Hyssop: growing from seeds, properties and contraindications. Hyssop: photos, types, beneficial properties, cultivation and use

Hyssop is used as a medicinal raw material in folk and traditional medicine and cosmetology. Fragrant herb add to dishes and release essential oils from it. Beautiful grass Hyssop has found application in artistic and decorative arts. The plant has magical properties. Hyssop, what kind of plant this is and its medicinal and magical properties have been known for a long time - it is in the recipe of Avicenna’s potions, along with grapes it is often mentioned in the Bible. Its healing effect is still used by folk healers to this day.

The hyssop bush is still found in the wild of the Mediterranean. How ornamental plant and for medical purposes it is grown everywhere.

Additional Information. The climate of Central Asia, southern Ukraine and the European part of Russia, the Urals, and the Caucasus is suitable for growing hyssop. When cultivated, it can degenerate and lose medicinal properties. To prevent a return to the wild form, it is recommended to change the planting site every 5-10 years.

What kind of plant is hyssop

In Latin, the name of the perennial is Hyssopus officinalis, which means “sacred fragrant herb” in Hebrew. Over 300 varieties of this culture are known, the most common are common hyssop (also known as medicinal hyssop, blue St. John's wort, juzefka, susop, hyssop), anise, narrow-leaved, and Zeravshan. Rare hyssop, listed in the Red Book, with a balsamic aroma - chalky hyssop - is popular among gardeners.

There is no clear answer to what hyssop is.

• Medicinal plant;
• Excellent honey plant;
• Raw materials for essential oils;
• A spice used in cooking;
• Because of its aroma, the shrub can be planted to save the garden from pests;
• Magical plant. Since ancient times, hyssop has been used in magic. It is believed that its smell promotes a child’s restful sleep; the herb is added to the filling of mattresses or placed in a small bag under the pillow. A twig in shoes becomes a talisman against evil spirits, and when held in the palm of your hand it relieves fatigue and restores strength;
• Decorative shrub. Landscape design with it is built on the contrasting combination of this semi-wild plant with its noble neighbor-partners. Shrubs are used to frame paths and create hedges. “Blue St. John's wort” is complemented by collections of aromatic plants, which already contain mint, lavender, rosemary, oregano, and sage.

Hyssop medicinal for diseases

Medicinal hyssop, also known as blue St. John's wort, wild bee herb, has found application in the practice of folk healers. They, using its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, treat many diseases. Useful composition determines a wide range of uses of “blue St. John’s wort” for therapeutic purposes. The plant can be used to treat gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases, the genitourinary system, and skin ailments.

Important! Self-treatment in the presence of chronic diseases should begin with a consultation with a doctor. There is also a contraindication - the herb is not recommended for treating children under 12 years of age.

Thanks to its expectorant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial properties, the herb treats coughs of various origins (bronchitis and pneumonia, senile coughs caused by inflammation of the upper respiratory tract). Taking herbal formulations helps eliminate bronchospasms in asthma. Hyssop is a plant that is used externally to treat skin diseases. Aqueous extracts from it are used for rinsing the mouth - they are effective for sore throat, stomatitis, gingivitis, periodontal disease, gumboil, unpleasant smell from the mouth, hoarseness.

Agricultural technology

The crop can be grown both in shaded and sunny places - the plant is unpretentious. To grow beautiful decorative bush or to obtain a high yield, the crop is planted in an open area.

Hyssop officinalis

Hyssop grass grows well in fertile, loose soil with neutral acidity. The crop does not like waterlogged soil, so it should not be planted in swampy or flood-prone areas. Dense, clayey soil is also not suitable for shrubs.

The crop is planted mainly in the spring, the soil is prepared in the fall by digging and fertilizing with compost (3-5 kg ​​per square meter), adding peat, neutralizing acidity with liming in late autumn. In the spring, before planting, apply complex mineral fertilizer at the rate of 50-60 g per square meter, or wood ash (1 cup).

Reproduction methods

Seeds

They are sown in early spring(from late April to early May) or before winter. In the garden bed, when growing hyssop, shallow grooves are made from seeds at a distance of about 30 cm from each other. Seeds mixed with sand are placed in them. This is done because the seeds are very small and difficult to sow and distribute evenly in the furrows. Sowing is sprinkled on top with a small, about 1 cm, layer of soil. At spring planting the ground is mulched with peat. Seedlings hatch at above-zero temperatures after 2 weeks.

Important! Hyssop grown from seeds blooms only the next year.

Seedlings

When grown by seedlings, hyssop blooms in the year of planting. To obtain seedlings, seed material (seeds can be mixed with sand) is sown in early March in a shallow box with soil. As with propagation by seeds, the sowing is sprinkled with a 1-1.5 cm layer of soil. The container is to create comfortable conditions for seed germination, cover with glass or film material. When 2 true leaves appear on the hatched seedlings, the seedlings can be planted in separate containers (it will be convenient to transplant the seedlings into open ground along with cups, if they are peat).

