The Route graveolensbetter known as Brownis a small herbaceous plant with a bushy shape with numerous medicinal properties. So much so, that several songwriters and songwriters have cited it in their poems, naming it the “Herb of Grace.”
Its relatively easy maintenance, in addition to its resistance to cold and its small size, make it an ideal plant to put in the garden, or on the patio in a pot. Let’s know more about her.
What is rue and what is its origin?
Image – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Its origin is in the Mediterranean, in Macronesia and in Asia. Its leaves are tripinnate, of an intense glaucous green color, flavored. The flowers are very small, half a centimeter at the most, yellow in color. It can reach three meters in height, but in a pot it does not grow much more than one or two meters. Rue is a plant that is easy to control growth.
What is the care of the rue plant?
The care you need are:
Location
He likes to live in full sunalthough it will tolerate semi-shade as long as it receives more hours of light than shade.
Earth
It should be very draining, since it fears waterlogging, therefore:
- Flower pot: universal substrate mix (on sale here!) with perlite (for sale here!) or similar (arlita, pomx, akadama) at 30 or 40%.
- the garden: prefers soils with neutral or alkaline pH, with good drainage. As it is a relatively small plant, if you have a very compacted soil, it will be enough to make a planting hole of about 50 x 50cm, pour a layer of about 5cm of fine gravel or similar, and then finish filling with the aforementioned mixture of substrates. before.
Irrigation
Image – Wikimedia / Amada44
It is highly recommended to let the soil or substrate dry between waterings to prevent its roots from rotting.. In case of having it in a pot, I advise taking said pot once it is watered and again after a few days to see if it is very dry or not.
Other ways to check the humidity, both in the garden and in containers are:
- Insert a wooden stick to the bottom: if it comes out with little soil attached, it will mean that it is time to water.
- Use a digital moisture meter: when you insert it, it will tell you how wet the soil that has come into contact with it is.
- Dig about five centimeters near the plant: if at that depth you notice the fresh earth, and you see it as a darker color than on the surface, do not water.
If you still have doubts, you should know that depending on the climate, it is watered an average of 3 times a week in summer and an average of 1-2 times a week the rest of the year.
Related article:
How to recover a dry rue?
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As rue is a plant with multiple uses, it is preferable to pay it with Organic fertilizers. This we will do from early spring to late summeronce a week or every fortnight.
You can use both liquids, granules or powders, but keep in mind that liquids are used above all to fertilize potted plants since the others would worsen the drainage of the substrate.
Multiplication
It multiplies by seeds in spring or by semi-hard cuttings in summer. Let’s see how to proceed in each case:
Seeds
The step by step to follow is as follows:
- First, fill a seedling tray (for sale here!) with a mixture of mulch (for sale here!) and perlite in equal parts.
- Next, plant a maximum of two seeds in each socket, and cover them with a thin layer of substrate.
- Then water conscientiously.
- Now, if you want, you can add some powdered sulfur (on sale here!) to avoid the appearance of fungi.
- Finally, place the seedbed outside, in semi-shade.
Keep the substrate moist. This way the seeds will germinate after about 15-20 days.
Cuttings
To multiply rue by cuttings, you have to cut a semi-woody piece during the summer that measures about 20 or 30 centimeters. Then, impregnate the base with homemade rooters and plant it in a pot with vermiculite (for sale here!).
Related article:
The best homemade rooting agents for your cuttings
Pests
It’s very toughbut if it is watered too little it can be attacked by White fly and mites that are treated with diatomaceous earth (for sale here!) or potassium soap (for sale here!) for instance.
Related article:
What is potassium soap for?
In addition, there is a butterfly that in its larval stage feeds on the leaves of the rue, the Papilio machaon. It is completely harmless; it only does what its instinct tells it is to feed on its favorite plant, but if the rue is small it should be protected with a mosquito net for example.
Pruning
Late winter you can lower its height a bit if you wish, with the help of some pruning shears previously disinfected.
Rusticity
Resists cold and frost up to -7ºC.
What is the rue plant for?
Image – Flickr / andrey_zharkikh
Ornamental
The Route graveolens It is a great plant for gardens, patios or terraces. It does not need much care, and it also resists frost, which is why it can be grown in both tropical and temperate climates.
Culinary
Related article:
What is rue used for in the house?
Its fresh leaves are used to make alcoholic sauces or mixtures, or as flavorings because they are spicy to bitter.
Medicinal properties of rue
Besides being an excellent garden plant, it is also an excellent medicinal plant. Since ancient times it was already used to:
- Gum disease
- Fainting
- Nervousness, hysteria, cramps
- To combat cataracts and other eye conditions
- Amenorrhea
- Varicose veins, hemorrhoids
- Epilepsy
The parts used are the fresh leaves just cut, or the dried ones.
To consider
But, as in everything, you have to be careful with extremes, and do good use of it. Rue has volatile oils that can cause damage if the plant is abused. In fact, if applied to the skin, it can cause blisters and lesions.
If we know how to use it responsibly, rue can be a highly recommended solution to combat numerous diseases and / or problems that we may have throughout our lives.
Where to buy rue?
You can buy it in nurseries, garden stores, and also from here:
