Admittedly, when you buy grown plants, you never know where you stand. It is therefore advisable to take propagation into your own hands. This is fun for many gardeners and also saves money. But what is the best way to multiply lovage?
Propagation by seeds
Lovage can be propagated with its ripe seeds. Either you buy the seeds or you take an existing lovage plant and wait until it has developed its fruits and seeds after flowering in midsummer.
The seeds are usually ripe in September. How to sow (possible outdoors from April to August):
- Cover seeds with humus-rich soil three times the seed strength
- Place the culture vessel in a warm place (ideally above 20 °C)
- keep soil moistured
- Germination time: 15 to 20 days
When the grown plants have reached a size of around 15 cm, they can be planted out without any worries. The location should be sunny to semi-shady. In addition, a deep and nutrient-rich soil is important.
Propagating by division
While sowing requires patience, the propagation method of dividing the plant is faster. In addition, this method is simpler and less time-consuming. It also has a great side effect: the Maggi herb then grows stronger to make up for the lost part. But be careful: Healthy plants should be used for sharing.
The ideal time is in spring before budding or in late autumn before the first frost period begins:
- Dig up lovage (caution: roots are fleshy and anchored deep in the ground)
- take a clean and, if necessary, disinfected spade
- divide the plant or its roots with the spade
- plant the obtained plant
- When planting, adding compost is recommended
- water well
tips and tricks
Caution: Every part that is later to become a magnificent plant needs a healthy shoot tip. Otherwise it cannot grow and all the effort was in vain.