Ivan-tea (willow-grass, fireweed, weeping plant) – perennial. Its stems are used to make fabrics and ropes. Pillows and mattresses are stuffed with down. Crushed, dried roots are added to flour for baking bread. A delicious and aromatic tea is brewed from the leaves. Plakun is also used in folk medicine.
Planting and care
Fireweed needs to be watered frequently. To keep the air humidified, it is advisable to plant it near a small pond. If this is not possible, they resort to a little trick.
The bottom of a two-liter plastic bottle is cut off. Then they insert the neck into the ground, closer to the roots of the plant. Pour water into the bottle. Thus provide the flower required quantity moisture.
A month after sprouting, fireweed tea is topped with infused chicken manure. At the end of autumn, sprinkle with ash and apply mineral fertilizers to the ground.
For the winter, it is advisable to cover fireweed with pine needles, walnut or oak leaves.
Important to remember! Ivan-tea grows for 4 – 5 years. Then it’s better to plant them in a new place.
Reproduction
Fireweed propagates by seeds. They are sown in early April in rows at a distance of 30 cm from each other. Since fireweed has seeds with fluff, to prevent them from scattering, the following planting methods are used:
- Cut thin paper into strips 1 cm wide. Apply starch or flour paste. Glue the seeds to the paper at a distance of 0.5 cm from each other.
- The seeds are mixed with a small amount of sand.
The first method takes a lot of time. But, having planted the seeds this way, there is no need to break through the plant when the shoots appear. The second method is much simpler, but the plant will not sprout evenly. There will be empty areas, places where the sprouts will interfere with each other.
Before sowing seeds, make a furrow 1 cm deep in the ground and pour water into it. So that the soil is well moistened, but so that it remains quite loose. Then they carefully lay down pieces of paper with glued seeds, or scatter them mixed with sand. Sprinkle with earth. Since fireweed has small seeds, so as not to be washed out of the ground, they are watered from above with a watering can with a spray nozzle. For irrigation, you can use a spray bottle.
Important to know! Seeds can be sown for the winter, but they can be washed out of the ground by rain or streams of melted snow.
When propagated by seeds, fireweed blooms only the next year. Therefore, roots are most often used for planting.
It is advisable to dig up the roots immediately before planting. If it is not possible to replant immediately, then they are wrapped in a damp cloth and film. Thus, they can be stored for 2 - 3 days.
For propagation, the root can be divided into several parts, at least 5 cm long.
- For planting, dig a hole 20 cm deep.
- The width between the holes should be 30 cm,
- The length distance between plants is 15 cm.
Important to remember! Ivan tea is planted only in sunny places.
Despite the fact that fireweed is common in nature and unpretentious, it is difficult to grow at home. It is planted on soil previously fertilized with ash and mineral fertilizers. Fireweed does not tolerate other plants near itself. Therefore, you need to weed often. It grows in moist soil, so it needs frequent watering.
But it serves not only as a decoration for the flowerbed. All parts of the plant are used in cooking and folk medicine.
Ivan tea, also known as Koporye tea or fireweed, is a wonderful plant from which a healthy and tasty drink is prepared. How does it grow in nature and is it possible to grow fireweed with your own hands?
Reproduction in nature
Fireweed can be found in different parts of Russia, and the plant loves soils with high mineralization and a minimum fertile layer. For example, fireweed is often the first to grow in areas where there has been a peat bog or forest fire, thereby increasing fertility and being a kind of soil healer. This way fireweed allows other plants to grow, after which fireweed most often dies out.
Ivan tea heals not only humans, but also nature itself, restoring the soil after fires
In nature, the plant reproduces by seeds. The achenes of fireweed are small and attached to fluffy parachutes. They are unusually light, so they are able to travel long distances when the wind blows. One plant produces up to thirty thousand of these seed parachutes.
When the achene lands in a favorable place, it gives rise to a new plant. Subsequently, propagation occurs not only by seeds - the roots of fireweed, growing, form large thickets of new plants. Over the course of 5-10 years, fireweed grows in one place, and its dead shoots begin to form fertile soil in which other plants settle and gradually displace fireweed.
DIY cultivation
Wanting to grow fireweed in the garden or on garden plot, it is important to consider the following points:
- Plant seedlings cannot tolerate competition with other plant species.
