Feverfew is a comparatively easy-care wild plant that becomes even more robust against pests and diseases with proper care.
The once highly praised wild and medicinal herb does not require a particularly large amount of care. Nevertheless, there are good reasons that speak for professional care. Because then the flowering period of the feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) can even be extended under certain circumstances. If feverfew is cared for sufficiently well, it is also more robust against pests and less susceptible to diseases.
How to water feverfew correctly
Since this herb really likes soils with a lot of lime, there is absolutely no problem if you use lime water to water the plant. For feverfew to thrive, it is important that you keep the soil around the plant slightly moist at all times. In addition, you should only ever water the root area of the plant.
The herb tolerates drought and heat only for a short period of time. You must therefore not let the plant dry out too much. This is particularly important when it comes to young feverfew plants, which are not yet as robust as older plants of this species.
How to properly fertilize feverfew
In the period from May to September, it is usually not necessary to fertilize feverfew. However, this is only the case if you have planted the plant in a location with nutrient-rich soil. In the following year, after planting the feverfew, fertilizing the perennial makes sense. Compost is an excellent natural and relatively cheap fertilizer.
If the feverfew is a potted plant, a different approach is required. In this case, you should fall back on a regular flower fertilizer, which is also available everywhere in specialist shops for little money.
When and how should feverfew be cut back?
There are a number of reasons why pruning feverfew can make sense. Some of theseReasons are as follows:
- so that the feverfew blooms a second time after pruning
- to encourage bushy growth
- so that the lignification of the perennial does not progress so quickly
- to use feverfew as a cut flower
- for harvesting the herb (e.g. as a medicinal plant)
- to prevent feverfew from self-seeding
Feverfew is one of the plants that lasts particularly long in the vase. If you want to ensure that the herb grows as bushy as possible, it is best to cut the plant back in spring and as close as possible to the base of the perennial. This is also recommended because otherwise feverfew tends to become woody at the base. However, you can delay the lignification of the plant a little each time you cut it back.
To encourage feverfew to form new flowers, it makes sense to cut back between July and August. Then the plant flowers for the first time and the old flowers can now be removed. Also to counteract a possible self-seeding of feverfew in your own garden, it can be useful if you remove the flowers in good time before the feverfew seeds have had a chance to fully ripen. Otherwise the self-seeding of this plant is difficult to stop.
Feverfew care to protect against pests
Even if pests hardly stand a chance with the well-cared for feverfew, you should take additional protective measures under certain circumstances. This is especially true when a snail infestation threatens. To do this, you should estimate how likely it is that snails will appear in your garden. After all, snails are particularly interested in the young plants of feverfew, as this is a real delicacy for the pests. A snail fence is therefore a very good choice. You can later remove this snail protection from the slightly older plants. Because then the feverfew has developed its very own aroma, which the snails do not naturally like. They will not attack Feverfew again.
Here are some more tips on how to fight snails in the garden.
How do you overwinter feverfew?
Feverfew is a perennial herb. However, the herb is only hardy at temperatures down to -12 degrees Celsius. It should therefore not be colder if feverfew is to bloom again next spring. if theIf hibernation does not succeed, you can sow the feverfew again. Spring is the perfect time for this.
If you have grown feverfew outdoors in a rather harsh, cool region, you should therefore take the appropriate measures to overwinter the crop. This means you need to specifically protect the root area of the perennial. A layer of giant is up to the task very well and can provide the required frost protection. If you have planted feverfew in a container, it is best to place the container plant in a suitable winter quarters indoors and hibernate there until next spring.