Aconite: planting and care in the open field, medicinal properties

Aconite is a poisonous perennial herb that belongs to the buttercup family. However, the plant can boast not only of its toxicity, but also of its healing abilities. This flower is also called a fighter; the plant got this name for the inflorescences that look like a knight's helmet. At the moment, more than 300 types of aconite can be found in the world, which belong to this genus. Europe, Asian countries and America can boast of them freely growing in the wild.

General information about aconite:

Aconite is a gorgeous ornamental plant that exhibits gorgeous flowers of incredible beauty, and retains its charm even after it fades, leaving unusual patterned leaves. With it, you can decorate any area by adding it to landscape compositions. A gardener who does not have special knowledge will be able to grow aconite, since it will not be difficult at all. It is important to know the basic rules and adhere to them. What exactly they include will be discussed below.

Popular varieties:

Aconite Dzhungarsky is a herbaceous shrub plant reaching one and a half meters in height. Leaves painted in dark green colors form in the middle of the stem or at the bottom. Their shape resembles a rounded heart and is divided into three parts with sharp tips.
The bush is covered with large dark blue inflorescences that form on the tops of the brush. Flowering begins in summer, in July. The seeds are similar to dry three leaflets, which ripen on the first autumn days. In its natural environment, the plant can be found in the territories of Kazakhstan, China and Kashmir.

Akonit Klobuchkovy is another very popular wrestler, which can be 30 centimeters long, and can grow up to one and a half meters. The leaves are palmate-separated with a glossy surface, painted in dark green colors. Inflorescences in the form of brushes adorn the bush with small blue and blue flowers. Flowering begins at the very beginning of summer. The variety was very actively used for treatment and was domesticated in the 17th century.

Fisher's Aconite - the homeland of the variety is Siberia, mountain slopes in Central Asian countries. It has a thick, powerful stem on which small grooves are observed, and reaches a height of two meters. The leaves are divided into parts and resemble a rhombus in shape. They are painted green. Flowering lasts for 30 days and begins in the middle of the summer season. The racemose inflorescences decorate the plants with shades of gray with a purple tint or with white flowers.

Pharmacy aconite is a perennial herbaceous beauty reaching one and a half meters in height. Its palmate-dissected leaves are dark green in color. Flowering begins in the second half of the summer season. The racemose inflorescences decorating the bush grow up to 50 centimeters in length and are painted in dark blue shades. Seed ripening occurs in the first month of autumn.

Aconite bicolor (two-color) - unusual blue-white shades, in which tall, brush-like inflorescences are painted, make the flower unique and quickly recognizable among its “fellows”. The stem length reaches one and a half meters. The diamond-shaped leaves are dark green in color. Flowering begins in July, and seeds ripen in September.

Aconite Karmikhela - This herbaceous perennial variety grows 140 centimeters in height. Its stem is straight and decorated with carved tall leaves of deep green color. Large inflorescences have a racemose shape and delight with the beauty of rich blue flowers. This plant blooms from late September to early November. Ripening of seeds occurs in late autumn.

Aconite Curly - in natural conditions it can be found in the Siberian region, on the territory of China, in Mongolia and the country of the rising sun.
The four-meter stem is thin and curly. Finger-dissected leaves with a glossy surface. Tall, large clusters of inflorescences are colored dark blue. Flowering begins in August and lasts about 30 days. The plant began to grow as a cultural one at the end of the 17th century.

Aconite Altai - this endemic is found in meadows and river banks in the Altai Territory. The stems of this variety are slightly pubescent, they are round, thin and tall. They are completely covered by rounded pentagonal leaves with obtuse teeth, painted in a dark green color with a shade of gray along the lower edge.
The bushes are decorated with large tall dark green inflorescences. Flowering lasts during the first summer month. The seeds ripen by the beginning of autumn.

Aconite Vysokiy - this plant can be found in Siberia and Central Asia. The variety has a strong, thick, pubescent stem 2 meters high.
The leaves are large and diamond-shaped and have a dark green color. The decoration is the racemose dark blue inflorescences of large size and rather high. The plant blooms in mid-summer, the seeds ripen in September.