- Fireweed is very demanding on lighting - the plant needs a lot of sunlight.
- Also, fireweed needs highly mineralized soil.
- Planting is possible in the spring, but it is preferable to plant fireweed in the fall.
- You can either sow fireweed seeds or plant the roots of the plant.
Sowing seeds
When planning to plant fireweed seeds, you will have to take some tricks so that the light fluffs do not scatter far from your site. To plant, seeds should be attached to strips of paper (it’s best to take toilet paper, but you can also use newspaper) one to two centimeters wide.
The fluff of fireweed is its seeds, with the help of which fireweed reproduces in the wild
Preparation
Having laid out the cut paper on the table, you need to grease it with starch or flour paste, and then use tweezers to attach the fireweed seeds to the greased areas. When the paste dries, the strips of paper can be twisted and secured with an elastic band. It is recommended to do this kind of seed harvesting in winter. This is a rather labor-intensive method. For those who want to make the planting process faster, we recommend mixing fireweed fluff with wet sand.
Choosing a place
Next, choose a landing site. The ideal option would be part of the site that was previously used for growing potatoes, since the land should be depleted. In addition, the place should be well lit by the sun. As for moisture, the area for fireweed should not be too damp or too dry. It is good if there is a small pond nearby so that the plant receives a lot of moisture at night.
Clearing the soil of grass
Before planting, it is better to treat the soil with special means to clear the soil of grass.
You can also use a more extreme method: In the place where fireweed will grow, we make a fire before planting; fireweed is the first to begin to grow after fires. This should only be done on a calm day. You can burn tree branches, old planks, fences and other wood materials. Having leveled the resulting coals with a rake, sprinkle sawdust, moss or peat on top - when this layer burns, more ash will be produced. The fire will help burn the roots and seeds of other plants, so that in the first year the fireweed seedlings will have no competitors.
The fire will clear the soil of competitors for fireweed and create conditions favorable for its germination
The next day, you need to make furrows up to 3 cm deep in the area (leaving 8-10 cm between furrows), in which you should place paper with seeds. Cover everything on top with ash and sand, taken in equal proportions. To water the seeds, use melt or rain water. You need to water the seedlings generously and then keep the soil moist for the first week.
If you don't want to use paper, you can wet the seeds and mix them with sand, then sow them in furrows.
Fireweed sown in April will produce seedlings in mid-May, which need to be watered in dry weather. The plant will begin to bloom in 2 years, and will completely fill the area 3-4 years after planting.
Propagation by roots
The roots of fireweed are large, so they are divided into parts 5 to 10 cm long.
Our grandmothers, growing garden strawberries, or strawberries, as we used to call them, did not particularly worry about mulching. But today this agricultural technique has become fundamental in achieving high quality berries and reducing crop losses. Some might say it's a hassle. But practice shows that labor costs in this case pay off handsomely. In this article we invite you to get acquainted with the nine the best materials for mulching garden strawberries.
Succulents are very diverse. Despite the fact that “little ones” have always been considered more fashionable, the range of succulents with which you can decorate modern interior, it’s worth taking a closer look. After all, colors, sizes, patterns, degree of prickliness, impact on the interior are just a few of the parameters by which you can choose them. In this article we will tell you about the five most fashionable succulents that amazingly transform modern interiors.
The Egyptians used mint as early as 1.5 thousand years BC. It has a strong aroma due to the high content of various essential oils, which are highly volatile. Today, mint is used in medicine, perfumery, cosmetology, winemaking, cooking, ornamental gardening, and the confectionery industry. In this article, we will look at the most interesting varieties of mint, and also talk about the features of growing this plant in open ground.
People began growing crocuses 500 years before our era. Although the presence of these flowers in the garden is fleeting, we always look forward to the return of the harbingers of spring to next year. Crocuses are one of the earliest primroses, whose flowering begins as soon as the snow melts. However, flowering times may vary depending on the species and varieties. This article is dedicated to the earliest varieties of crocuses, which bloom in late March and early April.
