Spicy herbs of the Umbelliferae family: lovage and celery. Are lovage and celery the same thing? What is the difference between lovage and celery?

Lovage is a herbaceous plant that reaches a height of up to 200 cm. Its stem is bare and branched. Every year the bush grows, becomes strong and powerful. It begins to bloom in spring and ends in August. Umbrella inflorescences are located at the tops of the stems.

About a month after the start of flowering, the seeds ripen. They retain their germination capacity for three to four years. Cultivated everywhere.

Its roots and leaves have a salty-bitter taste and a specific aroma.

Many people wonder, are lovage and celery the same thing? No, but it tastes like celery, so it is used in food as a seasoning for meat, fish, and vegetables. Spices are also made from the seeds. Essential oils, trace elements and minerals included in the composition stimulate appetite, improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and accelerate metabolism.

Lovage is recommended for use for gout, anemia, heart disease, and helminthiasis, as it has a diuretic, antispasmodic and tonic effect. It is effective for increased excitability of the nervous system and poor blood circulation. It can be used as an antidote for itching from mosquito bites and skin diseases.

The roots are rich in essential oils, tannins and minerals, resins, and organic acids. Tinctures and decoctions are made from it.

There is an opinion that the root is poisonous before flowering, so it should not be touched with hands. In the heat, a large amount of essential oils are released, which can cause skin burns.

Do not use for peptic ulcer disease, pregnancy, glomerulonephritis.

If you have chronic or acute diseases, be sure to consult a doctor before using the plant.

Growing

This is a simple matter. It does not require special attention: it tolerates frost and wind well. It can be grown from lovage seeds. But it is necessary to absorb fertile soils, since lovage grows for a long time without replanting and gains a large vegetative mass.

The soil should be light and moist, but without stagnant water. If they are located nearby groundwater, the roots may rot. In dense soil, the root system is clumsy and curved. It is good if the landing site is in partial shade.

Planting is carried out in rows: row spacing - 70 cm, interval between plants - 60 cm. Lovage is a fairly powerful plant, so it is better to plant it along the fence, along the edges of the site. It is important to ensure that it does not block the light of other crops.

The soil must be prepared especially carefully. For each square meter it is necessary to add a bucket of peat and the same amount of humus, a glass of wood ash and 10-15 grams of nitrophoska.

The plant needs to be watered generously periodically. One bush requires approximately 15 liters of water. If there is insufficient moisture, the lovage will acquire a bitter taste, and the leaves will also become bitter and rough.

After watering, you need to loosen the soil so that the roots grow better.

Lovage is widely used in cosmetology and medicine.

Medicinal properties

• heals wounds;
• calms down nervous system;
• fights migraines and anemia;
• removes swelling, relieves inflammation;
• normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• strengthens hair and returns shine to it;
• restores potency;
• reduces cravings for alcohol.

The benefits of lovage infusions are undeniable. They are used for washing, compresses, baths, and are effective for skin diseases, ulcers, and wounds.

The preparation process is simple: pour 1 teaspoon of pre-crushed roots into an enamel container and keep in a water bath for half an hour.

When the infusion has cooled, strain it through cheesecloth and bring it to its original volume with boiled water.

You need to take 1.5 tablespoons several times a day, half an hour before meals. Regular use will calm the nervous system and relieve emotional excitement.

The beneficial properties of lovage will also help with rheumatism, gout, and heart disease: boil 5 grams of roots for 10 minutes, leave for several hours, after wrapping the container. After this, you need to strain and take 3-4 tablespoons half an hour before meals.

To prevent and treat skin rashes and irritations, you can wipe your face with this infusion several times a day and make lotions.

Traditional medicine recipes will make your hair strong and healthy. 50 grams of roots need to be poured with a liter of boiling water and left for several hours. This infusion should be used to rinse your hair after washing.

Lovage tea will help improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract: a pinch of raw material should be brewed in a glass of water. Regular consumption of this drink will relieve you of flatulence.

To relieve headaches, you can apply the leaves to your temples. Fresh stems are an excellent anthelmintic.

A decoction of fresh root can be added to alcohol.

It has no odor, so the patient does not recognize it. The decoction causes strong vomiting, and over time the craving for alcoholic beverages disappears. But it is better not to start treatment without consulting a specialist.

