Worth knowing:
The Common Valerian is the classical medicinal herb against nervousness, sleep disturbances or general restlessness. In ancient Greece it was considered a universal remedy, but it took until the end of the 18th century that physicians discovered the calming and soporific effects of the herb. The Common Valerian is a perennial plant that grows up to 100 cm tall and produces during blossoming, from July until September, numerous small, light pink to white coloured blossoms. Its valuable roots spring from a short, plumb, grey-brown root stock and grow up to 20 cm long and 2 to 5 cm thick.
Natural Location:
The wild variety of the Common Valerian has its natural habitat in Europe and the temperate regions of Asia, where it grows often in moist and shaded locations.
Cultivation:
The best time for seeding outdoors would be in March and April. The seeds can be spread directly on the garden bed or a tub. The Common Valerian is a light germinator and the seeds should only slightly be pressed onto the potting compost or herbal soil. Seed propagation indoors is possible throughout the year. Cover the seed container with clear film to prevent the earth from drying out, but don’t forget to make some holes in the clear film and take it every second or third day completely off for about 2 hours. That way you avoid mold formation on your potting compost. Place the seed container somewhere bright and warm with a temperature between 20°C and 25°Celsius and keep the earth – for instance with a water sprayer – moist, but not wet. For direct seeding or repotting the seedlings after pricking out, you should choose a broad pot for cultivation since the roots of the plant grow rather wide than deep.
Place:
The Common Valerian can grow in sunny or half-shaded places and almost every type of soil, but it prefers moist and swampy locations.
Care:
The Common Valerian is rather easy to cultivate and doesn’t need any special care. The earth should always be kept slightly moist. The root can be used from the second year on. You can harvest the blossoms in July and August, and the roots in October. Just remove the fibres and dry the somewhat sniffy roots somewhere cool and airy for about three months. The blossoms are always to be dried as well and will fall apart while handling.
During the winter:
The Common Valerian is fully frost-hard and doesn’t need any special protection during winter.
Picture credits:
- © © AnRo0002 - CC0 - http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © AnRo0002 - CC0 - http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
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