Seedlings

Advice. Seedlings need to be planted, deepening them to 7-8 cm and making sure that the growing point is not covered with soil.

Dividing the bush

This method is the simplest and least labor-intensive. In the fall, immediately after flowering, the bush is dug up and divided into several bushes. Plants obtained by division are planted on permanent place.

Advice. Manipulations with the bush must be carried out in a timely manner, before frost, so that the planted plants have time to take root.

Cuttings

You can grow hyssop by cuttings, cutting off shoots up to 10 cm long from the bush and placing them for rooting in a container with soil made of sand and peat. The cuttings are buried halfway and covered glass jar or a plastic cap. The signal for planting in a permanent place is the new shoots that appear on the cuttings.

Hyssop planting and care in open ground

Seedlings are planted in open ground at the age of about 2 months, provided that the plants have grown 5-6 leaves. The time is selected when stable heat has been established (the outside air temperature should not fall below +10 °C). Plants are planted at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other.

Hyssop planting and care in open ground

Advice. For good survival in the first days, seedlings can be covered with spunbond and be sure to be covered during frosts.

For normal growth, the shrub needs:

• Regular watering. The plant should be watered frequently and moderately to prevent rotting of the roots from excess moisture;
• Application of fertilizers. When planting and caring for a young hyssop bush, regular feeding is important - a young growing plant needs a balanced composition of minerals. Enrich the soil with regular, once every 20-30 days, application of organic and mineral fertilizers;
• Loosening the soil and weeding;
• Pruning and sanitation. The flowering period of the plant can be extended until frost; to do this, you need to trim the flowering inflorescences - young shoots with buds begin to grow from pruning. The bush is also pruned for the winter, shortening the shoots to 20 cm. A bush that has undergone autumn pruning next year grows well and blooms profusely.

Advice. The perennial propagates by self-sowing during flowering. Weak plants grow from seeds that fall on the ground, and the area becomes clogged. Therefore, gardeners do not allow the seeds to ripen on the bush, but cut off the inflorescences when the boxes begin to turn brown.

Seed collection

Cut shoots with browned bolls are hung down by the inflorescence. This is how the seeds ripen. To prevent them from spilling out onto the floor, the shoots are covered with fabric bags.

Harvesting and storage

Young flowering shoots of medicinal hyssop are harvested by cutting off only the top. The rest of the shoot is not touched - the stem quickly grows and blooms. The cut raw materials are sorted out, removing spoiled shoots, crumbling inflorescences and debris. For drying, cut shoots are tied in bunches and hung in a shaded place with good ventilation, with the inflorescences facing down. When drying in dryers choose temperature regime up to 40 °C to preserve essential oils in the plant.

The dried raw materials are crushed and placed in thick paper bags or fabric bags.

The herb can be stored for no more than 2 years. The time for harvesting is when hyssop is just blooming. Typically harvested over a month, starting in early June.

Hyssop is an unpretentious and beautiful plant, has many useful properties: medicinal, decorative, magical, honey-bearing. It can be cultivated in the regions middle zone Russia, the Urals and the Caucasus, Ukraine and Central Asia.

A fragrant and blooming area around the house, in the garden or at the dacha is everyone’s dream. It is doubly pleasant when plants perform not only a decorative function, but are also useful. Leadership in the degree of multifunctionality belongs to They not only bring benefits, but also decorate the garden with their original look and rich aroma. These include planting and care, growing from seeds and other features of breeding the named plant - all this will be discussed later in the article.

Distribution and ecology

Hyssop unites a whole genus of subshrubs and herbs with a strong aroma. They are characterized by a small height (up to 50-60 cm) and oblong or linear leaves, almost sessile on the stem.

Hyssop grows in Asia, the Mediterranean, Russia (in its European part, the Caucasus and western Siberia). Prefers rocky slopes, steppes and dry hills, as well as loose soil. This is a wonderful honey plant.

The medicinal properties of hyssop have been known since ancient times; the first written mentions of the herb are found in the Bible. IN garden culture The most common is medicinal hyssop.

Botanical description

(planting and care will be discussed later) is widespread in Africa and Eurasia. The plant is a shrub that grows from 20 to 80 cm. The root has a woody, tap-like appearance. Numerous woody tetrahedral stems, slightly pubescent or almost bare, extend from it.

The leaves, located opposite and practically sessile on the stem, have a lanceolate shape, their edges are slightly curled down. Wherein lower leaves slightly larger than the apical ones.

Elongated spike-shaped inflorescences look decorative. The corolla of flowers is most often blue or purple, less often white or pink.

