Recently, many people are trying to replace traditional pills and injections for therapy with the help of medicinal herbs. One of the most healing herbs is St. John's wort, it is increasingly being grown by summer residents. St. John's wort is unpretentious and even with minimal care is able to give a good harvest.
- Description
- Where to plant St. John's wort
- Predecessors
- Location and lighting
- The soil
- Sowing seeds
- Care of crops
- Watering
- Top dressing
- Soil care and weeding
- Harvest
Description
Hypericum is known for its healing properties for a long time. The name of this plant is a little strange because its consumption by herbivores can cause ailments, weakness and even animal diseases. 
This grass is a perennial, outwardly, this culture looks like a small shrub with yellow flowers, which can be either single or collected in inflorescences.
Science knows several dozen varieties of this medicinal herb, the most common of which are St. John's wort treelike, common, spotted, cup-shaped and spreading. Since ancient times, people have harvested this healing grass in the meadows and fields, forest edges and on the roadsides.
Where to plant St. John's wort
St. John's wort - the culture is quite unpretentious, the place for its landing, choose based on the characteristics of the landscape of their land. 
It is inappropriate to allocate the best beds for this crop; any unused patches of land with a good level of solar illumination are suitable for this.
It is best to plant this healing herb in a flower bed; St. John's wort is essentially an ornamental shrub, planting and caring for which is not much different from similar actions for flowers.
Predecessors
The best option for landing are areas that were fallow, but few can afford this luxury. Hypericum grows well after well-fertilized row crops and winter crops, steaming.
Location and lighting
This medicinal herb loves the sun, so for planting a crop, preference should be given to open areas - this can be either a flower bed or the perimeter of a small house. 
Not bad growing culture and in between the rows of young gardens.In general, any piece of land cleared of weeds and with a good level of natural light will do for this.
The soil
St. John's wort does not like clay and alumina, acidic and alkaline soils, this culture best feels in black soil and sandy soils.
The culture grows well in moderately fertilized soils, preference is given to organic - 4-5 kg of humus per square meter will suffice, you can apply fertilizer both during and after digging the soil. 
You can fertilize the land with compost or peat compost at the rate of 2-3 kg per square meter. Inorganic complex fertilizers saturated with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium will also be suitable.
Sowing seeds
The cultivation of Hypericum, like most other medicinal herbs, comes from the seeds. The seeds are very small, 3-4 kg is enough to sow a whole hectare. To sow St. John's wort is recommended for the winter or early spring.
It is important to maintain an interrow distance in the range of 40-45 cm, the seeds are introduced superficially, without embedding. 
If you plant St. John's wort in spring, then preference should be given to stratified seeds, sub-winter sowing is carried out with dry seeds. It is not a problem to buy seed now; it can be done in specialized stores, in markets, in pharmacies and even on Internet sites.
When stratification (long-term keeping of seeds), it is desirable to mix the seed with sand, stand in the cold for 2-3 months, and before sowing into the soil, dry to a loose state.
Care of crops
Grains begin to germinate already at a temperature of 5-6 ° C, the optimum temperature for this culture is 20-25 ° C. 
It is very important to take care of the seedlings in the early stages, while the plants are not yet strong, especially scrupulous care should be in the first month after germination from the ground.
Watering
Crops must be watered, especially if they are cultivated in arid and hot climates. Drip irrigation will help minimize costs. It is important to prevent cases of excessive soil moisture, St. John's wort does not like it.
Top dressing
In order for the harvest to be good, it is enough to competently prepare the soil before planting, this crop does not need additional fertilizer. 
But if there is a desire to get an excellent harvest guaranteed, then you can feed this healing herb, for this the nitroammophoshka is best - this is a mineral fertilizer in granules, you need to put it into the soil at the rate of 8 g per 1 sq. Km. m. The best period for fertilizing the land is early spring, at this time the St. John’s wort must not yet have flowers.
Soil care and weeding
It is important to deal with weeds in time (they can stifle the seedlings), weed and loosen the aisles, repeat these operations as necessary. 
Too often, weed shoots are not necessary, otherwise you can damage the root system of the plant, which negatively reflects on the quality and quantity of the crop.
Harvest
Harvest time is the end of June - beginning of July, at this time on the hypericum the maximum number of flowers.
Plant stems with buds, leaves and flowers no longer than 30 cm long will fit the blank. To dry the grass, preferably at a temperature of 20-35 °With a shaded, well-ventilated place. 
Growing Hypericum becomes a very popular hobby among many summer residents and owners of country houses - the fact is that in the natural environment it is becoming increasingly difficult to find this medicinal herb.
The decision to sow this crop in your backyard is absolutely correct and win-win, with a minimum of effort, you will get a good harvest of this medicinal plant.