Vanga successfully used lovage to relieve cravings for alcohol. In 300 ml of vodka you need to infuse 150 grams of root for two weeks. But this is not the only plant used. You need to add 2 bay leaves. Let the alcoholic drink the remedy in small doses, 20-50 ml.

The root of the medicinal plant lovage is beneficial for many ailments, but it must be consumed in courses. It is not advisable to self-medicate, so you should first visit a specialist.

Source: http://mjusli.ru/krasota_i_zdorove/jeto_polezno/lyubistok

Mountain analogue of celery

This plant from the celery family is cultivated as a perennial. The root is massive, spindle-shaped, yellow-brown on the outside, white on the inside. The leaves are shiny, with wedge-shaped toothed lobes. Blooms from June to August.

They are bred in gardens, but are also found wild in southern Russia. Propagated by sowing seeds or dividing old bushes in spring or autumn. The roots, seeds and aerial parts are used for food.

The smell is reminiscent of celery, the taste of lovage is pungent, salty-bitter.

People call lovage mountain celery. Indeed, they are close botanical relatives. In the wild, lovage grew on the slopes and foothills of mountains, hence another name - mountain celery. It also grew in lower, moist places, where it developed even more magnificently.

The cultivated plant is a perennial, very winter-hardy, unpretentious, less demanding of care, sunlight, heat and soil. Mountain celery can grow in shade. It even does better when the lower part of the plant is in the shade. In the second year of life, the lovage blooms, and then it bursts upward, towards the sun, trying to create conditions for the ripening of seeds.

The plant has a large fleshy root suitable for food. Greens are used as a spicy seasoning in cooking, as well as for pickling vegetables. At the same time, lovage also has medicinal properties.

In the second year of growth, mountain celery will surprise you with its height (up to two meters!) and yellow flowers, gathered into a tight umbrella. And the older the lovage is, the more beautiful it grows and bushes in width. Everyone who comes to visit you will certainly notice it in the garden and wonder what kind of curiosity it is?

Lovage has long been known in Rus'. There are legends about it; miraculous properties were attributed to it. He was especially loved and revered in the south of the country, where they called him by affectionate names: lyubchik, lovage, lyubets, love-me. Girls “bewitched” guys with lovage.

When getting married, they sewed lovage into the hems of their wedding dresses so that their husband would love them all his life. It was believed that for good luck, lovage should grow in every household.

Why and where does such a respectful attitude towards this plant come from? Maybe because eating lovage gives a person strength and vigor.

Even in ancient times, people knew about the nutritional, medicinal, stimulating and aromatic properties of lovage. This vegetable is rich in potassium salts, vitamins, minerals, and essential oil. The roots contain starch, sugar, tannins, coumarin, malic acid, resins, and gum.

IN folk medicine its juice, infusion or decoction of roots and leaves was used as an expectorant, diuretic and tonic. Lovage was also given to enhance intestinal motility (for constipation). All parts of the plant were used: root, leaves, seeds.

Lovage infusion was used to enhance hair growth and strengthening.

How to grow

It is propagated by seeds sown before winter or early spring. It sprouts in spring even from self-sowing. Lovage also works well when dividing perennial roots.

If you decide to propagate this plant with seeds, then sow not scatteredly, but in rows, first sprouting green shoots 10–15 cm deep and using them as young greens. Then you can thin out the plants by 30–40 cm, gradually increasing the distance between plants and row spacing to 60–70 cm.

This area is enough for long-term cultivation this large and powerful plant. In the fall, it would be good to sprinkle the plant with peat or humus.

Lovage grows on different soils: clayey, sandy, peaty, but it develops more luxuriantly in breathable, moderately moist and nutritious soils. If nitrogen is applied too much, the plant becomes too strong and the roots reach large sizes, but its pulp loses density and juiciness, becomes loose, and darkens when cooked.

Therefore, you should not get carried away with nitrogen fertilizers, but be sure to add potassium and microelements. Before sowing seeds, fill the soil with humus or compost at the rate of 4–5 kg of compost per 1 m2, 15–20 g of urea, 20 g of superphosphate (ordinary) and 30 g of potassium sulfate, a glass of ash.

To grow good lovage roots, you need to remove the flower stalks in time, preventing them from rising. Do not cut too much greenery, this will affect the growth of the roots. Greenery for the table will provide thinning of thickened plants. It is enough to leave one copy of lovage for seeds.

