Valeriana officinalis
Valerian
Common names: Common valerian, Garden heliotrope
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Spacing
- 40 cm, rows 50 cm
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Sowing
- Apr, May, Sep
- Harvest
- Sep–Oct
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −25 °C
- Water need
- High
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Ivar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Description
Valeriana officinalis grows over one meter tall and opens delicate, pale pink flower clusters in summer, which attract hoverflies and bees. The root is used, which develops its typical scent only after drying, and cats find it irresistible.
Care instructions
Sow as a light germinator from April or plant in a semi-shaded location with moist, humus-rich soil. It tolerates drought poorly, so water it during hot weeks. In the second or third year, dig up the roots in October, wash them, and dry them in a well-ventilated area.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingApr–May, Sep
HarvestSep–Oct
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 8 °C, ideally 15 °C
- Days to sprout
- 14 to 28 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, humus-rich, moist, nutrient-rich
Valerian likes loose, fresh, humus-rich loam and clay soils that stay slightly moist to fresh all the time. Its natural habitats are stream and river banks and damp meadows. Contrary to what is often assumed, it loves base-rich, rather chalky soils in the neutral to slightly alkaline range; it grows well on limestone scree. It tolerates waterlogging over a long period only to a limited extent; on heavy, compacted soils a little sand helps for better drainage.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Mar–Apr
In spring, work some mature compost shallowly into the root zone. On humus-rich soils, that is enough as the annual supply. On more nutrient-poor soils you can also rake in horn shavings on the surface. Go easy on nitrogen: too much of it drives lush foliage at the expense of the active compounds in the root.
Overwintering
Valerian is a native, hardy perennial and survives the lowland winter in Germany, Austria and Switzerland outdoors without protection. Cut the above-ground shoots back close to the ground in autumn. The rhizomes reliably sprout again in spring.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Division
- Runners
- Layering
Valerian can be propagated in four ways. The most common is sowing: sow in March or April in seed trays at 18 to 20 °C, because valerian is a light germinator. Never cover the seeds with soil, just press them down and keep them evenly moist. Germination takes four to six weeks; if possible use fresh seed from the previous year, as viability drops quickly. From May, plant the young plants out in the open ground about 40 cm apart. For division, lift an older parent plant in spring or autumn and split it with a spade into several strong pieces, each with enough root, which you replant straight away about 30 cm apart and water in well. Ground shoots that form beside the parent plant are left to grow to about 10 cm high, then cut off with a sharp spade and moved to the desired spot. For layering, bend a strong side shoot down to the ground, press it two fingers deep into the soil about 10 to 15 cm below the tip, weigh down the bend and fix the tip upright to a small stake; after about four to eight weeks, check whether roots have formed and then separate the new plant from the parent.
For your garden
Grow Valerian yourself
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