Growing anise from seeds: fascinating germination and the intricacies of sowing
Spices in the garden have a threefold effect: they blow up beautifully in the garden, have a healing effect and serve as spices for most dishes. Growing anise from seeds will bring a lot of fun to the gardener, as it is a very exciting activity.
Despite its oriental origin, the culture is resistant to cold climates and can withstand temperatures as low as -5-7 ° C. At the same time, it is thermophilic, therefore, it is recommended to select southwestern or southern areas for planting it.
Humus, which is mainly used to saturate the site with nutrients, makes the soil loose. Sand is also suitable for this purpose, but over time it sinks deeper into the soil.
Growing anise from seeds - all ingenious is simple
The plant is not at all capricious and grows without problems in central Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. As with all other crops, it needs a neutral or even slightly alkaline earth. Experienced farmers practice sowing it in the spring. As soon as they have the opportunity to go into the garden, they immediately get down to business. They use not a point planting technology, but a massive one - dense sowing. As a result, some of the fresh herbs can be used for making salads. The event includes the following stages:
- scatter humus over the surface;
- dig up garden bed together with fertilizer;
- the earth is compacted a little so that there are no voids in the upper layer (one seed can lie to a depth of 6 cm, and the other can remain on the surface);
- make grooves about 1.5 cm, and row spacing - 35-40 cm;
- sown in the following proportion: 2 g per 1 m²;
- abundantly spill the landing.
Fertilizing the garden with high-moor peat should be extremely careful. It strongly oxidizes the soil, and this can be fatal to some plants.
Anise seeds germinate problematically, because of this they must be germinated without fail. Experienced gardeners are advised to place planting material in containers and fill with water. This is done so that the liquid covers the grains by 0.5-1 cm. In this state, they are left for 3 days. In this case, every 6-8 hours, the liquid is changed to fresh.
After the procedure, the seeds are laid out on a damp cloth and placed in the refrigerator for 3 days. There the temperature should be + 1 + 2 ° С. As a result, when the seeds are planted, they can germinate in 20 days. Still, you need to be careful, because if seedlings do not appear, then you should sound the alarm.
Anise vegetable has a not very deep root system. In this regard, the soil must be well prepared, which means it should be as loose as possible. Only in this case can you get an excellent harvest.
Bonus +: 3 germination technologies
The seeds of the plant have a fairly dense shell. Moreover, they contain the lion's share of essential oils, which makes them poorly permeable to liquid. As noted earlier, the grains must be germinated before growing anise in the garden. There are several technologies for this process:
- Seedling. In February, the seeds are sown in a box with a seeding depth of up to 2 cm. The soil is spilled qualitatively, covered with a glass cover and stored at 10-15 ° C.After 6 weeks, seedlings should hatch, and when 2 leaves appear, a pick is made in cups.
- Sow directly into wet soil. When choosing this method, it is important to take into account that seedlings will appear at different times: at a soil temperature of 3-4 ° C - after 25-30 days, and at 10-12 ° C - after 2 weeks.
- Soak. For 3-4 days, the grains are placed in water at room temperature (16-18 ° C), trying to change the liquid daily. After the expiration date, they are wrapped in a wet towel and kept in a warm place for 2-3 days (18-22 ° C). Further, the hatched sprouts are dried, and then stored wrapped in the refrigerator for 20 days (a well-known vernalization process).
Why is vernalization needed? It helps the plant adapt to adverse conditions. Often in spring the weather changes dramatically, which leads to fatal consequences, but hardened grains do not care. Moreover, they will rise much earlier, almost 10-11 days.
These 4 methods (the first is mentioned in the previous subheading) have many differences. It is impossible to say unequivocally which of them will be the most effective. After all, the results largely depend on the climatic conditions of the region, as well as the condition / composition of the soil. Nevertheless, the painstaking efforts of the farmer, in any case, will pay off with interest.
Garden bed care
The weather is often unpredictable. Therefore, even in spring, unbearable heat can come. Regardless of how the anise grows, it is recommended to water the garden. The procedure is carried out in the evening or in the morning. It is advisable to use warm rainwater. The plantation is necessarily periodically cleaned of weeds.
The key to a healthy and plentiful harvest is timely planting thinning. Such a procedure is necessary for the lush growth of the culture, and it also protects the plant from the appearance of diaper rash.
The site should be sunny, but protected from drafts. Otherwise, a gusty wind will lead to lodging of the raised shoots. You should also not neglect the basic rules for growing anise from seeds:
- Monitor soil moisture. This is especially true during the period of prolonged rains. If the plant is in wet soil for a long time, then its yield decreases, and diseases begin to progress.
- Use top dressing. In the first month of germination, the soil is fertilized first with organic matter, and a little later - mineral complexes... For this procedure, weakly concentrated solutions are prepared.
- Remove diseased inflorescences in time to prevent contamination of neighboring crops.
- Pinch / cut off young shoots with umbrellas. This activity contributes to the intensive formation of green mass.
Sufficiently mature bushes do not need a lot of moisture. Still, the soil needs to be watered and weeded periodically to remove weeds.
Among other things, some advise to sow anise only after planting vegetables. This is done if the garden is far from home. In addition, representatives of the Umbrella family should not be allowed to grow nearby. If the above rules are followed from 10 m², the gardener will receive more than 1 kg of seeds, not counting the fresh herbs, which he takes for salads.
The harvest is large and ready to harvest
Succulent leaves are advised to be cut when the bush reaches 40 cm in height. At the same time, his umbrellas should still be green, and the seeds should only begin to set. When these original stars are ripe, they are harvested in this way:
- cut off the yellowed stems along with the inflorescences, which have acquired a brownish tint;
- tied into bundles;
- leave to dry under a canopy;
- thresh and collect grain.
The spice is stored in an airtight container or cotton bags. For blanks, choose a dry, cool place without access to sunlight. It is important to take into account that the planting material is suitable for sowing only the first 2 years.
For medicinal purposes, greens are harvested in September, when the umbrellas turn light brown.The branches are laid out on a canvas and dried. This can also be done in dryers, setting the temperature to about 50 ° C.
Thus, growing anise from seed will bring maximum benefits to the whole family. In spring they will be able to enjoy the delicate taste of juicy greenery, in summer - the enchanting aromas of planting, and in winter - the healing properties of oriental spice.