In the spring, the seeds that have fallen to the ground produce good shoots (seedlings), which are transplanted to the ridges to grow new plants. This same plant - tall, densely leafy, with large dark green leaves, as if polished to a shine, and tall yellowish umbrella peduncles - can also be decorative at the same time.

The roots, dug up in the fall, are stored in the basement, cutting off the greens and small roots. Laying them tightly next to each other, sprinkling them with sand. Those left in the ground are dug up in early spring immediately after the snow melts. In the spring, such a gift from the garden is very necessary, because it remains nutritious and vitamin-rich. The root is insignificant in the year of sowing and grows only after the second year.

Cooking

The root is consumed both fresh and boiled, stewed, baked and fried. It is also added to soups, cutlets, stews, vegetables, purees, and casseroles.

Young greens are used as a spicy seasoning in soups, salads and other culinary products. Dried herbs and finely chopped dry roots, as well as seeds, are good for seasoning in winter. Salted greens also play the same role (200 g of salt per 1 kg of greens).

To prevent cut raw rhizomes from turning black, they must be sprayed lemon juice or citric acid, or maybe vinegar.

Boiled lovage roots are used in salads mixed with other vegetables: beets, carrots, cucumbers (fresh or pickled).

In early spring, it is good to prepare salads from raw, freshly dug roots, peeling them and chopping them on a coarse grater. Add carrots, apples to the salad, season it all with mayonnaise.

Recipes

Lovage cutlets. Peel the boiled roots, pass through a meat grinder, add raw egg, a little flour, then fry in oil. If you are on a diet, you can steam the cutlets. For 0.5 kg of roots: 1–2 eggs, 3 tablespoons of flour, salt, sugar to taste.

Stew with lovage. Simmer the meat until partially cooked. Place peeled and chopped pieces of lovage root, previously sprinkled with lemon juice or citric acid, on top, add a little onion and simmer until tender. For 0.5 kg of meat: 1 kg of lovage, 1 onion, salt to taste.

Stuffed lovage. Cool the cooked roots, peel and cut into large pieces. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the pulp from the middle, chop it and mix with the raw minced meat. Stuff pieces of lovage with this mixture, fry them in oil or bake them in the oven with sour cream.

Source: http://domir.ru/1rastenia/?file=lubistok2.php

Lovage

This plant, probably, from the day of its appearance, does not leave anyone indifferent. Oh him healing properties make up legends and myths. Which of this is true and which is a myth? Does this herb have any contraindications (benefits and harms of the dosage form)? Let's understand these issues, and also look at the secrets of growing and care.

Medicinal properties and contraindications

In fact, almost everything that people say about this amazing plant- Truth. Even our contemporaries noted the benefits of its use. Thanks to its unique medicinal composition, it is used in many fields: perfumery, cooking, medicine, etc.

Absolutely everything in it is valuable: leaves, seeds and roots. The highest concentration of essential oils is contained in the seeds (more than 2%). The leaves are rich in vitamin content, so they are widely used in cooking. The root is the most useful medicinal remedy for treating many problems.

How is it used? Read below.

What is it

How is lovage beneficial for humans? This is a perennial plant of the Umbrella family. It can be found in vegetable gardens and orchards throughout the European part. A tall bush with flowers in the form of yellowish umbrellas.

The leaves and root have a specific smell (in folk medicine it is believed that it increases male potential (love)). In fact, its action is not limited to such a narrow spectrum. It contains a high content of carotene, vitamin C, rutin, essential oils, etc.

Benefit: has a wound-healing effect, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, prevents fragility of blood vessels and other therapeutic effects on the body as a whole. Contraindications: kidney and genitourinary system diseases and pregnancy (use not recommended).

This medicinal plant is not capricious in the process of cultivation and subsequent care.

Are celery and lovage the same thing?

Celery is its close relative, but these two plants, in addition to the name, have other differences:

Celery is a vegetable, and its relative is a spice; celery has a softer, good taste, and the relative is bright and slightly bitter;

Celery is more difficult to care for.

They also differ in their medicinal properties, for example, celery is famous for its ability to normalize metabolic processes, while its brother has a wider range of uses (we can talk about its beneficial properties for a long time).

Photos of grass can be found on the Internet and you can see their obvious similarity. Celery has practically no contraindications, but a relative has contraindications.

