Valerian is a medicinal plant with lush flowers that also thrive in your own garden. The advantage for hobby gardeners? It is very easy to propagate.
Valerian's (Valeriana) calming effects are widely appreciated. It is also less stressful to multiply the plant and thus always have a valuable medicinal and attractive ornamental plant in stock. The various ways of propagating valerian are now presented in more detail.
Propagation is possible through:
- Storms
- Lowerer
- stock pitch
- Seeds
The different types of propagation presented
❍ Propagation by ground shoots
Propagating valerian with ground shoots is a very simple and promising method, but it does require some patience from the hobby gardener.
No further action is required, because the plants form shoots on the ground independently. If new shoot tips appear next to the mother plant, let them grow first. If the bottom shoots have reached a height of about ten centimetres, the plant lover can intervene, cut off the bottom shoots and dig them out. The shoots can be replanted at the desired location and are then cultivated independently like the mother plant.
❍ Propagation by planters
Propagation by layering is perhaps a bit more complex for the hobby gardener, but promises good results and is also quite quick. First, a strong side shoot that reaches the ground is selected.
» Attention: The side shoot must not be bent, otherwise the supply of nutrients will be interrupted.
About ten centimeters after the tip of the shoot, a section of the shoot is inserted into the ground, covered with earth and weighed down so that the sinker does not spring out of the ground again. The remaining shoot tip should grow vertically upwards and is therefore attached to a wooden stick that has been placed in the ground. Roots are now forming on the underground section of the shoot. After about four to eight weeks, it should be ready. The sinker can now be separated from the mother plant and placed as an independent plant in the desired locationbe planted.
❍ Propagation by stick division
If the later plant is to be used for medicinal purposes, it is advisable to propagate by dividing the vines, because this method guarantees the cultivation of genetically uniform valerian plants. To divide the cane, cut the mother cane of the plant into about ten to twenty individual parts.
» Tip: The lower stalk of the plant, which has roots and buds, is called the mother stock.
The individual plant parts are then replanted. For group plantings, a distance of about 30 centimeters should be maintained.
» Tip: The vines should be divided in spring. If propagated in autumn, the seedlings are not yet robust enough and could freeze to death in winter.
❍ Propagation by seeds
In the case of propagation by seed, direct sowing is just as possible as preculture. The preliminary culture of valerian promises better prospects of success.
What happens during the preculture?
During the preculture, the seed is not sown on the spot in the field, but first in small seed pots. This can happen as early as late winter. Valerian needs constant ambient temperatures of 18 to 20 degrees to germinate. Covering the plant pots with foil promotes germination. After germination, the temperature can be lowered to about 16 degrees. The growing plants should be transplanted several times into larger plant pots. In the summer, the valerian plants have developed so far that they can be transplanted into the bed or the herb garden.
Planting should take place at the latest at the end of August so that the young plants can develop well before winter.
» Tip: Valerian seeds retain their ability to germinate for several years if they are stored in a dry and cool place.
Direct sowing
Direct sowing is less complex. A disadvantage is the susceptibility of the seedlings. Rain and heat can both damage the seedlings and the chances of success are rather moderate.
The seeds are sown in rows spaced about 40 centimeters apart. After scattering, the seed should be pressed. The seed should be watered regularly and the bed cleaned of weeds.
» Tip: If the seedlings grow too densely, they should be separated so that the young plants do not hinder each other's growth.