Cabbage soup made from early young cabbage in beef broth is hearty, aromatic and easy to prepare. In this recipe you will learn how to cook delicious beef broth and cook light cabbage soup with this broth. Early cabbage cooks quickly, so it is placed in the pan at the same time as other vegetables, unlike autumn cabbage, which takes a little longer to cook. Ready cabbage soup can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Real cabbage soup turns out tastier than freshly prepared cabbage soup.
Looking at the variety of tomato varieties, it’s hard not to get confused - the choice is very wide today. Even experienced gardeners are sometimes confused by it! However, understanding the basics of selecting varieties “for yourself” is not so difficult. The main thing is to delve into the peculiarities of the culture and start experimenting. One of the easiest groups of tomatoes to grow are varieties and hybrids with limited growth. They have always been valued by those gardeners who do not have much energy and time to care for their beds.
Once very popular under the name of indoor nettle, and then forgotten by everyone, coleus today is one of the brightest garden and indoor plants. It is not for nothing that they are considered stars of the first magnitude for those who are primarily looking for non-standard colors. Easy to grow, but not so undemanding as to suit everyone, coleus require constant supervision. But if you take care of them, bushes made of velvety unique leaves will easily outshine any competitor.
Salmon backbone baked in Provençal herbs provides tasty pieces of fish pulp for a light salad with fresh wild garlic leaves. The champignons are lightly fried in olive oil and then water it apple cider vinegar. These mushrooms are tastier than regular pickled ones, and they are better suited for baked fish. Wild garlic and fresh dill get along well in one salad, highlighting each other’s aroma. The garlicky pungency of wild garlic will permeate both the salmon flesh and mushroom pieces.
A coniferous tree or shrub on a site is always great, but a lot of conifers is even better. Emerald needles of various shades decorate the garden at any time of the year, and phytoncides and essential oils, released by plants, not only aromatize, but also make the air cleaner. As a rule, most zoned adults coniferous plants, are considered very unpretentious trees and shrubs. But young seedlings are much more capricious and require proper care and attention.
Sakura is most often associated with Japan and its culture. Picnics under the canopy of flowering trees have long become an integral attribute of welcoming spring in the Land of the Rising Sun. Financial and academic year here it starts on April 1, when the magnificent cherry blossoms bloom. Therefore, many significant moments in the life of the Japanese take place under the sign of their flowering. But sakura also grows well in cooler regions - certain species can be successfully grown even in Siberia.
I am very interested in analyzing how people's tastes and preferences for certain foods have changed over the centuries. What was once considered tasty and was an object of trade, lost its value over time and, conversely, new fruit crops conquered their markets. Quince has been cultivated for more than 4 thousand years! And even in the 1st century B.C. e. About 6 varieties of quince were known, and even then methods of its propagation and cultivation were described.
Delight your family and prepare themed cottage cheese cookies in the shape of Easter eggs! Your children will be happy to take part in the process - sifting the flour, combining everything necessary ingredients, knead the dough and cut out intricate figures. Then they will watch with admiration as the pieces of dough turn into real ones. easter eggs, and then with the same enthusiasm they will eat them with milk or tea. How to make such original cookies for Easter, read our step by step recipe!
Among tuberous crops, there are not so many decorative deciduous favorites. And caladium is a true star among the variegated inhabitants of interiors. Not everyone can decide to own a caladium. This plant is demanding, and first of all, it requires care. But still, rumors about the extraordinary capriciousness of caladiums are never justified. Attention and care can avoid any difficulties when growing caladiums. And the plant can almost always forgive small mistakes.
We have prepared a hearty, incredibly appetizing and simply easy-to-prepare dish for you today. This sauce is one hundred percent universal, as it goes with every side dish: vegetables, pasta, or anything. Chicken and mushroom gravy will save you in moments when you don’t have time or don’t want to think too much about what to cook. Take your favorite side dish (you can do this in advance so everything is hot), add some gravy and dinner is ready! A real lifesaver.
Among the many different varieties We will tell you about three of these most popular vegetables, which are distinguished by their excellent taste and relatively unpretentious growing conditions. Characteristics of the eggplant varieties “Almaz”, “Black Beauty” and “Valentina”. All eggplants have medium-density pulp. In Almaz it is greenish, while in the other two it is yellowish-white. They are united by good germination and excellent yield, but in different times. Everyone's skin color and shape are different.