Ruta

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Ruta (lat. Ruta) - a genus of perennial evergreen fragrant grasses, semi-shrubs and shrubs of the Rutovye family. Natural habitat - Mediterranean, North-East Africa and temperate zones of Asia. On the territory of the Russian Federation, only one species is widely cultivated - fragrant Ruta (lat. Ruta graveolens). This species is cultivated as an annual, although in some regions it grows up to 2-3 years.

Characteristics of culture

Ruta is a perennial cold-resistant and light-loving culture with a rounded, highly branched, erect stem, lily at the base. Leaves are double or triple pinnately dissected, petiolar, equipped with translucent glands, cause burns and allergic reactions in contact with the skin.

The flowers are fragrant, bisexual, regular, four or five-membered, yellow, collected semi-umbellate, thyroid or forked inflorescences located at the top of the stem. Calyx of four or five-petal, remaining with fruits. The fruit is a spherical, four-celled capsule. Each nest contains 4-6 angular seeds. Seeds are small, brownish or black, viable for 5-6 years. Ruta blooms from June to August. The seeds ripen in September-October.

Ruta is a drought-resistant, unpretentious plant that does not require special care. Ruta is a good honey plant. Due to the gray-green and bluish lace foliage, the plant is distinguished by increased decorativeness. It is planted as a curb plant, often grown in flower beds of various types.

Growing conditions

Ruta prefers calcareous, calcareous, gravelly, loamy, fertile soils with a neutral or slightly acidic pH reaction. The culture has a negative attitude towards waterlogged, saline, waterlogged and heavy clay soils. Ruta is photophilous, grows well in intensely lit areas. Penumbra is not forbidden.

Sowing

Seeds are sown in early spring directly into the ground. You can carry out podzimny sowing. Seeding depth - 1cm. The seeding rate is 3-5 g per square meter. The distance between the rows is 50-60 cm. Seedlings appear on the 12-15th day. With the appearance of three true leaves on the seedlings, the crops are thinned, leaving an interval of 8-10 cm between the plants. After 30-35 days, repeated thinning is carried out with a distance between the plants of 50-60 cm.

It is not forbidden to grow a culture in a seedling way. In this case, sowing is done in April, and the seedlings are planted in the ground at the end of May. This method allows you to get a larger amount of fresh greenery than when sowing in open ground. It is important to remember that hand-picked seeds are best sown before winter. Ruta is also propagated by green cuttings by dividing the bush. Planting material is rooted under a film shelter or in a greenhouse, and at the end of August they are transplanted to a permanent place.

Care

Caring for the rue consists of the standard procedures for all herbaceous plants. When growing rue as a perennial, for the winter the plants are covered with a dense layer of peat or humus. This will preserve all plants and their root system until next spring. In the spring, diseased and frozen shoots are removed, and fertilizing is carried out with nitrogen fertilizers, for example, urea. Do not forget about weeding, watering and loosening the aisles. It is necessary to work with the culture with gloves, otherwise burns and irritations of the skin of the hands cannot be avoided. The culture is not prone to diseases and pests.

Harvesting

Harvested throughout the growing season. Young leaves are used for food purposes. Whole plants are used only in the first year of life. For medicinal purposes, rue is harvested during flowering, a few days before the onset of stable frosts. The inflorescences are removed from the plants, collected in medium-sized and loose bunches and dried in a suspended state in a shady room.

Application

Ruta is used in cooking. Young leaves are considered an excellent seasoning for meat, fish and mushroom dishes, as well as vegetable salads. Add rue to sauces that are perfect for sandwiches and snacks. Flavored with rue tea, cocktails, vinegar and vodka. In strong dilution, rue essential oil is used in the perfume industry, although its use is prohibited in some countries.

The plant is widely used in folk medicine. They use it for bronchial asthma, for diseases of the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract and liver. Scientists claim that rue has certain abortive properties, so you need to be very careful with it.