The fruit has a complex structure. The coenobium consists of four equal nut-shaped fruits, triangular-ovoid in shape. Blooms for a long time - from July to September.

Spicy mixed aroma (camphor with turpentine), tart taste and amazing medicinal properties- this is what hyssop is valued for. Planting and care in open ground, as a rule, does not cause difficulties, so growing a small, but very useful shrub Anyone can do it in their own area.

Types and varieties

In addition to medicinal hyssop, chalk and anise are also known in cultivation. Not knowledgeable person It's easy enough to confuse them:

1. Cretaceous hyssop is a rare and protected species listed in the Red Book of Ukraine and Russia. The name speaks for itself - it is the first of all plants to appear on chalk soils.
2. Anise hyssop has a characteristic odor that intensifies when rubbed and has lavender-like flowers.

Planting and caring for all three types are not fundamentally different.

Bredted by breeders various varieties, differing from each other mainly in the color of the flowers. Let's name the most famous:

• “Accord” is medicinal, with a strong aroma, drought-resistant and winter-hardy. The plant forms tall bushes up to 80 cm, number of shoots - up to 25 pieces. The flowers are pink and small.
• “Pink mist” - medium ripening, intended for use in cooking and canning. The plant reaches a height of up to 50 cm, the shoots are thin but elastic, colored pale pink. Has high resistance to different conditions environment. This is drought-resistant, heat- and cold-resistant hyssop and care is standard).
• “Nikitsky white” (shown in the photo below) is a medium-sized variety (up to 55 cm), the plant forms compact bushes, flowering for a long time (75-80 days).
• “Rime” is a subshrub from 40 to 70 cm high with erect shoots, a compact bush. The greens have a rich aroma, reminiscent of wild rosemary. The variety is characterized by a high yield of green mass; the flowers are small and pale lilac in color.

Site location and soil

Although hyssop has long been adapted to our climatic conditions, it still comes from the warm climate of the Mediterranean, which leaves a corresponding imprint on the characteristics of its cultivation. The plant prefers sunny areas at low elevations.

Hyssop is not particularly sensitive to soils; the main requirements are lightness, air and moisture permeability, and the reaction of the environment from neutral to slightly alkaline. It is not advisable to plant the plant in places where there are cold winds and drafts, stagnant water and waterlogging.

Medicinal hyssop: planting and caring for seedlings

The seeds of the described plant retain their viability for a long time and are suitable for planting within 3-4 years after collection. To obtain hyssop, two methods are used - seedlings and non-seedlings. The timing of sowing seeds is the first half of March and April-May, respectively.

In the case of growing seedlings, it is first necessary to prepare the soil. It is best to use ready-made, light and nutritious. Pour it in an even layer into shallow boxes, make grooves 1-1.5 cm deep and distribute the seeds evenly. After several true leaves appear, you need to pick out the hyssop. Planting and care in the future are elementary.

Planted in separate peat-humus pots or plastic cups plants need to be watered regularly. Place them in a sunny and warm place. Before planting, you can carry out one fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizer. Seedlings are planted in the ground after 45-60 days, at the stage of 5-7 leaves.

It is necessary to follow the scheme to avoid thickening. In the first summer there will be no a large number of peduncles, but starting from the second flowering will be abundant and widespread. Bushes age with age, and this causes their leaves and flowers to become smaller, so it is recommended to replace the plants with new ones after 4-5 years.

Hyssop seeds are sown directly into the ground in late April-early May, when the soil has warmed up sufficiently. Planting depth is 0.5-0.7 cm, distance between rows is 50-60 cm. Shoots appear after 1-2 weeks. When the plants have six true leaves, they need to be thinned out, leaving a distance of about 20 cm between individual specimens.

Features of cultivation

One of the unpretentious aromatic herbs in the garden is hyssop. Planting and caring for it, as you have seen, is elementary. During the growing season, it is enough to weed the bed to remove weeds and loosen the soil.

Watering should not be overused. 2-3 times for the whole season is enough, the norm is for 1 square. m. - 15-20 liters. For abundant flowering autumn pruning is necessary. Form a hemispherical bush, leaving shoots 12-15 cm high. If several varieties of hyssop grow on the site, then they need to be isolated from each other, since the plants cross-pollinate very quickly.

Hyssop is a perennial herb or subshrub up to 60 cm tall from the Lamiaceae family. Among the people, because of the blue small flowers collected in an inflorescence like a spikelet, another name for the grass is used - blue St. John's wort. But there are species with both white and pink flowers. The branched trunk is densely strewn with oblong or linear leaves.

Hyssop grows in the steppes, on hills and hills. It can be found in the south and middle part of the European territory of Russia, in Siberia. Grown as a spice and for decorative and medicinal use.

Common types

Now there are more than 50 varieties of culture known in the world. The most common types: medicinal hyssop, chalk, anise.

