Method of cultivation and maintenance of Echium amoenum

Method of cultivation and maintenance of Echium amoenum

Cold and semi-humid mountain climates with intermittent rains during spring and summer are good for growing this plant. Echium amoenum is planted in two seasons, autumn and spring, and the best method of sowing seeds is in autumn. Planting depth is 12 cm and the distance between plants is 40 to 50 cm and the distance between rows is 60 to 70 cm. The amount of seed consumption per hectare is 4 kg. The useful life of the Echium amoenum plant is 2 years and its maximum life is 4 years.

Echium amoenum seeds germinate in 5 to 21 days at a temperature of 21 degrees Celsius. Cowslip flowers can be planted indoors or directly outside the house from early to late spring after the soil has warmed up. Indoor cultivation is usually done 4 to 8 weeks before outdoor cultivation. Seeds should be sown at a depth of 3 cm in a planting tray or pot containing compost. Make sure the culture medium is moist (but not wet). Cover the area around the crockery with plastic wrap for better germination. Care should be taken to transfer the seedling of ox tongue flower so that its roots are not damaged. If you want to grow this plant directly in the main place, it is better to plow the suitable soil well and plant the seeds a little deeper, ie up to a depth of 10 cm. Place 40 to 50 cm between each plant and 60 to 70 cm between rows and water well. Seedlings grow quickly after germination and are well distinguishable from weeds.

The sowing date of seeds is from the end of March to June. If the area does not have very cold winters, planting can be done in autumn, in which case the green plants will flower in May of the following year, while the plants planted in spring will never be earlier. They do not flower from July. But foothills are more suitable for cultivation.

Suitable climatic conditions when Echium amoenum flowering and observing the principles of agriculture are the most important reasons for increasing Echium amoenum harvest. Weeding of Echium amoenum fields should be done frequently.

In areas with sufficient rainfall and suitable rainfall distribution, cultivation is done in the dry season. But in arid areas, regular irrigation is needed. The most important pest of this plant is the leaf-eating worm, which causes the most damage to the plant at the time of harvest, and since chemical control is not appropriate at this time, it is necessary to use biological control.

The most important pest of ox tongue flowers
The most important pest of Echium amoenum is the leaf-eating worm, which causes the most damage during harvesting, and because chemical control is not advisable at this time, biological control is recommended. Powdery mildew may also occur. External contact with fresh Echium amoenum leaves may cause itchy skin in some sensitive people. Thorns on the surface of the plant can irritate your skin, so it is advisable to use gloves when working with ox tongue flowers. Echium amoenum is harmful to pregnant women and children due to its alkaloids.

How to harvest ox tongue flowers
The most difficult step in working with Echium amoenum is harvesting it. The process of potting flowers takes place in early June and the arranged flowers are spread on a cloth or plastic tablecloths 2-3 cm high next to the field and placed on the cloth so that it does not get sunny. Of course, drying the product in the shade is better and will give a better product. The average production of cow tongue flowers per hectare is 600 kg, which is one kilo of dried flowers for every 10 kg of fresh flowers.
It is necessary to stir the flowers while drying. A quality flower is a flower that has a white tail and purple petals. Its yield is about 1100-1000 kg of fresh flowers, from which about 300-250 kg of dried flowers are obtained.

Harvest time of Echium amoenum
The first harvest time is in late June. From this time on, the harvest can be continued for several weeks due to the blossoming of the flower.

Compatibility
Echium amoenum is mostly found in Ramsar, Rudsar and Shahsavar heights as a vehicle as well as a field. Cold and semi-humid mountain climates with intermittent rains during spring and summer are good for growing this plant.

Planting cattle flowers Language:
Growing medicinal plants such as ox-tongue flowers is easy, and even inexperienced gardeners can do it. Echium amoenum should be planted in soil that is moderately rich in organic matter. Ensure that the soil is well drained and the pH is moderate. Sow the seeds directly in the ground after the cold. Echium amoenum seeds should be sown in a sunny or slightly shady place. Echium amoenum is a hardy plant and can be planted even in autumn or winter, when the first signs of spring appear. Echium amoenum seeds should be sown at a depth of 0.6 to 1.2 cm and the spacing of planting rows should be considered 30 cm. When the Echium amoenum plants reach a height of 10 to 15 cm, thin them at a distance of 30 cm. Echium amoenum seeds germinate in a few days.

Because over-watering is a bigger problem than under-watering, you should allow the soil around the Echium amoenum to dry between each watering. Before planting Echium amoenum, add some compost to the soil. Doing so provides the plant with plenty of nutrients. But be careful not to add too much compost.

Planting Echium amoenum along with strawberries attracts bees and increases fruit yield. Today, Echium amoenum is used sparingly in cooking and is mostly medicinal or used as a condiment.

Echium amoenum has long been traditionally used to treat many ailments such as kidney problems, and many people use Echium amoenum as a sedative.

Echium amoenum flowers go to seed after flowering and falling seeds on the ground causes the plant to continue. If you want the plant to grow again next year, you have to let the plant produce seeds, but if you do not want the plant to grow again next year, you have to pick the flowers before producing the seeds. Growing Echium amoenum in the garden requires a special space.

