purple, burgundy and even black round fruits looks extremely picturesque.

St. John's wort (Hypericum androsaemum),

This species is native to the Caucasus, Western Europe and Siberia. It grows in mountainous areas, in forest clearings and grows up to 1 meter in height. Fruits - berries - are considered valuable from a decorative point of view. They appear on the bushes only in the third year of growth. Throughout the season, the fruits change color from green through red to black. The inconspicuous flowering lasts for three summer months.

St. John's wort (Hypericum patulum)

Spreading St. John's wort is widespread and popular in Southeast Asia. Abundantly branching bushes grow up to 1 meter. Mature branches have dark color, and young ones are greenish-reddish. The leaves are regular oval in shape, large, bright yellow flowers with numerous stamens. The bushes bloom throughout the two summer months.

St. John's wort (Hypericum olimpicum)

A low bush, about 20 cm in height. Longitudinal oval leaves of light cornflower blue color. Half-umbrellas consist of several buds located at the top of the stem. The root system is creeping and powerful. The variety has been cultivated since the 17th century.

Gebler's wort (Hypericum gebleri)

In its natural environment, the plant is found in Asian countries and Far East. This is a branched bush 1 meter high. Flowers appear two years after planting. The leaves are oval, the flowers are canary yellow and medium-sized. Large quantity short stamens in the middle of the bud give the bud an indescribable charm. Blooms in June-August. It does not tolerate cold weather, so it needs shelter for a good wintering.

Also popular:

• decorative species of Hidcote St. John's wort. Lush shrub with long flowering in summer;
• wild species of plant - gooker. Tall bush with short flowering. Afraid of frost, needs shelter in winter.

Properties of St. John's wort

St. John's wort stands out for its properties among medicinal plants. For several centuries it has been successfully used as an antibacterial and antiseptic, analgesic and restorative, diuretic and strengthening medicine.

Useful properties

The benefits of using St. John's wort are due to the content in its composition:

• ascorbic acid;
• nicotinic acid;
• saponins;
• carotene;
• cetyl alcohol;
• sugars;
• tocopherol;
• hypericin;
• phytoncides;
• essential oils.

Extracts and decoctions of the herb are used to help with rheumatism, non-healing wounds, cholelithiasis, to treat a diseased liver, for diseases of the genitourinary system, to stop bleeding, for diarrhea, and so on. It’s not for nothing that they say that St. John’s wort can cure 99 diseases.

Recently, scientists discovered another property of the plant. It has an antidepressant effect on the body and has a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous system. At the same time, it has no negative side effects like chemicals.

Plant raw materials are also used in cosmetology. According to reviews, rinsing hair with St. John's wort infusion, masks and wraps with it help fight dandruff and excess oily hair. Masks with a decoction combat age-related laxity of the facial skin. Infusions of water and decoctions of medicinal herbs are mainly used for treatment. They also make tinctures with alcohol. St. John's wort is also added to various herbal mixtures to expand the range of applications.

Contraindications

In front of everyone beneficial properties The medicinal herb also has contraindications. Its use is contraindicated for high blood pressure. Not recommended for use in the treatment of pregnant women. It is necessary to observe the duration of taking drugs based on St. John's wort. Excessively long use can provoke allergic reactions and even diseases of some organs. Abuse of the drug can result in a decrease in potency in males. True, this is a passing effect. Everything will be restored within a certain time after stopping taking it.

When consuming decoctions of this herb, you should avoid direct sunlight; St. John's wort enhances the reaction of the epithelium to ultraviolet radiation.

The name of the herb is St. John's wort, that is, it kills animals. There is an opinion that albino animals can die from the sun when eating this plant.

The medicinal properties of St. John's wort have pushed humanity towards its industrial cultivation to obtain raw materials. Its wild species are also collected and bred on personal lands. Easy to grow, this herb gives people the opportunity to maintain health without resorting to chemicals. And flowering bushes will not only be a green pharmacy for you, but also a decoration for your garden.

St. John's wort belongs to a fairly common family. Today, experts have carried out a detailed description of more than 300 different types of St. John's wort. All plants in this family are perennial, and usually look like grass or a small bush. There are also plants of this family in the form of small trees.