Features of the species:

1. Medicinal (ordinary) – shrubby plant with a rigid stem up to 60 cm high and woody branches. Flowers (blue, white, pink) grow in the axils of the leaves with drooping edges. Flowering continues from mid-summer until September. The medicinal properties of hyssop gave the species its name.
2. Anise (anise lofant) is a branched perennial 50-110 cm tall with purple-brown markings on the leaves. On each branch there is a violet-blue inflorescence in the shape of a spikelet (8-15 cm), emitting the smell of anise when rubbed. It has medicinal properties; in Eastern countries it is equal to ginseng, eleutherococcus, and lemongrass.
3. Cretaceous - a low, up to 30 cm, plant, similar to medicinal hyssop, exudes a strong balsamic aroma. So named because it grows in the wild on chalk soils. Listed in the Red Book of Russia and Ukraine.

Chemical composition and properties

The composition of medicinal hyssop has been well studied, and its medicinal properties are based on the presence of certain substances that have a specific effect on organs and systems.

Action of components:

The medicinal properties of medicinal hyssop (ordinary) are very pronounced, therefore, before using it as an independent drug or as a component in complex treatment, you should be aware of the limitations in use. There are also direct contraindications to its use for certain diseases.

Information! Hyssop contains substances that have a mildly toxic effect, so taking products containing it requires a time limit. Before use, you should consult your doctor to clarify the dosage - exceeding it may provoke vasospasm.

When not to use hyssop:

• epilepsy;
• kidney diseases;
• hypertension;
• increased acidity of gastric juice;
• age up to 12 years;
• lactation;
• pregnancy.

Hyssop and cooking

For culinary purposes, young tender leaves and the top of the inflorescence are used - the spicy smell of hyssop adds aroma and piquancy to dishes, and the bitterness in the composition stimulates the secretion of gastric juice.

Spice is added to meat, minced meat, sausages, pates, vegetables, marinades, pickles, and a small amount of other spices enhances the aroma of hyssop. Due to the strong spicy aroma and specific composition, you need to be careful when adding hyssop to vegetables - you can ruin the taste by making it bitter.

As a spice, hyssop should be used in a standardized amount - 0.5g in soups, 0.3g in main courses, 0.2g in sauces. It is not recommended to cover the dish after adding spices - the aroma becomes too strong and can overshadow all other smells.

Traditional medicine and hyssop

Hyssop herb is a favorite folk medicine, and decoctions, infusions, tinctures, and syrups are prepared on its basis.

Application options:

1. Decoction – add dried hyssop herb (100g) to 1 liter of water (100°C) and keep on fire for 5 minutes, then dissolve sugar (150g), filter and use 100ml per day for respiratory diseases.
2. The tincture is prepared from 1 liter of dry white wine and dry hyssop (100g) in the dark and cool with constant shaking for 21 days. Reception for 1 hour. l. 3 times a day. Indications for use: flatulence, colitis. Used in compresses to accelerate skin regeneration around wounds.
3. Infusion - stir the herb (20g) in boiling water (1l), wrap and let stand for 25 minutes, strain. Use 3 times a day for poor appetite, to reduce fermentation, externally for diseases of the oral cavity, conjunctivitis, herpes.
4. Syrup - prepare (30 minutes) an infusion of 100g of herbs and boiling water (1l), strain, dissolve sugar (1.5kg) and boil until syrupy. Take 1 tbsp. l. at least 5 times a day.

How to grow hyssop

When choosing a site for growing hyssop, you need to take into account that it can grow in one place for 5-10 years, then it needs to be replanted, otherwise the number of flowers is significantly reduced and the plant becomes smaller.

The culture does not make any demands on the soil special requirements, you just need to check the acidity - hyssop does not tolerate acidic soils. If it is not possible to plant in another place, then the soil is limed.

The area should be dry, well lit, but light partial shade is acceptable. When planted in the shade, the bushes stretch out, become weak and inconspicuous, and the color of the flowers is less saturated.

You need to prepare the place for planting the plant in the fall. Preparation consists of digging and simultaneously adding compost (5 kg per 1 m²), superphosphate and potassium salt (30 g and 20-30 g per 1 m², respectively). After the soil thaws in the spring, it is dug up again, adding ammonium nitrate or urea (15-20 g per 1 m²).

Growing by seeds

Hyssop can be planted in both autumn and spring - it all depends on the availability of seeds, opportunities, and weather conditions.

Due to their small size, the seeds are mixed with fine river sand and spread into moistened grooves 1 cm deep, lightly sprinkled with earth, then with peat so that a crust does not form on the surface. Germination begins after 10-14 days at a temperature of +2°- +3°C, the plant will begin to bloom the next year.

