- Growing Valerian: How to grow it successfully
- Medicinal Valerian: Harvesting and Storage
- Use of valerian: ingredients and effects
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Medicinal valerian is one of the best plants that is effective in restlessness and sleep disorders. We show how it grows magnificently in every garden!
The true medicinal valerian (Valeriana officinalis) belongs to the honeysuckle family (Capricoliaceae ). Lamb's lettuce (Valerianella) is a famous member of the same plant family and is therefore closely related to valerian. With a height of one to 2 m, the hardy herb towers over many other colleagues in the local herb garden. Valerian is native to Europe and western Asia. The above-ground parts of the plant die off in winter and the robust perennial overwinters in the form of rhizomes in the ground. Rhizomes are subterranean shoots that are mainly used for propagation but also for overwintering.
Because of the idiosyncratic smell, there are a number of myths surrounding valerian. A valerian bouquet hung in the door frame like a mistletoe should keep evil spirits away. However, if you place it in the beehive, it should prevent the loss of the bee colony and even attract more. In the Middle Ages, if an executioner was too delicate, he managed to chew the valerian rhizome: because the herb was said to arouse anger, so that the executioner no longer felt pity for the culprit. The Pied Piper of Hamelin, on the other hand, carried valerian with him to lure the rats out of their holes with the unpleasant smell. So there are a lot of stories and myths about the herb. Surely you don't want to try everything to find out which ones are true and which ones aren't. It is true, however, that valerian helps with restlessness and sleep disorders. You can also use it in the kitchen despite its strong smell. We show how you can grow this versatile herb in your own garden.
Synonyms: cat weed, stinkroot, witch weed
Growing Valerian: How to grow it successfully
Location
A sunny location is ideal for valerian, but it is also satisfied with partial shade. It does well on a rather moist soil. However, this should not be wet ortend to waterlogging; this is not good for valerian either. Due to this preference, valerian is often found in the wild at the edges of water. If the subsoil is heavy (e.g. clay soil), it is advisable to loosen it up with sand. This favors the formation of the fine roots and rhizome. After the valerian has been harvested, it is essential to carry out a change of location for the next year (of course only if another year of cultivation is desired). If valerian is repeatedly cultivated in the same place, this promotes the infestation of typical diseases. Neither valerian nor the closely related lamb's lettuce should be grown there for four to five years.
Particularly because of the high water requirement and the formation of the rhizomes, the pot used when growing valerian in pots should be large enough. If only a small root space is available, a lot has to be watered on the one hand, on the other hand the coveted rhizomes of the valerian remain smaller and not as much can be harvested.
Reproduction
The most common way to multiply valerian yourself is by sowing. It is best to sow the seeds in March or early April. Direct sowing outdoors is too risky due to the impending frost, so it is better to put them in the seed box on the windowsill. Valerian is a light germ. If the seed is covered with soil, this makes the already very lengthy germination of the seeds more difficult. Therefore, only press the seed slightly and make sure that it remains evenly moistened. It takes four to six weeks for the first seedlings to appear, even if it is warm at home.
Tip: It is best to always use fresh seed from the previous year. Valerian loses its ability to germinate very quickly the longer it is stored. Then it takes even longer for the seeds to germinate or, in the worst case, nothing sprout at all.
Valerian reproduces almost by itself thanks to its rhizome. Therefore, when planting out in the bed, care should be taken to ensure that there is sufficient space between the individual plants. So they still have enough space to spread out and develop.
Watering and fertilizing
Since the valerian also feels more comfortable in areas with a little more water, it must also be supplied with water regularly and consistently. Drought is not good for the medicinal herb. Drought lasting several days can even make him so badadd that he does not survive the dry spell. Also, the root system does not reach deep enough into the soil to reach deep-lying water reserves.
If the valerian is planted in soil rich in humus, no further fertilization is required. When cultivating in a pot, however, it can be advantageous to fertilize occasionally. A primarily organic long-term fertilizer such as our Plantura organic universal fertilizer works for three months and also stimulates soil life.
Maintenance
Valerian itself does not require any special care. In winter, no protective measures against frost need to be taken. The above-ground parts of the plant die off in autumn. The winter enduring rhizome in the ground withstands frost with ease.
Occasionally, however, valerian can be attacked by pests. Aphids should be best simply rinsed off. If the plants are too dense, it can also happen that a whitish lawn of fungi forms on the upper side of the leaves. That's powdery mildew. In this case, the plants should be planted further apart and, if additional fertilization was used, the additional nutrients should be stopped.
Check out our guide to growing valerian for even more tips and tricks!
Medicinal Valerian: Harvesting and Storage
The root or rhizome is of primary interest. This contains the effective essential oils and other components in high concentrations. In order to be able to bring in a bountiful harvest, it is advisable to dig up the roots only in the second year of life of the plant. It is then slowly dried, during which the characteristic odor develops. The dried rhizome can be stored for several months.
The ripe seeds can not only be sown in the next year, but also used like the root. After the inflorescences have matured and turned brown, they are cut off and dried. The seeds can then be easily removed.
You can find more about the harvest, storage and effects of valerian here.
Use of valerian: ingredients and effects
Valerian is rich in effective essential oils, especially in the underground rhizome, but also in the seeds. The alkaloids it contains create an odor that is distinctive for cats and have a stimulating effect on them, similar to catnip. The dried rhizomes are among the most commonly used herbal active ingredientsas a sedative for restlessness or insomnia. Dried, it can be administered in different ways: as a tea or tincture, or in the form of tablets or capsules. Valerian preparations should not be given to children due to the unknown effect on the child's organism.
But valerian finds its way into the kitchen more often than you think. Valerian extract is used in the food industry to add apple flavor to ice cream or pastries. The young sprouting herb in spring can be processed very well in a salad with its close relative - lamb's lettuce.
Valerian is a tried and tested medicinal plant that is still widely used medicinally today. Countless myths have grown up around the idiosyncratic smell, but this herb has earned a place in the home garden thanks to its versatile uses and ornamental flowers.