General characteristics

St. John's wort is a stem or several branches branched at the top, growing from a thin rhizome with weak branching. The plant, as a rule, does not grow higher than half a meter, has spotted opposite leaves, densely dotted with oil glands, thanks to which the leaves appear transparent in the light. The plane of the leaves is green in color, and the edges are shaded with a black edging. St. John's wort blooms with five-petaled bright yellow flowers, collected in inflorescences in the shape of a panicle or brush.

St. John's wort.

St. John's wort is of particular value for pharmaceuticals. It contains a number of useful substances:

• Flavonoids;
• Saponins;
• Essential oils;
• Carotene;
• Ascorbic acid;
• Natural dyes and tannins.

And this is just a small number of useful components, in large quantities contained in the plant, so St. John's wort is suitable even for industrial cultivation. On special farms, St. John's wort is grown and extracts are made from its parts, which are then widely used in pharmaceuticals, both traditional and folk.

Breeding St. John's wort at home

The species diversity of the plant allows it to survive in almost every corner of the planet. There is a choice in our latitudes, but still, undisputed leader– St. John's wort, also known as common St. John's wort, also has the maximum number of medicinal qualities. In view of the latter, St. John's wort is often grown in garden plots and even at home. In addition to its healing properties, homemade St. John's wort brings a special decorative effect to the room.

Planting a plant

There are two ways to plant St. John's wort - spring and winter.

In early spring, it is worth planting only prepared seed material that has undergone stratification:

• A month before planting, the seed material is placed in sandy-peat soil and stored in a cool place with a temperature of about +5°C, for example, in a refrigerator - not in the freezer;
• With the arrival of spring, seeds are sown to a depth of half a centimeter in the ground for permanent residence - in rows, with a distance of about half a meter between them.

The germination time of such crops usually falls within a month, but only if the stratification has been completed. If you plant unprepared seeds in the spring, they will sprout only in the second year and not earlier.

When sowing in winter, the seeds are not buried in the ground - they are sown on its surface.

Many gardeners are of the opinion, and not without reason, that it is better to sow St. John's wort in the winter, since when planted in spring, the seeds germinate much later than the weeds, and this makes caring for the plants difficult.

Sowing care

At first, the planted area needs to be covered with film, which will create something like a greenhouse - more favorable conditions for seed germination. As the shoots appear and develop, special attention should be paid to removing weeds and regulating the density of seedlings in the rows. The optimal row spacing is considered to be 15 centimeters, and the spaces between them are weeded, removing excess shoots along with weeds.

Garden St. John's wort grows very slowly in the first year of life and requires especially careful care of the soil - it must be loosened all the time. Starting from the second year, care consists of spring harrowing of the soil, pruning dead areas of the plant and removing weeds. During the active growing season of St. John's wort, you need to regularly loosen the soil and ensure that there are no weeds.

Watering

With the arrival of spring, the first thing you need to do is cut off the remains of last year’s plant stems and remove the weeds. It is advisable not to use special chemistry, killing weeds. It will be enough to pull out the weeds and shovel the rows with a hoe. When loosening the soil, it is disrupted root system weeds and their growth is greatly reduced.

Only after completing this procedure can you begin to water St. John's wort. There are no special conditions here - the next watering is carried out as needed, that is, after the soil dries. During particularly dry and hot periods, you need to slightly increase the frequency of watering, but not their volume. This means that you should not flood the area once until a swamp forms; it is better to do it little by little, but often.

Top dressing

Since St. John's wort is a perennial plant, it is grown in one place for more than one year, depleting the soil, and this leads to a decrease in yield. Therefore, it is advisable to fertilize with organic fertilizers from time to time.

Reaping the benefits

St. John's wort can be collected already in the second year of the plant's life. Assembly can be carried out with pruning shears, a sickle and even a scythe, cutting top part stems along with foliage, flowers and buds. It is customary to cut at least 25 centimeters, but no more than 30. After harvesting, it is immediately sent to dry, otherwise it will most likely disappear - it will turn black and rot.