They are united by their external similarity and ease of cultivation and care, as well as their use in medicine.

For women and men: harm and benefit

The herb has pronounced beneficial medicinal properties, and therefore can cause harm if the rules of consumption/dosage are not followed.

Another contraindication is allergies. This is a rare case of a reaction to this plant, but it is still worth paying attention to.

Useful properties

We invite you to delve into the magical world of this herb and figure out what lovage treats (medicinal and beneficial properties), to whom and how this herb can benefit, and to whom it can be harmful (contraindications). Check out some useful recipes traditional medicine based on this herb and learn the secrets of cultivation and care.

Lovage is widely used in folk medicine. This herb is used to treat various diseases using its beneficial qualities:

To improve vision;
improving blood flow and restoring the blood formula itself;
as a wound-healing and antiseptic agent;
for gout, rheumatism, arthritis;
as a mild laxative and for weight loss;
alcoholism treatment, etc.

Each specific case has its own unique recipe for use. Contraindications are the same for any form, therefore preliminary consultation with a specialist is recommended in order to receive benefits from use rather than harm.

In cooking

Lovage seasoning (fresh and dried herb) is used in cooking. It is added to meat, fish, salads and first courses. When using the herb, be aware that it has a slightly bitter taste.

It is usually used as part of a spicy mixture in combination with other seasonings; in this version it brings more benefits.

Any recipe can be used, but the presence of this herb will significantly improve the beneficial properties of the dishes.

From alcoholism

For these purposes, the herb is used in combination with bay leaf (one-time recipe):

Plant root; 2-3 laurels;

200 ml of alcohol-containing composition (you can use vodka).

Leave for 2 weeks. To reveal the beneficial medicinal properties, it is recommended to drink 1 glass of tincture per week (there will be benefits if there are no contraindications, otherwise there will only be harm).

Reviews say that this composition (or the potion, as it is also called) causes an aversion to alcohol and has a beneficial effect on the body.

In cosmetology and hair

In this option, in order to use the beneficial properties of the herb, you need to prepare a hair mask (there are no contraindications for this option, other than allergies). Recipe:

Chopped root – 1 pc.; onion juice – 2 tbsp; honey – 1 tbsp;

Yolk – 1 pc.

In order for the beneficial components to have time to act and bring maximum benefits, it is recommended to combine the components and apply to the hair roots for 10-15 minutes. Afterwards, rinse with water and wash your hair. If you study self-cultivation and care, the remedy will always be at hand and its beneficial qualities can be used at any time.

For weight loss

The main benefits of use: improves the digestion process, enhances metabolic processes and reduces appetite. Therefore, it has every chance of having the properties necessary for weight loss. To do this, just add it to various dishes(it is acceptable to use vinegar and oil).

To enhance the effect, you can prepare a decoction (for one dose): pour the root (1 tsp) with a glass of boiling water, leave for 20-30 minutes. Take half an hour before meals. Consider contraindications for use and achievements of traditional medicine in order to obtain therapeutic benefits and not harm.

Growing and caring for your own grass will provide year-round access to the necessary components.

Growing

The plant is unpretentious in care and cultivation, but requires some knowledge. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with them and acquire a medicinal pantry in your garden, the beneficial properties of which will help you get rid of a lot of problems. We remind you of the need to take into account contraindications to the use of the dosage form, so as not to cause harm to the body.

Landing

The seeds are collected after flowering, when the inflorescences have already lost their petals and the seed pods have acquired a pronounced brownish tint. The seeds are dried and left until early spring in a dry, dark place.

Before planting, the seeds need to be prepared: pour running water for several hours, and only after that do they begin planting. In the spring, prepare the soil, plant it in grooves 5-7 cm deep and water it abundantly. For better germination, the bed should be covered with non-woven material.

Future owners will not have any problems choosing a site; the plant is completely unpretentious and grows on sandstones, loams, and black soil. It also does not make any special complaints about the sun; it grows quite normally both in the shade and in open areas.

Possible cultivation and care in room conditions(in flowerpots or flower pots), this option also preserves the medicinal effect. When using lovage, follow the rules of use and recommendations for contraindications.

Preparation for the winter

To reveal the medicinal and beneficial properties, roots and leaves are prepared for the winter. The leaves are stored dried in tightly closed jars. The root is dug up, the top layer is cleaned, cut into several pieces lengthwise and dried. The root is used in the recipe for medicinal purposes.

