How to grow feverfew in a biological way
How to grow feverfew in a biological way
The cultivation of feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Sch.Bip., 1844) in view of a change in agricultural models and of the uses not only of plants is of great importance. The extracts of feverfew (which contain the active partenolide) are of great importance in many therapies which, however, must always be carried out on medical indications.
Even if the Partenio grows spontaneously it is possible to grow it but taking care of some precautions without which the production of the active ingredients decreases. You can start from the preparation of the seeds that must be made after the flowering of the plant and drying the flowers in a dry and dark place.
From the dried flower, the seeds are taken which can be placed in bags of transpiring paper and stored until sowing.
However, propagation can be carried out both by cuttings and by division of the roots by direct sowing or in seedbeds. If you start from the roots instead this should be done with a sharp spade, dividing into pieces large enough, with attached young shoots. For their rooting we recommend a shaded area and a sandy substrate; once rooted they can be transplanted taking care to wet the substratum well first so as not to damage the roots or to take the roots with the ground bread.
As far as the type of land is concerned, it does not have any particular requirements, but I recommend soil with good drainage and clayey-sandy type. For fertilization, only the replanting contribution of organic manure or compost is consoled. Other inputs of chemical fertilizers are to be excluded absolutely.
For the period of planting or sowing, we recommend the one after the cold winter, when the first spring warmth begins to be felt.
The plantation can occur in rows, in furrows not too close because otherwise they lose part of the active ingredients of the plant. Between July and September the aerial parts of the plant are collected and dried and then used as decoction or infusion. The collection is very simple because, not having to carefully select the parts to be harvested, the mowing can also take place with mechanical means that cut the plants to the desired height.
If you have complied with these rules, feverfew is a very rustic plant so you should not have any particular problems of parasitic attacks or rottenness.