Harvesting begins during the flowering period of St. John's wort. The first such period occurs at the end of June, beginning of July, and after a month and a half, the plant blooms again and the harvest can again be harvested.

When grown industrially, St. John's wort gives the first harvest of about 20 centners per hectare, and already in the third year the yield doubles - to 40.

The harvested crop must be properly preserved - dried. This is best done in hot, +50°C, shaded rooms with high-quality ventilation. The process is monitored by examining and feeling the stems. When they look dry and break easily, the process can be considered complete. In this state, the raw material can retain its properties for up to three years, but only if stored correctly - in a dry, ventilated place with a temperature range from -5°C to +25°C.

St. John's wort in pharmacology and folk medicine

St. John's wort is simply a storehouse of useful substances that have a wide range of healing abilities:

This is not a complete list of ways to use drugs based on St. John's wort. It is successfully used in the treatment of both simple colds and mild flu, as well as more serious ailments such as rheumatism, heart disease, wide-spectrum genitourinary problems and others.

It is worth special mentioning the peculiarities of St. John's wort influence on nervous system. Certain drugs based on it can normalize the psycho-emotional state and even lift a person out of deep depression.

Another feature of St. John's wort is the extremely small number of contraindications to its use for medicinal purposes.

Pharmacological components of St. John's wort

To make it easier to understand why this plant occupies so much medical attention, let’s try to break it down. Each substance that the plant is rich in leads to a specific effect, confirmed by modern pharmacology:

• Vitamin E helps remove free radicals that are harmful to health from the body;
• The tanning components of St. John's wort have an anti-inflammatory effect, which means they promote better wound healing;
• Carotene intensifies the body's defense reactions to harmful microorganisms and is indispensable for the regeneration of skin cells and eye tissues;
• Vitamins of group C help maintain normal bone and cartilage tissues, strengthen the immune system and even have pronounced anti-cancer properties;
• Rutin and Hyperoside restore damaged tissue of the vascular walls and strengthen healthy ones;
• Phytonicides, having pronounced antimicrobial properties, are essentially natural antibiotics.

And of course, components with antidepressant properties that normalize mood - Hyperforin and Hypericin. These substances cope with the problem, at least no worse than artificial ones, and they do not lead to drowsiness, lethargy and do not lower the threshold of muscle reaction, which allows you to take them without fear even while driving a car.

Such popular drugs as Nergustin and Gelarium Hypericum are prepared based on extracts from St. John's wort.

Recipes based on St. John's wort

Let us describe several of the most popular methods of treatment with this “miracle” plant.

Acne is cured!

In adolescence, problems with acne often appear. They can be completely solved with the help of St. John's wort tincture. It is prepared like this: add a glass of boiling water to a tablespoon of washed dry herb and leave for 20 minutes. After this, the infusion is cooled, filtered through gauze and wiped with it on problem areas of the skin.

This wiping will be effective if done daily before bed after washing. After the procedure, you do not need to wet or wash your face - let the infusion dry and leave overnight.

Problems with oily skin - St. John's wort will help

Prepare a decoction of two tablespoons of dry herbs poured with a glass of boiling water. Boil the broth over low heat for 10 minutes, then cool and strain. The decoction is used in almost the same way as in the previous case - wipe the skin with it overnight, and after drying, rinse with cold water. No need to rub - just rinse.

Another recipe is a mask. To prepare it, take 2 tablespoons of the herb, pour 4 tablespoons of boiling water and grind thoroughly, then leave until the resulting mixture cools. This product is used by applying it to the face in the form of a mask for about 15 minutes, followed by rinsing with water. room temperature. This remedy is quite powerful, so it should not be used more than 2 times a week.

Chronic suppuration of the skin

To solve the problem, you can try rubbing the affected areas of the skin three times daily with a decoction of St. John's wort. Lightly wring out the gauze or cotton wool soaked in the broth and wipe the sore area, then take a new cotton wool and repeat the procedure on next section. You should not treat an area larger than 3 centimeters at a time - you can transfer the infection.