How to use the root

The root of the plant is used as a seasoning or medicinal agent. In the second option, alcohol and water infusions are made. Recipes:

Alcohol infusion – 2 tbsp. Infuse for a liter of vodka for a month;
decoction – 2 tbsp. per liter of water, boil for 10-20 minutes.

To prepare medicinal raw materials, the root is crushed. They take medications depending on the problem. But before taking and starting a course of treatment, a mandatory consultation with a doctor is recommended.

When growing related crops such as lovage and celery, there may be times when it feels like they are the same plant. Having undoubted similar features, they are still different even in appearance.

Important! The claim that lovage is celery is incorrect - they are simply botanical relatives.

What does lovage look like: description of the plant

Lovage is a perennial plant similar to celery. Lovage has a rounded tube-shaped stem. The height of the stems of this grass, and lovage is a grass, can reach two meters. Only the upper part of the plant branches. The power of the root system is determined by its massiveness. The root has a spindle shape. Toothed wedges green leaves lovage shines beautifully. Iridescent, varied shades of yellow small lovage flowers decorate the area throughout the summer. Except for summer three months The grass before flowering has the same appearance as a faded lovage looks in the fall.

Did you know? In different languages, lovage has similar names: “Liebstok” (love) in German, “loveage” (love parsley) in English.

Description of celery

A perennial (usually biennial) herbaceous plant of the Apiaceae family. Can grow up to one meter in height. The erect stem has grooves, branches, and is covered with opposite trifoliate leaves with teeth. They differ from the basal leaves, which have fleshy petioles and sharp-toothed leaf blades. In the first year, celery develops a root crop and a rosette of foliage. Complex umbels of flowers bloom (July-August) in the second year of life. Small flowers are white, cream, greenish, ivory. The irregular, sometimes flattened ball of the root vegetable can have a diameter of up to 20 cm. A large number of thick vertical roots grow from it.

Did you know? There is an opinion that the legendary Tristan and Isolde drank a love drink made from a mixture of celery, apple and pear juices.

How to distinguish celery from lovage

Lovage is twice as tall as celery and blooms in a different color, and these differences are striking. If you look even more closely at lovage and celery, you can easily find the difference in the foliage, which is the same type in lovage and two types on the same plant in celery. Different shape the roots are not visible from the surface, but also testifies to the fact that celery and lovage are not the same thing.

Important! Both extremely useful plants are worth cultivating.

Ignoring the debate about the identity or differences between lovage and celery, it is advisable to focus on the undoubted benefits that both of these plants bring to people. Cooking and medicine (both official and folk) cannot do without their wonderful qualities.

Olga, Rostov-on-Don. This year we bought lovage and celery seeds. In the picture they look the same, the seeds and seedlings are also similar. Tell me, are lovage and celery the same thing or not??
Spicy plants contain a large amount of microelements and vitamins; they are widely used to give soups and main courses a brighter taste and aroma. The unpretentious lovage, a plant with a strong spicy odor, is sometimes confused with a similar vegetable crop - celery. What similarities and differences do these plants have, what beneficial properties do they have - find out from this article.

Lovage

Lovage is a tall plant with dark green leaves and small inflorescences. It has a powerful root, the stem reaches 2 m in length. It has a rich, spicy aroma. It is a perennial and loves moderately moist soil in a slightly shaded area of ​​the garden. IN wildlife does not grow.

Advice. If the plant is grown for the purpose of obtaining a large, thick root, lovage flower stalks should be regularly plucked.

Medicinal properties

1. The plant has weak analgesic and tonic properties.
2. The leaves and stems contain substances that have a blood purifying effect. They are also used for skin rashes.
3. Essential oils of the plant have a beneficial effect on the process of food absorption.
4. A decoction of the plant enhances hair growth and fights acne.

Attention! Both the roots and the stem with leaves can be used for colds.

Lovage leaves add a pleasant smell and bittersweet taste to meat dishes, soups and salads.

Lovage

The plant is a close relative of lovage. It can be petiolate or leafy. Leaf celery resembles lovage in appearance. But the taste of this spice is not as rich and pungent, and the color of celery leaves is lighter than that of lovage.