Aconite Eleanor - this plant is distinguished from others by its small stature. The height of the thin, pubescent stem is 50 centimeters. The leaves are finger-dissected and painted in bright green colors. The inflorescences are large, racemose, and adorn the plants with white flowers that have a dark blue border on the petals. Flowering lasts during the first summer month.
Seed ripening occurs in September.

Aconite oak - this variety can be found in the north of the country. They are used to decorate forest edges. The height of an elastic, pubescent stem with an average thickness does not exceed 1 meter. Feathery dissected leaves have a dark green tint. The clusters of inflorescences are high and yellow in color. Blooms in mid-summer for 30 days.

Aconite Chekanovsky - Siberia and Mongolia are the natural habitat for this variety. The stem can be of medium thickness and can grow up to one and a half meters in height. The leaves are pinnately dissected, medium in size and colored green. The clusters of inflorescences are large in size and give beautiful flowers painted in dark purple shades. It pleases with its flowering in the middle of summer, the seeds ripen by September.

Aconite Lamarca - this variety has a pubescent thin and very elastic stem, which grows to a height of no more than 70 centimeters. The leaves are medium-sized, light green in color, carved in shape. Starting in July, the bush is decorated with flat, narrow, dense and long inflorescences in the form of brushes of light yellow color. Flowering lasts for 30 days.
Aconite Karmichel Arendsey - the stem of this plant is straight and pubescent. Its height is about 1 meter. The dark green leaves have a beautiful glossy finish. The bush is decorated with dark blue dense, large-sized inflorescences from October until the onset of winter cold.

Growing aconite: choosing a place

For aconite, you can choose open sunny and shady areas. In the event that it is planned to plant a curly aconite, then it is necessary to choose exclusively shady areas for it, since the leaves are not tolerant of direct sunlight, which cause burns, wilting and ultimately leads to the death of the wrestler. All other varieties can grow in any area. When choosing a place for planting, pay attention that water does not accumulate where the plant will grow, this can cause the development of rot on the root system. Stony and sandy soils are not suitable for aconite. You need to choose a light and loose soil.

It is necessary to prepare the soil for planting in advance. The preparation includes digging the site, adding garden soil, organic matter and peat in equal proportions to the soil. It is necessary to dig up the ground in the spring, after it warms up.
The planting hole should be slightly larger than the roots. A drainage layer is laid out on the bottom. For these purposes, expanded clay and large pebbles are suitable. A small amount of compost and mineral fertilizers are added on top. When planting a seedling, you must ensure that the root collar goes underground by no more than 1 centimeter. Then the soil is compacted, watered with plenty of water and covered with a layer of pine sawdust needles mulch. Mulching will help keep the soil moist for longer, and will also limit weed growth and warm the plant. When planting several bushes, it is necessary to leave a gap of 70 centimeters between the planting holes.

Aconite will be an excellent neighbor for lilies and peonies, for delphinium and rudbeckia. Using all of them for landscape composition, you can make your garden unique.

Correct watering:

The main thing in care is considered to be the correct watering of the plant. Aconite does not belong to plants that love constant moisture, it does not tolerate waterlogging, and can suffer from it. During the summer drought, watering should be carried out every two weeks, while it is important to monitor the topsoil, it should not dry out. After each watering, it is necessary to loosen the soil. This will allow better oxygen and nutrient flow to the roots. You also need to clear the land of weeds, which feed on nutrients, taking them from the plant.

Suitable soil:

Because of the love of aconite for light and loose soils, before planting it, you need to dig up the ground and add organic matter there together with peat. Such conditions will be excellent for the plant and will allow it to grow and develop faster and better.

Transfer rules:

As a rule, the transplant is carried out in the spring, after the place for the seedling has been prepared in advance. But, some lovers of aconite prefer to carry out planting activities in the autumn.
Repotting should be done after the site has been dug up and the peat and compost have been applied. The plant from the previous place is taken together with an earthen lump and in the same form is transferred and planted to another place. An earthen ball will help protect the roots from damage. Drainage from broken bricks is laid out at the bottom of the hole. The size of the hole should be slightly larger than the size of the earthy coma. On top of the drainage layer, mineral fertilizers must be applied in the proportions indicated in the instructions.
After the plant is lowered into the hole, sprinkled with nutritious soil and watered with plenty of water.
For a plant to adapt to new conditions, it will take about one and a half months. During all this time, he needs to be given attention and care.

