Valerian - effect, application, cultivation and harvest

Valerian root has proven to be a herbal tranquilizer

Valerian, also called witch or cat herb, is a honeysuckle and is known to help relax and help you fall asleep. The plant is easy to grow. In which complaints the herb is used and what you have to pay attention to when growing in your own garden, you can find out here.

contents

• Valerian root has proven to be a herbal tranquilizer
• Valerian at a glance - The most important facts
• Biological features
• Application areas of valerian
• Valuable ingredients in valerian root
• Valerian as a medicine - application
• Recipe for valerian tea
• Important instructions
• Valerian sow and harvest
• Loosen clay soil
• A light germ
• Valerian needs moisture
• Diseases and pests
• An extensive relationship
• The herb of the light god
• Valerian to eat

Valerian at a glance - The most important facts

• The medicinal plant helps against sleep disorders, stress, fears, migraines, menstrual and stomach complaints as well as against nervousness and inner restlessness.
• Children under 12 should not take valerian supplements.
• After a long time taking a break should be inserted.
• The plant is suitable for commercial cultivation as well as a garden plant.
• It is sown in March and April, it blooms from May to August. We harvest year-round, but only since the second year.
• Valerian is a perennial plant - not a species, but a genus with several species whose characteristics are similar.
• Our genuine valerian, Valeriana officinalis, comes as a wild form from temperate Eurasia. Here it grows in trenches, in forest clearings, on wet meadows and at the edge of the forest.
• The plant loves sun, the soil should be rich in nutrients and permeable.
• Valerian plants are very adaptable, but they do not tolerate extreme heat and drought.

Valerian grows well in its own garden and attracts numerous insects in summer. (Image: emberiza / fotolia.com)

Biological features

Valerian is a perennial that reaches between 90 cm and 200 cm in height, depending on the amount of nutrients and solar radiation. It anchors with yellow-white roots, which branch several times and have a typical smell (stink root). The roots are branched, but not deep. In winter, the plant lives on in its roots.

From late March to mid-April, depending on the weather, the first leaves sprout in a similar color as peppermint. They have a lancet shape, but the margins are feathery and secondly sawn. The lower leaves are the largest, the upper ones the smallest; they drape opposite each other on the stalk. Its color varies between brown and green. He is slightly hairy.

For fruit ripening, valerian produces fruits that are reminiscent of nuts and are up to 5 mm long. There is one seed per fruit.

Application areas of valerian

Valerian roots were known as medicinal plants in antiquity - in Europe as well as in Asia as far as India and Pakistan. In the Middle Ages, it served as a remedy for entirely different purposes than today.

Instead of sleeping disorders and inner restlessness, it should help against acne, against flatulence or against cough, against headaches and eye diseases.

To do this, the doctors mixed the root with wine, opium, licorice or anise. Hildegard von Bingen recommended it against pleurisy (also pleurisy) and the disease Vicht, which were probably neoplastic tumors.

Preparations from the Valerian root have been used since the 18th century as a natural sleep and sedative. (Image: behewa / fotolia.com)

It was not until the 18th century that the calming and sleep-promoting properties of the medicinal plant were discovered and from then on used as a natural sedative. Valerian comes as a natural remedy for complaints such as

• insomnia,
• nervousness,
• stress,
• Migraines and other headaches,
• anxiety,
• Gastrointestinal problems and
• Menopausal

for use.

Valuable ingredients in valerian root

From valerian we use the root. We dig them out in the fall and dry them. Alternatively, these are also available in the health food store or in the pharmacy. The dried roots we can eat pure or make a tea from it, make a medical wine, a tincture or a bath additive. This promotes sleep, helps against spasmodic pain in the stomach and inner restlessness.

The most important ingredients are contained in the Valerian Root Essential Oil:

• borneol,
• Valeranon and
• Valerenal.

Added to this are the valeric acids.

Valerian as a medicine - application

We usually take valerian as capsules, tablets or as root tea to us. The tablets are indicated for acute problems, such as anxiety about exams. In contrast, we drink tea for sleeping disorders, chronic restlessness or mentally induced headaches.

Recipe for valerian tea

For a valerian tea, we take about 3 grams of valerian root and pour over 300 ml of boiling water. We let the tea go for ten minutes before we drink it.

