Anise - planting and care rules, growing from seeds

Anise is a rather rare guest in the gardens of our summer residents, and in vain! This culture is not too whimsical to care for, and is very capable of making you happy with its spicy qualities. In this article, we will talk about how to choose the right place for planting, about the rules of planting and care.

Anise: general information

Spicy herbs in the gardens of our summer residents do not take up too much space, and it is completely in vain. In addition to their beneficial properties for the body, these herbs usually have a pretty decorative appearance, and are also a great addition to your dishes in the form of a spice. Growing anise on your own is quite entertaining and interesting. Even despite the fact that anise owes its origin to the eastern countries, it is well adapted to low temperatures, and is able to withstand even a slight minus of five to seven degrees.

However, it should be noted that anise is still a thermophilic plant. And for this reason, you need to choose a land with a southern or southwestern exposure. The soil itself must be cultivated, sufficiently loose and breathable. In countries where anise grows naturally (Mediterranean, Egypt, Asia), the air is well warmed up and dry. In order for the structure of the earth to be sufficiently loose, humus can be added. It will also provide your soil with nutrients that will help your plants thrive. You can mix the earth with sand, but after a while it has the property of subsidence.

How to grow anise by seed

Anise is not a very capricious plant; in the middle zone of our country, for example, it feels quite well. In order for anise to grow and develop well, a soil with a neutral or slightly alkaline pH level is needed. Usually gardeners prefer to plant anise in the spring.

As a rule, not a point planting method is used, but mass sowing with seeds. Thus, fresh herbs will complement your salads well.

Planting anise includes several stages. At the beginning, it is necessary to add humus to the depth of the shovel bayonet for digging. After that, the soil needs to be slightly tamped, there were no voids in the surface layer, since, for example, one seed can sink five centimeters, and the second will remain on top of the ground. Next, you need to make shallow grooves (about one and a half centimeters). Observe an interval of thirty-five to forty centimeters between rows. Stick to approximately the following proportions: for one square meter, you need two grams of seeds. After planting, spill lukewarm water over the grooves. Some recommend using high-moor peat as a fertilizer, but you need to be careful with it. The fact is that this fertilizer quite actively increases the level of acidity in the soil, and this has a bad effect on plants.

Anise planting material has a rather poor germination capacity, so the seeds must be germinated before this. You can just put the anise seeds in a container and pour water. It should cover the seeds by about one centimeter maximum. Next, leave your seeds soaked in water for three days. Do not forget to change the water to a new one every six to eight hours. When the soaking procedure is over, spread your planting material on a slightly damp cloth and hide in the refrigerator for three days. In this case, the temperature should be maintained at the level of one or two degrees Celsius.If you have done all these preparatory work as it should, then after sowing your seeds should sprout twenty days later.

But keep in mind, if the anise has not sprouted after this time, then things are bad. The root system of anise does not go deep into the soil. This means that the land on which the anise is grown must be well fertilized and loose so that the roots can easily receive the required amount of nutrients. If you consider these requirements, then a good harvest is guaranteed to delight you.

Anise grains have a dense shell. In addition, the chemical composition contains a huge amount of essential oil. For this reason, the seeds are not as good at allowing moisture to pass through.

We have already noted just above that anise seeds require additional germination before planting in open ground. There are several options for how you can do this conveniently.

1. With the help of seedlings.

With the onset of February, the seeds must be sown in boxes, the depth to which the seeds must be immersed should be about two centimeters. After that, it is necessary to thoroughly water the soil and cover with foil or glass. In this case, the temperature must be observed +10 - 15 degrees. When about six weeks have passed, sprouts will appear. When two leaves appear, you need to dive the seedlings into cups. Remember to plant in moist soil. Keep in mind that when the shoots appear, the temperature of the soil greatly depends. If the soil is warmed up by three to four degrees, then wait for shoots after 25 to 30 days. If the soil is warmer, say, +10 - 12 degrees, then the plants should hatch in a couple of weeks.

2. By soaking.

With this method, you need to soak your seeds in water for three to four days. It should be about sixteen to eighteen degrees. Every day, the water needs to be changed to fresh. When the term comes to an end, put them in a wet cloth and keep them in a room with a room temperature (+18 - 22 degrees) for two days.

Then the seedlings need to be dried and then refrigerated for twenty days. This process is also called "vernalization". This procedure is needed to better adapt to the changing weather conditions of your plants. It often happens that in spring the weather changes dramatically, this has a very detrimental effect on plants. But if they are hardened from the state of a small sprout, then such difficulties in the future will be much easier for them to survive.

In addition, the seeds will sprout as soon as possible, already on the tenth - eleventh day.

Each gardener chooses a germination method based on individual parameters: climatic conditions, structure and chemical composition of the soil. All this also strongly affects the growth and development of future plants.

Outdoor Anise Planting

Often the weather is not very predictable, in the spring there can be both dry hot weather and prolonged rains. Watering rows of anise should be watered regularly. It is better to do this in the evening or in the morning, when the sun is not yet so bright and scorching. If you use tap water, then it is better to defend it before watering for at least two days. The water should be warm, preferably rainwater. After watering, it is convenient to weed the area from weeds. This should be done regularly enough. Remember to keep the distance between plants. If they grow too close to each other, then a process of rotting may occur, and the development of plants will be slow due to a lack of light, heat and nutrients. Therefore, if necessary, be sure to thin out your aniseed seedlings.

When choosing a site, remember that it is better to choose an open, well-lit land. There should be no strong winds in the beds and no drafts should "walk". Otherwise, there is a risk that gusts of wind will simply lay your plants on the ground.

Check the soil moisture level periodically. If it rains for a long time, then it makes sense to cover your plants.The fact is that if there is an excess of moisture in the ground, then you will not wait for a good harvest, moreover, it is very dangerous from the point of view of the development of diseases of the root system of anise.

Don't forget to feed your anise. In the first month, organic fertilizers need to be applied to the soil, and a little later, complex mineral dressings should be applied. It is better to use solutions with a weak concentration for this.

If some plants have obviously caught some kind of disease, then remove such inflorescences in a timely manner in order to avoid contamination of plants in the neighborhood. If you want your anise to delight you with lush greenery, then pinch or cut the young shoots that are with umbrellas. When your plants have already gained strength and got stronger, then keep in mind that they no longer need a lot of water. When disembarking, try to have crops that belong to the Umbrella as neighbors of the anise. If you follow the correct agrotechnics for growing anise, then this culture will delight you not only with greens, but also with a large number of seeds. For example, more than one kilogram of seeds can be obtained from ten square meters.

How to properly harvest anise

When your anise plants are about forty centimeters tall, the greens can already be harvested. Pay attention to the fact that umbrellas must wear a green orkaska. Seeds, however, should only form ovaries. When the "stars" are ripe, it is time to cut off the yellow stems. Inflorescences of a brownish shade also need to be removed. After that, form the plants into bunches. Dry properly, and then grind and collect the seeds.

You need to store the spice in a well-closing container that does not allow moisture and odors to pass through. Store anise in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. Seed germination is relevant for about two years.

If you grow anise for medical purposes, the harvesting is usually done in September. During this time, the umbrellas take on a light brown color. The twigs need to be laid out on a thick cloth and dried. Also, this procedure can be carried out in a drying cabinet, the temperature should be approximately +50 degrees.

Anise can be a great addition to your other green plantings. In the spring you collect fragrant greens for salads, summer is a period of wonderful aroma in your garden, in winter you can use a bright spice that you have grown with your own hands. And given the fact that now you know how to properly grow this crop, there should be no difficulties.

Anise photo

SONY DSC