Seedling growing method

Seeds for seedlings are sown in early March in small containers. You need to fill it with a layer of soil no more than 1.5 cm - the seeds are small and difficult for them to break through thick layer. The containers are covered with film, glass and put in a warm place. If there are 2 leaves, pick them into individual cups, leaving the growing point above the ground.

After 50-60 days, when the plant has formed 5-6 leaves, the temperature outside is not lower than 10°, it is planted in open ground, leaving a distance of 30-40 cm between the bushes. Plantings are protected from possible frosts.

Planting care

Like any other plant, hyssop needs weeding, loosening, watering and fertilizing.

Care stages:

• Watering is required moderately, without waterlogging the soil, so that root system felt comfortable;
• young plants (1-2 years) should be fertilized with organic matter and mineral fertilizers once every 30 days, excluding nitrogen at the beginning of flowering;
• flowering lasts longer if faded buds are cut off;
• in the fall, before the onset of cold weather, it is necessary to carry out sanitary pruning of young shoots, leaving 10-12 cm in length - this will activate the growth of stems in the next season;
• There is no need to cover it for the winter; you just need to cover the soil near the trunk with dry leaves and straw to protect the roots.

Information! Due to its strong specific odor, pests do not like hyssop. Diseases also avoid him.

Hyssop can be propagated by sowing seeds, dividing the bush, and cuttings.

Method of dividing the bush

Dividing the bush is very convenient and easy way. To do this, choose a strong bush, dig it up after flowering, and divide it into parts (divisions). Each division is planted in a hole and watered well. Planting should be done before the onset of frost so that the root system takes root in a new place.

Cuttings

You can take cuttings throughout the growing season. Cut 10cm long pieces from any strong shoot and plant them in a mixture of equal parts peat and sand, deepening by 50%. Cover with a jar or glass on top to create Greenhouse effect. Care consists of watering and protecting the hyssop plantings from the bright sun.

The greenhouse is removed when shoots appear, and in the fall the seedling is transplanted into place. Next year the plant will begin to bloom.

Seed collection

Hyssop reproduces well by self-sowing and, if the seeds are allowed to scatter after ripening, the plantings will take on a sloppy, unkempt appearance, and the grown plants will be weak and inconspicuous. To prevent this from happening, shoots with seed pods that have begun to turn brown, without waiting for the seeds to fully ripen, are cut off and hung down in pods to dry and ripen.

When sown in the soil in spring, the seeds are subjected to stratification, but when sowing seedlings, this is not necessary.

To prevent the seeds from spilling out, the boxes are tied with cloth.

Growing hyssop on personal plot brings double benefits - a source of medicinal raw materials and decorative design territories. The culture looks great in the company of perennials, will decorate an alpine hill and lawn, and will create hedge along the paths, and planted together with other medicinal plants will create a beautiful, useful corner on your territory. Caring for it is simple and not burdensome.

This spicy-tasting crop was once considered a wild plant, but thanks to its beautiful inflorescences, hyssop began to be cultivated, moving closer to humans. The main value of a perennial is its biological features– Hyssop is considered a medicinal herb.

Even though hyssop is herbaceous plant, outwardly it looks like a bush. Its ascending tetrahedral pubescent stems sometimes reach a height of 70 cm. If the plant was planted in fertile soil, then at least 50 stems with oblong wedge-shaped leaves will develop on the bush.

The plant attracts with its pinkish-violet or deep blue flowers (sometimes white ones are also found). They are collected in small intermittent spike-shaped inflorescences, evenly distributed along the stems. The flowers emit an intoxicating aroma that attracts bees. Therefore, hyssop is often grown as a honey plant.

Types and varieties

Mention of this bushy grass is found in ancient treatises. The properties of hyssop were used back in the time of Avicenna. Nowadays they use not only gifts wildlife, but also actively cultivate hyssop, creating new selection varieties. Under natural conditions, 3 varieties of this plant grow.

The most common is medicinal hyssop. You can meet it in the steppes and on mountain slopes. The above description exactly matches this species. The bushes bloom, exuding an amazing aroma, from June until September.

It received this name because the plant is the first to settle on chalk formations. It blooms only with blue inflorescences, but the aroma is quite strong, balsamic. It attracts not only bees, but also grazing animals. Persistent odor Hyssop is also used in perfumery. All this leads to degeneration of the plant, which is already listed in the Red Book.

The species has a small height; its bushes are often used in borders and to frame ridges and alpine slides. Not only the inflorescences of the plant are fragrant, but also the leaves - they really smell like anise. The flowers themselves are used in food and their shades allow you to decorate any dish.

Breeders have long paid attention to this crop. Their goal is to improve the nutritional and medicinal properties of the plant. After all, not only summer residents grow hyssop - they also use it in industrial production. The most common varieties are “Pink Flamingo”, “Nikitsky White”, “Amethyst”, “Lekar” and a number of others.

