French cabbage, button cabbage, galinsoga: care from A-Z

The French herb also bears the nickname "garden plague", but wrongly if the care of the tasty and healthy herb is right. Since the button herb feels at home almost everywhere, it is also very easy to care for. Because it also grows preferentially at the edges of fields and roads in fields and in many gardens. Farmers are not thrilled when the cabbage appears between their potatoes and beets, but cooks increasingly prefer Galinsoga in the kitchen, as it is very suitable for salads.

Characteristics

• other names button herb, garden plague, Galinsoga
• belongs to the weeds
• Asteraceae family
• original home of South America
• annual
• several generations
• multiplies by self-sowing
• Edible leaves
• Flowers small white buttons
• In contrast to the plant, seeds are frost hardy

care

Since the French herb thrives in almost every location and requires little maintenance, it is quite easy to cultivate in the herb bed. Nevertheless, care should be taken to ensure that the plant cannot spread unhindered throughout the garden. Because then it can quickly rob the other plants of the necessary habitat.

sowing

The weeds are usually propagated through the seeds. There is not much to be considered when sowing, because Galinsoga is one of the self-sowing plants. So it is a matter of light germs. In contrast to the actual plant, the seeds are absolutely frost-hardy, fall to the ground in autumn, overwinter here and germinate on the first warm days of spring. Therefore, the following should be observed when sowing for the first time:

• keep collected seeds in a cool place
• in a sealable box in the refrigerator
• otherwise begin to germinate
• can also be placed directly on the ground in the garden bed
• are allowed to stay here over winter
• Germination takes place on the first warm days

Since the French herb is considered a weed and germinates in almost every place, there is not much to consider when caring for the seedlings. Just let it grow and only remove the excess seedlings is the motto here.

Note: Although the button herb was originally native to South America, it is called French herb. This is so historically proven that the French are said to have had the seeds on their shoes when their army marched through Europe. However, the herb was unwittingly planted in the London Botanical Gardens as early as 1776 and later in Berlin in 1802.

Heyday

The flowering time is long, as the first herbaceous plants develop their small, white and button-like flowers as early as April. The flowering time can then, depending on the weather conditions, drag on into November. So that too many seeds are not produced and the plant can spread unhindered throughout the garden, the flowers should be removed immediately after blooming. The following should be taken into account:

• Flowers are formed again and again
• the first in April
• the last in November
• fruit ripe three weeks after flowering
• Fruits have airborne seeds
• therefore do not let any fruit form
• Remove flowers beforehand

Note: A single French herb plant can produce up to 100,000 seeds. These are absolutely frost hardy, airworthy and germinable for over 10 years. It is therefore important that you do not allow the fruit to ripen, as the fruits cannot be used in any way.

Fertilizing & watering

The button herb needs a nutrient-rich soil, so it should be fertilized regularly. Ideally, the soil is mixed with compost before sowing in spring. This gives the herb all the nutrients it needs for the year of growth. Since it is a deep-rooting plant, the roots grow up to 80 cm into the ground, it should be poured on on hot days. Especially if Galinsoga was cultivated in a bucket or raised bed, attention should be paid to fertilization and watering. You can proceed as follows:

• Mulch soil around individual plants
• in this way further increase can be avoided
• Moisture stays in the soil longer
• Pay attention to nitrogenous fertilizers
• fertilize in the bucket more often
• Use liquid fertilizers from the trade

Note: Whenever plants have been cultivated in a tub, you should pay attention to increased fertilization. Because by watering, a lot of nutrients are washed out in a used container and do not remain in the soil as long as is the case in a garden bed.

Harvest time & cutting

The annual plant does not need a cut, as it dies in winter and can then be pulled out of the ground as a whole. However, the tasty and healthy leaves of the French herb can be harvested at any time. If too many new plants have been sown, they should be harvested quickly, otherwise the growth could quickly get out of hand. Although the leaves, which are rich in vitamins and minerals, cannot be stored, they can be used as follows:

• Process the leaves immediately into a salad
• can also be cooked like vegetables
• fresh leaves can be used to heal wounds
• Drying leaves for tea
• Tea helps with bronchial ailments and coughs

Tip: If you want to remove entire stems, this is not a problem for the weeds at all. Over the summer and at suitable temperatures in autumn, it will sprout again and again from the roots that are still in the ground.

Diseases & pests

There are no known diseases in the robust button herb, nor are any pests. Nevertheless, in the summer the plants attract a lot of flies and beetles, which is not always desired. Direct cultivation on the terrace or balcony should therefore be avoided. Otherwise, the attracted flies could quickly attack the set table.

Plants & neighbors

French herb is not available as a ready-made plant, but if desired, it can be dug up from a nearby field and replanted in your own garden. Since the herb has very thick and far-reaching roots, it should not be planted in the immediate vicinity of other plants. In order to prevent uncontrolled spread, the button herb can also be cultivated in a deep vessel. Repotting is not necessary as the plant cannot be overwintered. The following should also be observed when planting:

• Dig the planting hole deep enough
• Drainage is not required
• Roots grow up to 80 cm deep
• Mix the removed soil with compost
• Fold in gravel and sand
• Insert the cabbage and fill in the soil
• water well
• Mulching around the plant

Location & soil conditions

The button herb usually thrives in any location, as well as in the wild. However, if the living conditions are offered to him as follows, then the hobby gardener can look forward to an abundant harvest:

• sunny to partially shaded
• even under light trees or bushes
• Earth likes loamy
• also grows in gravel or stone soils
• therefore also suitable for rock gardens
• Soil composition contains nitrogen
• nutritious

Overwinter

The herb can only be overwintered in a container if it can be moved inside to a cool, frost-free place. However, the French herb sows itself regularly in autumn, the seeds can become frost-hardy Survive winters easily on earth and show themselves as seedlings when the first warm ones Temperatures.