Fertilization:

Aconite is a plant that is many liters and during its life in the garden it consumes a lot of nutrients from the soil where it grows. Therefore, the plant must be supported by feeding the soil with fertilizers. Complex mineral and organic fertilizers are suitable for feeding. They are introduced in early spring. Using compost during this period is a good option. It must be applied under each plant. This fertilizer will promote vivid flowering and make the plant more resilient. Top dressing should be applied once a year, but you can also please the plant with it before flowering.

Flowering period:

All varieties of aconite bloom at different times. Most bloom in the middle of the summer season, some begin to delight with their colors in August, and there are those that in the fall, when all other plants have faded, begin to show the colors of their flowers and do it until the very frost.All inflorescences are long, large, loose, similar to brushes, but have different shades. You can also find those bushes that have flowers of two colors.

Cropping:

So that the flowering is lush, and the plant does not lose its decorative effect, it is necessary to remove all the inflorescences that have wilted from the bushes. Aconite has a short flowering time, and pruning can give an impetus for another flowering.
To obtain seed, only a part of the inflorescences must be left on the bushes. Then wait for full ripening and collect the seeds.

Preparatory measures for the winter cold:

Despite the frost resistance of aconite, it is impossible to neglect the preparation for the winter period. Mandatory activities include hiding places. Before the onset of cold weather, pruning is carried out, during which the branches are cut very shortly. Next, a layer of mulch of 20 centimeters should be applied to the trunk circle. For this, dry peat and dry foliage are suitable. As soon as the frosts go away, the shelter is removed, so that the soil dries out, and the bushes have time to prepare for the new season after hibernation.

Breeding methods:

Most often, aconite is propagated by seeds and by dividing the bush. When choosing the first option, it is important to remember that there is no guarantee of preservation of varietal characteristics. Probably for this reason, the most popular is the division of the bush.
It is possible to carry out measures for dividing the bush no more than once in 4 years, otherwise the plant can grow strongly and lose its decorative effect. In order to divide it, you need to dig out a part of it and cut it off with a sharp, disinfected knife, so that at least three healthy kidneys remain on this part. After that, the cut off part must be planted in the landing hole, which must be prepared in advance. Next, the plant is sprinkled with a nutritious earthen mixture, watered abundantly and a layer of mulch is applied to the surface of the earth.

Tuberous propagation is carried out in those aconites that reproduce in this way and separate them at the beginning of autumn. First of all, you need to skip the tubers individually, before buds begin to appear on them. Only after that they are divided into parts so that a pair of buds remain on each of the parts, then seating is carried out in holes in the garden. When planting, it is important to ensure that one growth bud remains on the surface. The space between plants should be 30 centimeters or more. As soon as the tubers are planted, it is necessary to water and apply a layer of mulch to the soil.

In order to get cuttings for propagation of aconite, it is necessary to cut the shoots of the first year of life from the bush. The cuttings should be 15 centimeters long. Such a procedure should be carried out in the first days of May, and then place young shoots in greenhouse conditions for germination.
As soon as the first leaves appear, the cuttings can be planted in the garden.

Seed propagation is carried out in the autumn. They can be sown directly to an open area in the garden. In such natural conditions, they will be able to undergo stratification, and this will provide the best growth in the spring. The depth of the holes should be no more than a centimeter. After sowing, they must be insulated. A thick layer of mullein is suitable for this. With the onset of spring and the warming of the earth, it will be possible to observe the appearance of the first young aconites.

Diseases and pests: control methods

Some types of harmful insects are not confused by the poisonousness of the plant and they settle on it. In addition, the plant can get sick with viral and fungal infections.
Powdery mildew is one of the diseases that can be identified by the white spots on the leaves. Having discovered a disease, you must immediately start treatment, otherwise the plant will have to be removed completely. First of all, in order to cope with the disease, it is necessary to remove all the affected areas and change the top layer of earth under the bush.After that, it is necessary to carry out the treatment with the use of fungicides.

Ring mosaic - you can determine the disease by the brown, gray or yellow spots that appear on the leaves of the plant. This disease is often carried by aphids. When signs of illness appear, all damaged areas must be removed immediately. This will be the way to deal with the disease.