When to plant seedlings

Reproduces herbaceous perennial seeds. They can be sown immediately in open ground, but most often they resort to the seedling method, which makes it possible to grow more resistant bushes. In order to plant sprouts on the site in May, they must be sown in seedling boxes in the first half of March, i.e. 60 days before transfer to soil.

It is not necessary to buy hyssop seedlings - they can be easily grown at home on your windowsill. To do this, just purchase a small seedling box and fill it with clean sand.

The seeds can simply be mixed with sand, but it is better to make shallow furrows in it at a distance of 3 cm from each other, remembering to moisten them. After 10-12 days you can see the first shoots. When the seedlings have at least 3 true leaves, you can start picking in separate cups (plastic or peat) and grow the seedlings in them.

Planting in open ground

About 2 months should pass from the moment of sowing seeds for seedlings to transferring them to open ground. To understand that the plant is ready for this, the real leaves are counted - there should be at least 6 of them. A favorable time for planting seedlings on a plot is the second half of May, when there is no longer a risk of frost.

To begin with, seedlings are planted at a distance of 25-35 cm from each other. But after rooting, it is advisable to thin them out by transplanting the excess ones into another flowerbed. The seedlings should not be planted deep into the soil - a maximum of 10 cm, so that the growing point is not covered with soil.

Sowing seeds in open ground

Some grow hyssop and in a seedless way, sending the seeds directly into open ground. This is done at the end of April or beginning of May, mixing the seeds with sand. The seed is distributed over shallow grooves (0.5-0.8 cm), the distance between which should be at least 50 cm.

The seeds are first sprinkled with a small layer of soil (1 cm), then with a layer of peat. It will prevent the soil from being washed away during watering and the formation of a crust on the soil. Sometimes hyssop is sown before winter, then mulching should not be used. In any case, the seeds will begin to germinate when the air temperature reaches +5°C.

The first shoots can already be expected in 1.5 weeks. When there are at least 8 true leaves on the plant, the rows should be thinned, leaving 20 cm of free space between the bushes.

Hyssop is an unpretentious plant, so it does not require special care behind you. The bush feels comfortable on any soil except swampy soil.

• The crop does not require abundant watering - it is enough to periodically irrigate the flowerbed in hot weather. And here high humidity destructive for the flower.
• Feeding should also be moderate, otherwise all the energy will go to the growth of the bush to the detriment of flowering. Complex of mineral fertilizers in a concentration of 2 tbsp. A bucket of water is first added a month after germination. Subsequent feedings are repeated once every 30 days throughout the entire flowering period. You should not add manure to the flowerbed - it will kill the aroma of the herb.
• Sanitary pruning of the plant, which is carried out before winter, is important. This stimulates the bush to develop lushly next year.
• There is no need to fight pests, since the specific smell of the plant drives them away.

When growing hyssop, you should take into account the fact that it can actively develop in one place for no more than 7 years, and then begins to degenerate. Experienced summer residents It is recommended to replant the plant every 5 years, while dismembering the bushes for propagation.

Hyssop - planting and care: video

Useful properties and contraindications

In some European countries, hyssop is used in official medicine. In Russia, the properties of this medicinal herb are still mostly used by traditional healers.

Hyssop has a pharmacological effect on the human body that resembles medicinal sage. In therapy, exclusively the upper parts of the shoots with inflorescences are used. It is here that the largest accumulation of essential oils, resins, tannins, acids (oleanic and ursolic), as well as the pigment hyssopin, is found.

IN folk medicine They use the expectorant, antispasmodic and antiseptic properties of the plant. Positive Impact Hyssop helps with the following health problems:

1. diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
2. chronic colitis, flatulence and constipation;
3. laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis;
4. angina and anemia;
5. various neuroses and rheumatic pains.

Hyssop decoctions are also used externally - for rinsing the mouth for gingivitis and stomatitis, for washing the conjunctival eyes, for ulcers, wounds, hematomas, bruises (in the form of compresses).

Hyssop also promotes better digestion, so it is often taken to increase appetite.

Each treatment process should be treated individually, because where there are benefits for some, there will certainly be contraindications for others. In addition, hyssop can be classified as a slightly poisonous plant, and this must be taken into account.

• When treating gastrointestinal diseases, you need to take into account the acidity of the stomach - if it is elevated, hyssop is contraindicated.
• Hypertensive patients and people with kidney problems should not use hyssop-based preparations.
• In pregnant women, this herb can cause miscarriage.
• Hyssop is also contraindicated for nursing mothers - it has a negative effect on lactation.
• Even slight toxicity, as well as a high percentage of essential oils, is already a reason not to give hyssop-based products to children under 12 years of age.
• People with epilepsy are given preparations of this herb only after consultation with their doctor and strictly in certain dosages.

In all other cases when culture can be used in folk medicinal compositions, you should do this with caution - an overdose can lead to serious consequences.

