lovage, bot. Levisticum officinale is a low-maintenance plant. The kitchen herb thrives in almost any herb garden if there is enough space.
In a nutshell
- Lovage prefers sunny or semi-shady locations
- Always keep soil moist
- a blend is not absolutely necessary
location
Liebstöckel makes no special demands on the location. However, he needs a lot of space. Therefore, the distance to neighboring plants should be between 50 and 100 centimeters. The kitchen herb is thriving
- sunny and
- semi-shady
places. Since Levisticum officinale survives the cold season in the bed without any problems, you do not have to change the location every year. If there is a change of location, then you should take into account that the umbellifer is incompatible with itself. This means that a new planting should only take place after four years in the same place. Because after this time the soil again has enough nutrients for the heavy feeder.
Notice: Since the lovage is undemanding in terms of location, you can also plant it in an unused corner of the garden.
floor
Since heavy consumers need a lot of nutrients in order to be able to develop optimally, the soil should have the following properties:
- profound
- nutritious
- a pH between 6 and 7
You should therefore enrich the soil with sufficient humus before planting out. The herb does not like sandy soils because they are too permeable. However, you can mix sand into other soils to make them more permeable.
pour
If the plant stays dry for too long, it begins to draw the necessary moisture from the shoots and leaves, which has a negative effect on the taste of the herb. Therefore, you should always keep the soil moist. But be careful, the heavy feeder does not tolerate waterlogging. If there is no rain, stagnant rainwater is ideal for the Maggi herb. But you can also water it with stale tap water, because the herb tolerates a certain amount of lime in the soil.
A regular water supply is imperative.
Tip: If you mulch the soil, the soil stays moist longer because the moisture does not evaporate as quickly.
Fertilize
Since lovage needs plenty of nutrients, you should give it extra nutrients on a regular basis. Ideally, the soil is upgraded with compost in March/April. The second compost application takes place in July/August. If no compost is available, you can also fertilize Levisticum officinale during the growth phase with an organic liquid fertilizer, nettle manure or grass clippings.
To cut
Maggi herb is extremely tolerant of pruning. Since it can grow up to two meters high, you should cut the herb regularly if it is not to be used as a privacy screen. The leaves on the young shoots are particularly suitable for harvesting. You can remove the side shoots to prevent the plants from spreading too much. However, you must then expect that the kitchen herb will grow rapidly. Because the plants now put all their energy into the main stem. You can cut these back if necessary. The actual pruning of the main stems takes place in late autumn or early spring. The dead shoots are removed so that they do not hinder new growth.
tub culture
If the lovage is kept in a bucket, then it should be given a partially shaded or lightly shaded place. A sunny spot is not so ideal, as the substrate in the bucket dries out faster.
When choosing the planter, you should choose a rather larger bucket so that Levisticum officinale has enough space. To avoid waterlogging, you should create a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot. For a sufficient supply of nutrients, the herb in the tub culture is fertilized with a liquid fertilizer every two weeks from April to August.
Notice: Levisticum officinale is not hardy in tub culture. You should therefore wrap the pot in plant fleece and place it on a wooden or styrofoam board.
frequently asked Questions
Do I have to replant lovage every year?No, the kitchen herb can live up to 15 years. If it is planted in the bed, it will survive the cold season outdoors without winter protection. If you renew the maggi herb, it needs another place in the garden, as it is incompatible with itself.
Does maggi herb have to be in a sunny spot?No. The kitchen herb also grows in partial shade. It also thrives in locations that are only sunny in the morning, for example. However, you should expect that it will not develop well in pure shade locations.
What do I have to pay special attention to when caring for maggi herb?It is important that the soil never completely dries out. Although the plant survives longer periods of drought without water, this has a negative effect on the taste of the herb.