Viral greening - during the illness, the inflorescences are deformed and their shades change. There is no cure for this disease. The plant must be dug up and burned so that the disease does not spread throughout the site.

Aphids have become a frequent visitor to the plants. You can get rid of it with the help of insecticides. When using, you must strictly adhere to the instructions in the instructions.
Rapeseed beetle - invasions of this pest are unacceptable if you regularly loosen the soil. This procedure destroys his pupae.
Nematodes - these pests are dangerous because it is very difficult to detect them. They are able to completely destroy the plant in just a few days. To combat it, you will need fungicidal preparations.

Difficulties arising during cultivation:

Not only diseases and pests can become a problem, sometimes you can face a complete lack of flowering or inflorescences will form much later than they should. This is due to improper care of the plant. This can be: too rare watering, high acidity in the soil, low air permeability, insufficient nutrients due to lack of fertilizing, or, the cause may be pests.
As soon as all of the above reasons are eliminated, the plant will again paint the garden with beautiful colors of its flowers.
Inflorescences can appear late for two reasons: when choosing a plant, an error occurred and a variety was purchased that blooms not in the middle of summer, but in October; the summer was too cold.

The benefits and harms of aconite:

Due to the content of alkaloids, acids, resins, macro and microelements, the plant becomes very useful for human health. Alkaloids are an important component of many medicines.
These substances have a wide therapeutic effect. Medicines based on them have a sedative, antispasmodic, stimulating, hormonal, analgesic and hypotensive effect.
Tannins stop the blood, have a bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect. Aconite is used to treat cancer. The flavonoids contained in the plant slow down the cancer cells, inflammation is suppressed, the immune system fights cancer cells more actively, and they also facilitate the patient's tolerance of radiation therapy.
The extract, on the basis of which medicinal preparations are made, have an estrogenic, bactericidal and diuretic effect. Such drugs are prescribed for people with ulcers, sexually transmitted diseases, problems with the cardiovascular system and with the central nervous system.
Traditional medicine often uses the root of this plant for the preparation of infusions and decoctions.

Aconite-based drugs are contraindicated for people suffering from allergic reactions, hypertension, during pregnancy, lactation, and also in childhood. Aconite, this is a poisonous plant, so it should be taken only as directed by a doctor and strictly in the indicated doses. Improper use of aconite leads to death.

Tincture of aconite against cancer and adenoma: preparation and use
It is possible to treat cancer using aconite for this only after consulting a doctor and following all the rules.
The correct preparation of roots, strict adherence to doses and a clearly established duration of the course of taking the drug are required. Due to the high toxicity and aggressiveness of the plant, both cancer cells and healthy cells are destroyed.However, traditional healers use it to make tinctures that are aimed at combating cancer.
They allow you to regain health despite the fact that the methods of traditional medicine could not cope. Tinctures made from the root of the plant are mostly used to fight cancer.

How are they prepared?

Tincture of aconite for cancer
To prepare the tincture, you need 50 grams of the plant root, peel and chop finely. Then it is placed in a glass jar and filled with 40% alcohol, 0.5 liters. Then the bank is closed and removed to a place inaccessible to light for 14 days. Reception of the prepared tincture should be started with small doses, gradually increasing them. The first day - one drop is enough, the second day - add another drop and so on for 11 days. Every day plus a drop. While taking 11 drops, they must be diluted in 100 ml. water.
Further, the tincture is taken decreasing one drop every day.
After that, you need to take a break of 30 days and repeat the course. Treatment is carried out in six courses and after each one a break of one month is taken.

Tincture of aconite for the treatment of adenoma

In order to prepare the tincture, you will need a dry rhizome -3 grams.
They are placed in a glass jar and filled with 100 ml. vodka. After the tank is covered and cleaned for two weeks in a dark room.
For reception, the scheme 1-20-1 is used. Reception starts with one drop and one drop is added daily. Having reached 20, the drops begin to decrease daily, decreasing to one.

Before using tinctures to treat diseases, you should definitely consult with your doctor. Self-medication with aconite can aggravate health conditions and be fatal.

As you can see from this article, aconite, despite its toxicity, can be a wonderful decoration for the garden, and can help in the treatment of a number of diseases.