Important instructions

Children under the age of 12 should not take valerian supplements as there is very little medical evaluation of valerian in children. If you have been taking the remedy for an extended period of time, such as sleep disturbances, you should take a month off before resorting to it again.

Valerian sow and harvest

The best way to sow the medicinal plant in seed boxes, ideally in the greenhouse, while the night frost is still strikes, because the sensitive seeds do not tolerate strong frost. When the seedlings show leaves, and the sun shines between March and the end of April depending on the cold snap, we plant the tender plantlets - at a distance of about 60 cm, because valerian develops into a perennial with a height of 1 m.

The white-pink flowers show up only in the second year. (Image: LianeM / fotolia.com)

We plant on a well-loosened soil - if the earth is seven, it is optimal for the perennial plant. It is best to rake vigorously before using the plants. Ideal is a southern exposure without shady trees and full sun.

If the valerian grows then you can reap in the second year. Only in the second year does the perennial produce flowers, which in turn form seeds. Of course, the wind spreads these seeds.

From July to August, the flowers can collect and dry, in October, the roots. It is best to collect the flowers in the early morning: the lower the temperature, the more active ingredients are contained.

Loosen clay soil

If the soil is loamy you should loosen it up with sand. So more air gets into the ground and the water reaches the roots better. Conversely, you should mix a very sandy soil with compost soil. The seeds should be fresh, since valerian seeds from the previous year rarely germinate.

You hardly have to fertilize. Compost in the garden is sufficient as a fertilizer completely. In the bucket you can help every 6 weeks with herbal fertilizer.

In order to be able to clean the roots well, we grow valerian on a sieve-like soil with few stones. The less other wild herbs are present, the deeper and looser the soil, the better the yield. The more humus in the soil, the more fine roots emerge and the heavier the cleaning of the roots.

A light germ

The medicinal herb is a light germ. Therefore, you only have to push the seeds slightly into the ground and then keep them moist. Sowing takes place in the bed or in tub in March and April. You do not need a preculture. You can also sow in pots on a balcony or terrace. Make sure the pots are wide as valerian roots grow laterally.

Valerian needs moisture

In drought periods, sprinkling or watering is a must, because Valerian loves moisture. Ideally, the soil is always slightly moist. The cadmium content in the soil should be less than 0.5 mg / kg. You should also have the soil examined for lead and mercury.

Generally, you should only grow medicinal plants in locations away from industrial and urban waste. Low temperatures are no problem. Valerian is frost hardy.

Diseases and pests

The plant is robust. Aphids hunt for the shrubs and settle in the leaf axils. We can remove it with water spray or with a tape. Mildew can occur, but is rare. This valerian attacks especially when the perennials grow dense, and the soil contains too much nutrients.

Among the valerian plants is also the lamb's lettuce. (Image: TwilightArtPictures / fotolia.com)

An extensive relationship

Valeriana officinalis belongs to the genus Valerian and has more than 400 cousins. His relatives include the wild card and the lamb's lettuce. The valerian is not the only plant among valerian plants. Valeriana wallrothii is grown as a medicinal plant, and the Indian spikenard (Valeriana jatamansi) is popular in India as a spice.

The herb of the light god

The name valerian derives from Baldur, the Germanic god of light. The Latin name comes from the verb valere, and that means "to be healthy". The species name officinalis stems from the fact that the herb in the pharmacies (officin) issued.

Baldur was not only the god of light but also the sun, spring and righteousness. It is possible that the valerian was considered "compensatory justice" for sleep disorders and mental stress, for which those affected did not blame.

Valerian to eat

Valerian is not only a medicinal plant, but also a spice. In Indian cuisine, the ground root is popular for soups and stews. The taste is unique - a little bitter with a sweet undertone.

The early leaves can be used like corn salad and also taste similar. No wonder, they are relatives. (Dr. Utz Anhalt)

literature
E. Monzana; A. Joorabloo: Evaluation of Medicinal Plant Valerian (Valeriana Officinalis L.) Essential Oil Compositions Cultivated At Garmsar Zone in Iran. In: Journal of Pharmaceutical and Scientific Innovation. Vol. 3 2012.
Manfred Pahlow: The big book of medicinal plants. Healthy through the healing powers of nature. , 2013.