Useful properties:

• this plant can be used for neuroses and sleep disorders;
• aromatic spice tones digestive system, improves appetite;
• celery is especially necessary for people suffering from swelling - the plant effectively helps remove excess fluid;
• has antioxidant properties, strengthens the immune system, normalizes the functioning of the heart and liver, improves vision;
• celery improves metabolism, reduces cholesterol;
• this aromatic vegetable increases intellectual and physical capabilities;
• celery is known for its antiseptic, antiallergic, and tonic properties.

Celery root is useful to eat raw, baked or boiled. Dry celery powder is an indispensable seasoning for broths, soups and casseroles.

Fragrant and tasty, celery is perfect as a product for a proper nutritional system. Lovage is not only a medicinal plant, but also an ornamental plant. These plants are similar in taste and appearance. But lovage has a more spicy and bitter flavor and is less demanding to care for.

Useful properties of lovage - video

Kate
Are lovage and celery the same thing?

Lovage and celery are crops from the Apiaceae family. These plants are similar to each other not only in appearance. The taste and beneficial properties of herbs are similar; they are used in cooking and medicine. The differences in the photo are visible only in the size of the stems and the shade of leafy greenery.

Lovage officinalis: description and care

People have given it many names: lyubets, mountain celery, love-herb, and even love potion. Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is the only representative of its species. This plant reaches a height of more than 2 m. Its powerful stem is hollow inside (piper), the leaves are pinnate, dark green, with a strong spicy aroma. All parts of the plant have a scent, including the root. Lovage blooms in “umbrellas” with small yellow flowers.

Lovage is a cold-tolerant perennial. Flowering and seed ripening occur in the second year of life. It is very easy to propagate and care for it. Sow the crop in ridges, thinning the plantings to 60 cm between plants.

Lovage is planted in moderately moist, nutritious, not heavy soils. For full growth and development, apply fertilizers:

• mineral complexes with potassium;
• humus or compost.

Lovage

The composition of the mixture for feeding can be taken as follows:

• compost 4-5 kg;
• urea 20 g;
• superphosphate 30 g;
• ash 1 cup.

In order for the plant to grow tubers, the flower stalks should be removed. The roots are removed in the second year and used for their intended purpose.

Spicy celery in the garden

Celery has three types:

1. Root.
2. Sheet.
3. Chereshkovy.

Unlike lovage, its taste and aroma are less tart. The culture is inferior in size to lovage (height up to 1 m). In agricultural technology, plants have a lot in common. Celery is a biennial. Grows well in moist soils. Resistant to cold and light frosts.

Celery

Celery is grown using the seedling method. Seeds are ready for planting by February. A month after emergence, the seedlings are planted in separate containers. Fertilizing is done with a Nitrophoska solution (1 tsp per bucket of water). Before planting in the ground, seedlings are hardened off by taking them outside for several hours.

Attention! Do not overcook celery root seedlings, this will slow down the development of tubers.

The distance in the beds for stem and leaf celery is 15-20 cm, for root celery is at least 25 cm.

Celery does not tolerate dry soil. On dry days, the garden bed is watered every day. Young plantings are supported with herbal infusion. A couple of weeks after planting in the ground - a solution of bird droppings or mullein. In the middle of the season - superphosphate (30 g per 1 m²). Beds with spicy vegetables need weeding, mulching and loosening.

Advice! In order for root celery to grow nutritious tubers, its top and side roots are broken off at the end of summer.

Leaf celery is dug up with the first cold weather and transplanted into pots at home. Good way have fresh herbs for the table.

Lovage and celery are equally rich in vitamins and nutrients. Some differences in growing and caring for plants are due to the crops belonging to different types one family.

Lovage officinalis: video

Lovage officinalis Photo: Rita Brilliantova

General information:

Lovage comes from Southern Europe and Western Asia. Since the 9th century it has been cultivated in Central Europe. Now cultivated in most countries Western Europe and North America, in many areas of the European part of the CIS, especially in Transcaucasia. IN Russian Federation lovage is poorly distributed;
. Its specific taste and smell is given by essential oil, the content of which in leaves reaches 1.27%, in young shoots - 1, in fruits - 2.47, in roots - 0.52%. All parts contain ascorbic acid, carotene, mineral salts and organic acids - malic and folic; rutin was found in the leaves;
. Only young shoots and leaves, fresh and dried, are used in cooking. Lovage has a sharp, spicy smell, the taste is sweetish at first, then pungent, spicy, moderately bitter. Lovage is good for preparing marinades, soups, vegetable salads, meat dishes, poultry and fish, cereal and vegetable dishes. Adding lovage to a strong meat broth highlights and enhances the flavor of the meat. As an additive for pickling and pickling cucumbers and tomatoes, lovage is used in small quantities, as it has a strong aroma

