Yarrow: cultivation, reproduction, use in garden design, medicinal properties

Yarrow is a plant that is not only cultivated in gardens, but also grows in the wild in meadows, steppes and forests. The thing is that The plant easily adapts to various conditions and is completely unpretentious. Since ancient times, its medicinal properties are known, in today cultural varieties are used in landscape design. Therefore, to grow the yarrow alone will not be difficult.

Growing yarrow from seed

How to reproduce yarrow is an ambiguous question. But experts agree that new varieties should be planted with seeds, and then propagated by dividing the bush. The fact is that seed reproduction through the collection of their own planting material does not preserve the properties of the parent plant. This is especially true for terry varieties.

Since the plant has a long growing season, Sowing yarrow on seedlings carried out in late winter, around the end of February. To do this, you need to find a shallow box and fill it with a soil mixture: sand and fine-grained substrate in equal proportions. Since the roots of the plant are thin, similar to threads, drainage is not required.

Seeds, especially very small, are sown to a depth of no more than 2 cm, preferably at a distance of 3 - 5 cm from each other. The wells are sprinkled with soil and moistened with a spray bottle. It is important that during this procedure they do not wash to the surface and do not plunge deeper. On the box, you need to stretch a transparent film or put glass to create a microclimate inside. Then it is placed in a warm place that is well lit.

Yarrow does not sprout for long, growing from seeds takes about 10 to 12 days. It is necessary to dive the plant, only in this way the root system is strengthened and the growth of the yarrow is stimulated. But this should be done carefully, as the shoots themselves are very fragile.A dive is conducted after the sprouts appear on the first true leaf. Each sprout is planted in a peat cup with a light substrate. Watering seedlings should be about two times a week.

Around the end of April, the yarrow is ready for planting in open ground, since the seedlings reach 10 to 12 cm in height. By this time, the ground should warm up enough and the danger of return frost will pass.

For transplanting, it is necessary to make holes up to 10 cm deep, in which peat cups are placed one by one. Planted plants should be sprinkled with earth and water.

Yarrow Bushes Division

Yarrow - a perennial plant, so it is often bred by dividing the bush. Especially because you can save all its decorative properties.It is possible and necessary to divide bushes every 2 - 3 years, otherwise the bush will collapse, and the plant will quickly grow old.

The procedure is carried out in spring or autumn. In the latter case, this should be done no later than September, otherwise the bush may not settle down. During the landing of the divided parts, they are deepened into the ground a little more compared to how they had previously grown into a solid shrub.

Try to avoid self-seeding, especially decorative varieties. Over time, they pereopolyatsya and degenerate.

The combination of yarrow with other plants

Unpretentiousness and a variety of flower tones are appreciated by landscape designers and willingly grow it in gardens, using it in various compositions. Today, a huge variety of plant varieties has been developed, which differ not only in the tone of inflorescences, but also in the height of the stem. The use of yarrow in the garden is to land it in mixborders, as well as framed curbs. It is grown for cutting, dried and used in compositions of dried flowers.

It is also planted for the purpose of healing the neighboring plants. Yarrow is able to extract sulfur from the soil, scare away pests and serve as a preventive tool for various diseases.

Yellow varieties of plants blend well with warm hues and blues, as well as those with silvery foliage. If your yarrow has a delicate color of flowers, plant it with plants of the same shades and with a bronze color of foliage. Bright varieties perfectly shaded by blue and purple flowers with silver or purple foliage.

Yarrow care

As already stated Yarrow - an unpretentious plant, so care for him is simple. It will not require regular feeding, frequent watering, loosening the soil and weeding.The only thing is that on extremely hot days it is impossible to allow the soil to dry out, therefore the soil around the trunk is moistened.

If the yarrow had to be planted on poor soil, or the choice of a place for planting turned out to be unsuccessful can be guided by such recommendations for the care of him:

• to feed, but not more often than 1 - 2 times per season;
• remove dry buds at the end of flowering, it will improve the decorative characteristics of the plant;
• in hot climates and in dry days it is necessary to water the yarrow once a week, in other cases it should be done much less often;
• when cold weather comes, the plant is cut off, leaving stems 10-15 cm high, and in very cold climates they cover the roots with dry leaves.

Medicinal properties of yarrow

In addition to outstanding decorative qualities, the plant has healing properties and some contraindications. So, the infusion of it normalizes the work of the heart, lowers blood pressure.Broth due to the spicy bitter taste stimulates salivation, outflow of bile, extinguishes flatulence. Yarrow herb is used as a bactericidal, antihistamine, anti-inflammatory agent. This is due to the presence of chamazulene and essential oils in its composition.

Many flavonoids, azulenes and tannins have been found in the grass, which have a wound-healing effect. By the way, often ask the question, what is useful yarrow for women. Achilles in its composition helps blood coagulate, providing a hemostatic effect, which is very important with heavy menstruation. Although along with hemostatic effects, it contributes to the reduction of the uterus. Achilles also increases the secretion of the stomach.

Preparations based on the yarrow are used to relax the smooth muscles of the intestine, biliary and urinary tract. Thus, they relieve spasms in the intestine, partly relieve pain, increase diuresis and bile secretion. True, it can not be used during pregnancy, high blood clotting.

Yarrow has beneficial properties and contraindications for men. Adding a plant to ordinary tea helps to relieve pain in case of prostatitis, and in mild form it can even reduce inflammation.

Numerous useful properties of yarrow in combination with amazing unpretentiousness and remarkable decorative characteristics make This plant is simply indispensable in every garden.