Valerian - this herb is primarily known as a remedy for sleep problems. A drop of valerian oil dripped onto your pillow can make your night more restful. If you want to grow this plant yourself, you should take a few aspects into account. What are these?
What conditions does valerian need when growing?
When growing valerian, you should choose a sunny to slightly shady location that is warm and dry. The soil should be nutrient-rich, loose, semi-permeable and deep. Sowing is best done in seed trays from March/April and the flowering period is between June and July.
Does valerian prefer a sunny or shady place?
The valerian does not place any outstanding demands on the location. It is ideal if the location guarantees around 6 hours of sunshine a day. It can therefore be a full sunny location facing south.
Slightly shady locations can also be suitable for valerian. It is also important that the location is warm and dry. If necessary, valerian can also tolerate rough locations as it is sufficiently frost hardy.
What should you pay attention to when choosing substrate and preparing the soil?
Valerian can cope with many soils that are not prone to extremes. When planting, make sure that the substrate meets the following points:
- nutrient-rich (preferably freshly enriched with compost)
- easy
- semi-permeable
- pH value between 5.5 and 7.0
- profound
How and when is valerian sown?
It often turns out to be a small challenge and a test of patience to sow valerian. The seeds of various types are commercially available. However, the seeds have rather poor germinability.
On top of that, the germination process takes a relatively long time. It is best if you use fresh seeds that are not older than 1 year. As the storage time increases, the seeds lose their ability to germinate.
Here are a few tips:
- Prefer at home in seed trays or pots from March/April
- Seeds are light germinators
- do not cover with soil, just press down
- keep moist
- Germination time: 4 to 6 weeks
- Direct sowing (from May) is rarely successful with a small amount of seeds
When does flowering begin and when does it end?
If you have sown valerian in spring or planted it as a purchased seedling, you can see the flowers in summer. Flowering usually begins in June/July and lasts for several weeks.
Tip
Since valerian likes to form runners in advantageous locations, you should plant it in a place where it will not be a nuisance when it grows. So it's better to stay outside of flower beds.