Soil:

mechanical composition soil: light soils

predecessor:

fallow plot, green manure, potatoes, cabbages, legumes or outside crop rotation. Lovage can grow in one place for 10-15 years

specific cultural requirements:

Prefers sandy loam or light loamy, loose, fertile soils or cultivated peat bogs;
. fresh manure and lime materials are applied only for the previous crop;
. the soil is prepared in the fall: dug to a depth of 20-30 cm, 3-4 kg of humus or compost and 20-30 g of double superphosphate are added per 1 m2, and in the spring 30-40 g of complex mineral fertilizer such as nitrophoska

Landing:

planting method: seedling

seedling age:

seed sowing time open ground:

mid-April or late September

time for sowing seeds for seedlings:

in the first ten days of March

sowing depth:

sowing/planting scheme:

lovage is placed with row spacing of 70 cm at a consumption of 0.3 g of seeds per 1 m2. In the first year of cultivation, the plants are thinned out twice: first by 10, then by 20 cm in the row. The next year, 50 cm is left between plants. This area is enough for long-term cultivation of this crop.

Care and problems with growing:

feeding:

With excessive doses of manure or nitrogen mineral fertilizers, it grows large green mass and large roots, but accumulates a lot of nitrates;
. per season, 2-3 fertilizing is carried out with complex mineral fertilizer such as nitrophoska at the rate of 15-20 g/m2

watering:

during drought it loses its above-ground part, but with the onset of rains it produces new shoots. Excess moisture leads to complete death of the root system and death of the plant.

temperature:

frost-resistant plant, can winter in open ground. Seeds germinate at a temperature of +3-4°C, but this period lasts up to 20 days. At a temperature of +18-20°C, the germination period lasts 10-12 days. The seedlings tolerate short-term frosts down to -3-8°C. The optimal temperature for the growth and development of lovage is +15-20°C; its increase has a depressing effect on the plant

Hybrids and varieties:

hybrids are not zoned

Purpose of the variety:

universal:

Cupid, Hercules, Don Juan, Leader, Preobrazhensky Semko, Daredevil

Medicinal properties:

Medicinal raw materials:

• roots of plants up to 5 years of age;
• green

Chemical composition:

• in the roots - furocoumarins (psoralen, bergapten), lecithin (0.9%), falcarindiol (0.06%), resins, gum, starch, organic acids, 0.6-2% essential oil (up to 98 components, including including butylphthalide, ligustilide, terpenes - α-terpineol, carvacrol, sesquiterpenes, isovaleric acid);
• in greens - up to 119 mg of ascorbic acid and 5 mg% carotene, bitterness, rutin, many trace elements, up to 1.3% essential oil

Action: calming, tonic, diuretic, stimulating digestion, expectorant, wound healing, analgesic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac

Diseases:

inflammation of the kidneys and urinary tract, sexual weakness in men, damage to the testicles from infectious diseases (mumps, taxoplasmosis, brucellosis, tularemia), alcoholism, pustular skin lesions, freckles

Contraindications:

for acute glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis and pregnancy

Even in ancient times, people paid attention to the medicinal properties of lovage. In Russia, lovage preparations have long been used for tumors of the oral cavity and larynx. A decoction of the roots has a diuretic, sedative, analgesic and expectorant effect, increases appetite, stomach and intestinal activity, regulates heart function and reduces shortness of breath. Crushed fresh leaves are applied to wounds, and dry leaves, crushed into powder, are taken against nervous disorders.

Lovage(dawn officinalis, lovage, love-grass, love root, love-me, sweetheart, piper, perennial celery - these are other names for this wonderful plant) unfortunately, now it is not found in every personal plot, although our ancestors knew it well. They called lovage “the herb we love” for its ability to give people strength and vigor.

For all Slavs, lovage is a plant that can charm young people. Girls used to bewitch guys with lovage. When they got married, they sewed lovage into the hem of their wedding dress so that their husband would love them all his life. It was believed that lovage should grow in every yard for good luck.