Echium amoenum harvest:
By planting Echium amoenum seeds every four weeks will ensure a source of Echium amoenum. The leaves can be harvested at any time and used fresh. After harvesting, the leaves can be dried and used. If Echium amoenum hosts bees, the honey produced tastes great.

Warning :
People with liver disease should not use Echium amoenum and may be toxic to the liver. Echium amoenum has been consumed by thousands of people for centuries and should probably be used in normal health in normal amounts. Excessive use of Echium amoenum may have a diuretic effect (causing frequent urination).

Cowslip is an oily and medicinal plant that has long been known for its healing properties, especially in France. This plant has empty hollow branches and its height reaches 50 cm. The leaves of this plant are relatively large and folded, dark green and egg-shaped, pointed, which are located on the stem of the plant. The whole surface of the plant is covered with white hairs and branches. The flowers of this plant are located at the end of the stem and are bright and star-shaped. The fruit of this plant is in the form of four small hazelnuts and is blackish brown in color. This plant is called healthy blue blossom in France. Because its flowers are blue and it is a good medicine for farmers who usually need to breathe more while working. Some authors believe that its Latin name is a modified name meaning heart and meaning I have brought because it is believed that this plant strengthens the heart.

Today, it has been proven that the products made from the leaves and powder of this plant have anti-depressant properties and increase mental vitality. For example: Syrup made from the powder of this plant has anti-depressant and anti-stress properties and calms and soothes the heart.

Propagation and planting method:
Echium amoenum is planted in two seasons, autumn and spring, and the best method of sowing seeds is in autumn. Planting depth is 1-2 cm and the distance between plants is 40-50 cm and the distance between rows is 70-60 cm.
The amount of seed consumption per hectare is 10-15 kg. The useful life of the Echium amoenum plant is 2 years and its maximum life is 4 years. In areas where there is sufficient rainfall and scattered rainfall is suitable, cultivation is done in the dry season. But in arid areas such as Isfahan, regular irrigation is needed. The most important pest of this plant is the leaf-eating worm, which causes the most damage to the plant at the time of harvest, and since chemical control is not appropriate at this time, it is necessary to use biological control.

Harvesting :
The flower arrangement is done in early June and the arranged flowers are spread on a cloth or plastic tablecloths 2-3 cm high next to the field and placed on the cloth to prevent sun exposure. Of course, drying the product in the shade is better and will give a better product. It is necessary to stir the flowers while drying. A quality flower is a flower that has a white tail and purple petals. Its yield is about 1100-1000 kg of fresh flowers, from which about 300-250 kg of dried flowers are obtained.

It is an annual herbaceous plant, 15 to 70 cm high, with a branched, grooved stem covered with coarse fibers. Echium amoenum has single, simple leaves covered with coarse fibers.

At the base of the plant stem, the leaves have distinct petioles, but at the ends it is almost without petioles. Its flowers appear in proportion to the place of its growth between the months of April and July.

It has a beautiful blue color and rarely white or floral. The bowl and cup are divided into 5 parts and divided into pieces that give the petals a separate appearance. One of the characteristics of the flower cup is that the foil parts of the cup do not lead to the tube that is found in most plants of this genus.
And this is the best way to distinguish it from different plants of this genus. It has five anthers that are close together, with a lingual appendage at the base of the rod. The female has an upper ovary and when ripe, it turns into a 4-nut fruit, in each of which there is a dark grain without albumen.

Note: It should be noted that in Iran, a plant called Echium amoenum is used by people under the name of Echium amoenum and because its distribution is such that it is found in abundance in most of the country, especially in the slopes of Alborz at altitudes of 1500 to 2000 meters. For this reason, Iranian markets always have large quantities of this plant, which is trusted by the people in terms of treatment, the consumption of the flowers of this plant is common in all parts of the country for medicinal effects.

Suitable place to grow
Its distribution is mostly in lands that are exposed to mild sunlight and in addition are rich in nitrogen. Therefore, its type of car is mostly planted next to fences, gardens on natural fertilizer mounds and sunny fields.

Planting method
This plant is propagated by seeds (or seeds). Planting is done in good, plowed and fertilized lands. To do this, in autumn or spring, the seeds of the plant are sown in the ground by hand or with special devices, and after germination and emergence of the young plant, their distances are narrowed so that the distance between each plant and the next plant is 30 cm.
Another method is to sow the seeds by mechanical devices along lines at intervals of 60 to 70 cm and after the young plant is obtained, they are spaced 30 cm apart. This will be done in late April.

Harvest time
The first harvest time is in late June. From this time on, the harvest can be continued for several weeks due to the blossoming of the flower.

Harvest method
Harvesting takes place when the plant has flowers. At this time, the stem of the plant is cut from the base and made into bundles, and then transferred to special warehouses for drying in the air. From each hectare of arable land, usually equivalent to 900 to 1100 kg of dried flowering twigs are obtained, the flowers of which can be separated by hand from the twigs.