It’s not for nothing that hyssop is called a spicy-flavoring crop - it is actually used in food industry. For example, weed is one of the ingredients in the popular Chartreuse liqueur. But spice is not only added to drinks - you can also find it in some oils and sausages that are produced in European countries. Foreigners add hyssop to stuffed eggs and mix it with cottage cheese.

In the home cooking of our compatriots, hyssop (young leaves and inflorescences) is used as a herb in various dishes. The aroma of the culture well complements the nutritional qualities of meat and fish products. The herb gives a piquant flavor to salads. Along with basil, celery, dill and other herbs, hyssop is used in home preservation.

But when introducing this plant into the diet, you need to know when to stop it so as not to cause poisoning of the body. Again, before seasoning dishes with hyssop, you should remember the contraindications to it.

If herb After all, it is used in cooking, you will have to strictly adhere to this rule - under no circumstances cover the container with a lid. The essential odors of hyssop will permeate all food, spoiling it. And here apple cider vinegar this property will only add originality. 4 sprigs of hyssop are infused in vinegar for several days, and then they are used to season salads with this mixture (but this is not for everyone).

Hyssop. Spicy plant: video

• Bloom: from June to October.
• Landing: sowing seeds in open ground - in April or May, sowing seeds for seedlings - in the first half of March, planting seedlings in open ground - in the second half of May.
• Lighting: bright sunlight.
• The soil: moderately moist, well-drained, calcareous and pre-fertilized.
• Watering: only during prolonged drought, consumption per 1 m² of land is 15-20 liters of water.
• Feeding: only if necessary, with a solution of complex mineral or organic fertilizer.
• Trimming: simultaneously with the collection of medicinal raw materials.
• Reproduction: seed, including self-sowing.
• Pests: don't hit.
• Diseases: rust, rhizoctonia, fusarium wilt or white spot.
• Properties: is medicinal plant, which has an expectorant, antipyretic, antiseptic, diuretic, bactericidal, laxative, analgesic, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, wound-healing and stimulating effect.

Read more about growing hyssop below.

Hyssop plant - description

The root of hyssop is woody, the stems are branched, tetrahedral, short-haired or almost bare, twig-like, woody at the base, 45 to 70 cm long. The leaves are almost sessile, opposite, short-petiolate, lanceolate, entire, 2 to 4 cm long and 4 cm wide. up to 9 mm. Small two-lipped purple, blue, white or pink flowers, located 3-7 pieces in the leaf axils, form an apical spike-shaped inflorescence. Hyssop continues to bloom from June to October. The aroma of the plant attracts bees to the garden: any type of hyssop is a honey plant. Hyssop seeds, which ripen in the second half of August, remain viable for three to four years. Possessing a strong spicy aroma, the plant remains green even with the onset of winter.

Hyssop is a popular culinary spice and a universal medicine.

Growing hyssop from seeds

Sowing hyssop seeds.

How to grow hyssop? Hyssop is propagated by dividing the bush and by seeds. Seeds can be sown in open ground in April-May, or you can first grow hyssop seedlings, for which the seeds, without prior stratification, are sown in seedling boxes with fertile soil in the first half of March, in grooves located at a distance of 5-10 cm from each other. Contains crops covered with transparent plastic film, in a warm place.

Caring for hyssop seedlings.

Shoots appear in a couple of weeks. Caring for hyssop during the seedling period consists of: regular moisturizing soil and fertilizing. At the stage of development, seedlings have 5-6 true leaves; they are planted in open ground, but two weeks before planting, the seedlings are hardened by exposing them to open air. At first, the hardening session lasts no more than half an hour, but gradually the duration of such “walks” increases until hyssop from seeds can stay in the new environment for a whole day.

Planting hyssop in open ground

Soil for hyssop.

Hyssop can grow in one place for up to 10 years, so you need to choose a site for the plant responsibly. Hyssop loves the sun and moderately moist, well-drained calcareous soil, into which manure, potassium salt and a little superphosphate are added in advance, in the fall, for deep digging. Unsuitable for the plant are saline and swampy areas, as well as those where groundwater lie too close to the surface.

How and when to plant hyssop.

Hyssop is planted in open ground at the age of 45-60 days in the second half of May, when the threat of return frosts has passed. Hyssop is planted in loose soil in increments of 8-10 cm with row spacing of 25-30 cm. After planting, the area is watered.

How to grow hyssop

Caring for hyssop.

Growing hyssop is a simple and enjoyable task. All you need to do is water it occasionally, loosen the soil around the bushes, remove weeds at first and add fertilizer to the soil. Hyssop is watered only during prolonged drought, spending 15-20 liters of water per m² of plot, but usually the plant looks fresh even in severe dry conditions, and natural precipitation is sufficient for it.

