Planting a golden root and caring for the legendary plant

The golden root grows mainly in mountainous areas. In Russia, this plant can be found in the vastness of Siberia, but planting the golden root is possible in other regions.

In the wild, this unique plant can be seen only when you climb the mountains to a height of 1.8 km above sea level, far from roads and civilized places, among the purest high-mountain air and resounding streams. It is in this place that its root absorbs and then accumulates extremely useful substances.

Now let's find out what the golden root is, what useful properties it has and whether it is possible to grow it in your garden.

Characteristic

The golden root, also known as Rhodiola rosea, belongs to the fatty family. Both names are beautiful and, in one way or another, characterize the plant. The epithet "pink" did not arise in vain - the root has a yellow color on the fault, but when dried it becomes pinkish. From above it is covered with a skin that has a noble golden tone.

The natural habitat for the growth of Rhodiola is rocky areas. The root is thick and short, usually located slightly above the soil, protruding from it. Shoots with leaves are thickened, they have yellowish inflorescences. In nature, it blooms in the summer.

Medical properties

Despite its own invisibility (it grows in inaccessible places), the golden root has long been known to the inhabitants of mountainous regions. Tibetan and Altai healers knew its healing properties and used it, first of all, as a remedy against fatigue, increasing activity.

At the moment, the plant has been studied by doctors and is used not only in folk, but also in classical medicine.

In folk medicine, the golden root is much more often used as a means of increasing work capacity.

Important!

You do not need to drink drugs from this plant in the evening and take excessive doses - an overdose can provoke insomnia and excessive irascibility.

Growing in the country

It turns out that you can start growing this amazing and necessary plant in your own garden. Despite the fact that its natural environment is remote high corners, Rhodiola rosea will take root well in the countryside. You just need to create suitable conditions for her and provide minimal care.

Planting the golden root

A well-lit, open area is suitable for this. The land should be fairly loose, fertile. It is necessary to deepen a number of pebbles into it, among which plant a root, but you should not bury it deep in the ground - it should protrude above the soil level. It will be useful to add litter from a coniferous forest.

We must not forget that under ordinary conditions, that is, at an insignificant height, Rhodiola rosea blooms in the spring, and then its shoots wither over time, and the plant loses its visual appeal, even if it received decent care before. For this reason, it is necessary to think about how and with what to hide it. It is not necessary to plant the golden root in a conspicuous place, or it is necessary to place the plant nearby, which will subsequently cover it.

Advice

The most optimal place will be on an alpine slide, among stones and other similar plants.

Rhodiola requires virtually no maintenance. But in the conditions where it grows, it often rains, and the plants themselves are almost constantly in the water.For this reason, it is preferable to water it in the garden as often as possible, especially in summer.

How to breed?

Reproduction of this plant is possible at any time, but preferably after it has faded. To do this, you need to cut off a part of the root with 2-3 buds, dry the cut a little, then plant it in a different place.

It is possible to cultivate the golden root from seeds, but there are certain difficulties. The seeds of Rhodiola rosea must certainly undergo stratification, for which they should be sown in a box in the fall, sprinkled with sand a little and buried in their area, covered with a film on top. In addition, stratification is carried out using a refrigerator. To do this, you will need to sow the plant in a small bowl or wrap it in a damp cloth. Keeping the seeds in the cold takes about one and a half months.

Seeds prepared in a similar way are then germinated in a room where the temperature does not exceed 19 degrees. It is preferable to keep the emerged seedlings in the box, since they grow for a long time, especially slowly in the 1st year. And after 1-2 years, the golden root can be planted on the site.

How to harvest Rhodiola rosea and where you can use it

Harvesting of this plant should be done only after the flowering of the golden root, in the summer. Dig it out, rinse thoroughly with water and dry it a little with a clean cloth. Then it is necessary to cut the root into small lobes and spread out to dry in the shaded area. Can be dried in a special drying device.

After drying, the root becomes pink in the cut area and emits a unique smell.

The most elementary method of application is to make an alcoholic or vodka tincture out of it, for which you need to crumble Rhodiola rosea and fill it with alcohol 1 to 10. It takes about two weeks to insist. You need to drink the resulting tincture ten drops twice a day before meals.

So, caring for a golden root does not require special skills from you and does not force you to spend a lot of time growing it. Planting a plant growing in mountainous areas is possible even in summer cottages in central Russia. Without much trouble, you can get valuable raw materials, which are successfully used in both folk and traditional medicine.