(Levisticum officinale)- a perennial herbaceous plant from the celery family with a branched erect stem up to 200 cm high. The root system of lovage in the first year of life is of the taproot type, and in the second year a massive rhizome begins to form, yellow-brown on the outside and white on the inside.

The leaves of lovage are similar to celery leaves, only larger and with longer petioles. Due to the high content of essential oils, they are always cool to the touch.

Lovage is very frost-resistant; when the soil freezes to 100 cm and frost to 30 degrees, its rhizomes remain viable. Its above-ground part tolerates short-term frosts up to 8 degrees.

Lovage is undemanding to growing conditions, but prefers humus-rich soils. It grows best after crops where manure has been applied. In one place, lovage grows well for up to 10 years.

Lovage is relatively drought-resistant, but with a lack of moisture it grows worse and its greenery becomes coarser. At a young age, the plant requires sunlight, and as an adult it grows well in slightly shaded areas.

Due to the long period of growing lovage in one place, the soil must be carefully prepared before planting. For autumn deep digging of soil, it is necessary to add 1 sq. meter 1 bucket of organic fertilizers and 2-3 tablespoons of nitrophoska.

Reproduction

Lovage is propagated by sowing seeds in the ground (in early spring or late autumn), by seedlings or vegetatively - by dividing bushes and root cuttings. The lightest and quick ways its propagation is by dividing bushes and root cuttings, which, together with the bud, are planted in the ground in early May. Young plants quickly develop from such cuttings.

When propagating lovage from seeds, its seeds are pre-soaked for two days in warm water, then they are kept in a damp cloth until they peck. In open ground, seeds are sown in early spring to a depth of 2-2.5 cm with a row spacing of 10-15 cm.

Seeds begin to germinate at 3-4 degrees Celsius. Shoots appear in 15-25 days. They should be thinned out first to 12-15 cm, then to 30-35 cm, gradually increasing the distance between plants and rows to 60-70 cm. The older the bush, the wider it grows.

When propagating lovage by seedlings in open ground, it is planted at the age of 40-50 days from the beginning of May for 5-6 weeks. At the same time, the bushes are divided or root cuttings taken from plants no younger than three years old are planted. In this case, the roots are cut into several parts with a sharp shovel, and the cut areas must be sprinkled with crushed coal. After planting young plants, all leaves are cut off, leaving only young leaves.

Growing

Caring for lovage consists of weeding, loosening the soil, watering, and fertilizing. In the first year of life, the plant forms a rosette of leaves, and starting from the second year, it blooms and bears fruit. Therefore, in the second year plot, flowering shoots are systematically removed.

The plant must be watered regularly, at least 4-5 times per season; in dry weather, watering must be plentiful, otherwise the greens become rough and bitter. After watering, the soil is loosened to a depth of 3-5 cm.

For adult plants, it is necessary to apply annually in the spring, under each bush, 1 teaspoon of ammonium nitrate and half a bucket of rotted compost with the addition of 0.5 cups of wood ash.

Greens are cut from annual plants at the end of August. From the second year of life, greens can be cut from June to August. Young leaves along with petioles are cut at a height of 6-8 cm. It is cut at least 3-4 times during the season.

After each cutting of the plant, it is advisable to apply liquid fertilizing with nitrophoska (1 tablespoon per bucket of water) or any other complete mineral fertilizer. With an annual crop, the plants are harvested entirely at the end of September.

The roots of lovage are removed in the third year of the plant’s life. They are cleared of soil, washed, cut and dried until brittle in the shade, in a well-ventilated area or near a not hot stove. Dried leaves and roots are stored in tightly closed jars.

Forcing greenery

Lovage does not have a dormant period, so it is often used for winter forcing of greenery in an apartment. To do this, the roots are dug up and stored in the basement before frost, sprinkled with sand. In this case, the leaves must be trimmed carefully so as not to damage the apical buds.

As necessary, the roots are taken out of the basement and planted tightly together in boxes with a moist soil mixture. In this case, you cannot cover the tops of the roots with soil. Greens are cut as needed, leaving petioles 2-3 cm long.

Unfortunately, the varietal composition of lovage is still poor. But for recent years Several new varieties have been included in the State Register.

V.G. Saffron

"Ural Gardener", No. 46, 2015