Non-healing cracks in the skin

With such problems, baths with a decoction of St. John's wort help well. It is prepared by boiling 16 tablespoons of herbs in two liters of boiling water over low heat for five minutes. This entire broth is cooled to a temperature of approximately 40 - 45 ° C and poured into a medium-sized basin. The feet are kept in the broth until it cools.

This procedure, if carried out daily, significantly facilitates the healing process.

Cosmetology

In addition to its healing properties, St. John's wort has a good cosmetic effect, so it is often used to make tonic creams and compositions for the care of aging skin, as well as to solve problems with:

• Acne;
• Wrinkles and sagging skin;
• Oily skin and baldness;
• Herpes, fungal and pustular microulcers.

St. John's wort is also widely used in the manufacture detergents, for example, shampoos, soaps or dishwashing gels.

Recently, many people have been trying to replace traditional pills and injections with therapy using. One of the most medicinal herbs is St. John's wort; it is increasingly grown. St. John's wort is unpretentious and can produce a good harvest even with minimal care.

Description

St. John's wort has long been known for its medicinal properties. The slightly strange name for this is due to the fact that its consumption by herbivores can cause illness, weakness, and even.

Predecessors

The best option areas that were fallow are suitable for planting, but few people can afford such luxury. St. John's wort grows well after well-fertilized row crops and fallow winter crops.

Location and lighting

This medicinal herb loves the sun, so for planting the crop, preference should be given to open areas - this can be either the perimeter of the garden house.
The crop also grows well between young rows. In general, any piece of land cleared of and with a good level of natural light will do for this.

Soil

St. John's wort does not like clayey, aluminous, and alkaline soils; this culture feels best in black soil and sandy soils.

The crop grows well in moderately fertilized soils; preference should be given - 4–5 kg of humus per square meter will be enough; you can apply it both during and after digging up the soil.
You can fertilize the soil with peat compost at the rate of 2–3 kg per square meter. Inorganic ones will also work. complex fertilizers, saturated , .

Did you know? Latin name Nurericum translates as "among the heathers", and the most common is Nurericum perforatum - St. John's wort, characterized by small spots on the leaves that can be seen by looking at them through sunlight.

Sowing seeds

St. John's wort, like most other medicinal herbs, is grown from seeds. The seeds are very small, 3–4 kg is enough to sow a whole hectare. It is recommended to sow St. John's wort before winter or early spring.

It is important to maintain a row spacing of 40–45 cm; seeds are applied superficially, without embedding.
If you plant St. John's wort in the spring, then preference should be given to seeds; winter sowing is carried out with dry seeds. Buying seed material is not a problem now; you can do this in specialized stores, markets, pharmacies and even on Internet sites.

When stratifying (long-term aging of seeds), it is advisable to mix the seed with sand, keep it in the cold for 2-3 months, and dry it to a free-flowing state before sowing it in the ground.

Important! St. John's wort is rich in vitamin C, contains carotene, essential oils and tannins, resinous substances. Medicines made on its basis have bactericidal, astringent and hemostatic properties, promote tissue regeneration and rapid wound healing. This plant is popularly called a “remedy for 99 diseases.”

Crop care

Grains begin to germinate already at a temperature of 5–6 °C, optimal temperature for this crop is 20–25 °C.
It is very important to care for seedlings in the early stages, while the plants are not yet strong; care should be especially meticulous in the first month after germination from the ground.

Did you know? There are cases where St. John's wort helped save people with burns on 2/3 of the body surface.

Watering

Sowing is necessary, especially if it is cultivated in arid and hot climates. The system will help reduce costs to a minimum. It is important to avoid cases of excessive soil moisture; St. John's wort does not like this.

Top dressing

In order for the harvest to be good, it is enough to properly prepare the soil before planting; this crop does not need additional fertilizer.
But if you want to get a guaranteed excellent harvest, then you can feed this medicinal herb; this is best suited for this. mineral fertilizer in granules, it should be added to the soil at the rate of 8 g per 1 sq. m. The optimal period for fertilizing the land is early spring; at this time, St. John's wort should not yet have flowers.