If it seems to you that hyssop is growing slowly, feed it with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer at the rate of 20-30 g per 10 liters of water, although it is better to use organic fertilizers. If the plant does not bloom well, this means that the soil is oversaturated with fertilizers, and hyssop does not like this.

Formative pruning of hyssop is usually combined with the preparation of medicinal raw materials. The plant tolerates cutting easily and grows back quickly after it. The plant overwinters without shelter. In autumn, hyssop shoots are cut at a height of 10-15 cm. This is done in order to stimulate abundant flowering and the formation of a dense bush in the next growing season.

If you grow hyssop as a medicinal raw material, try to avoid self-sowing as this weakens healing properties plants. To avoid self-seeding, you need to carry out regular weeding and cut the bush before the seeds begin to ripen.

Although hyssop can live in one place for a decade, after 4 years it begins to bloom worse, so you should rejuvenate the plant by cuttings or dig up, divide and transplant the hyssop bushes to a new place.

Pests and diseases of hyssop.

Hyssop is extremely disease and pest resistant, but can sometimes be affected by rust, rhizoctonia, fusarium wilt or white spot. You can destroy pathogens by treating hyssop with fungicides, but if you follow crop rotation and plant care rules, hyssop is unlikely to get sick. Don't forget after autumn pruning remove plant debris from the site.

As for pests, the smell of hyssop repels them not only from the area with the plant, but also from crops growing in the vicinity of the hyssop.

What to plant after hyssop.

After hyssop you can plant beans, peas, potatoes, tomatoes, onions and garlic.

Cretaceous hyssop appearance does not differ from medicinal hyssop: it is also a subshrub, reaching a height of 20 to 50 cm. Blue flowers Cretaceous hyssop produces a strong balsamic odor. This rare plant settles on Cretaceous deposits and is listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

Anise hyssop is also a subshrub with a height of 50 to 110 cm. The green leaves of this species with purple-brown markings have a pleasant anise aroma, which becomes brighter when the leaves are rubbed. Hyssop flowers have an aniseed, lavender hue; they are edible and used as an ingredient in salads.

As for medicinal hyssop, a description of which we gave at the beginning of the article, the most famous are the following varieties of this plant:

• – Chord– mid-season, disease resistant frost-resistant variety with pink flowers;
• – Pink fog– also a mid-season variety with flowers of a soft pink hue, characterized by drought resistance, heat resistance and cold resistance;
• – Amethyst– a plant 30-35 cm high with a bush diameter of 40-50 cm. Pink flowers bloom in late summer and fade in late autumn;
• – Frost– mid-season productive variety with white flowers;
• – Otradny Semko- semi-spreading bush 50-60 cm high with small dark blue flowers.

In addition to those described, popular varieties of medicinal hyssop are Pink Flamingo, Rassvet, Lekar, Nikitsky white and others.

Properties of hyssop - harm and benefit

Medicinal properties of hyssop.

The beneficial properties of hyssop have been used by mankind for a long time. The plant contains a large amount of vitamins: A, B, C, E, K, D and PP. The leaves and roots of hyssop are rich in iron, copper, manganese, potassium, selenium, chlorine, silicon, fluorine, tungsten and boron. Hyssop also contains tannins, bitterness, aldehydes, oleanolic and ursolic acids, flavonoids, alcohols and essential oils. Varieties with white flowers contain maximum amount essential oil, and varieties with pink flowers - minimal.

Hyssop has an expectorant, antipyretic, antiseptic, diuretic, bactericidal, laxative, analgesic, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, wound-healing and stimulating effect. Hyssop is used for infectious and colds, illnesses oral cavity and respiratory tract, inflammation of the urinary tract, rheumatism, neuroses, angina pectoris, colitis, bloating, conjunctivitis and skin diseases.

For healing purposes, not only leaves and roots are used, but also hyssop flowers, which are dried and added to tea for various diseases, but most often hyssop preparations such as decoction, tincture or infusion are used. The tincture is used for gastrointestinal diseases, for the treatment of hematomas, wounds, burns and other skin injuries. Hyssop infusions are used to gargle for stomatitis and wash the eyes for conjunctivitis. Decoctions are used to treat the upper respiratory tract, colds and inflammation of the urinary tract. Tea with hyssop is useful for coughs, colds and sore throats; it increases blood pressure, lowers temperature and calms the nerves.

Hyssop – contraindications.

Since hyssop is a slightly poisonous plant, it should be consumed in medicinal purposes and should be eaten with caution. This contraindication of hyssop makes it necessary to consult a doctor before taking it, since in large doses and with prolonged use, hyssop can cause spasms. It is not recommended to use hyssop for pregnant women, children under 12 years of age, people suffering from kidney disease, hypertension or increased acidity stomach. Hyssop is also contraindicated for nursing mothers, since hyssop contains components that can reduce and even completely stop lactation.