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Common Heather

Useful properties and applications of Heather


It is an evergreen plant belonging to the family Ericaceae, in height no more than 1 meter. Reddish-brown stem is strongly branched. The leaves of the plant are opposite, hibernating very small. Drooping flowers are collected in many-flowered inflorescence. The fruit of the briar is a capsule containing many small seeds, usually chetyrehchastnaya.

Flowering Heather begins in July and continues until late summer. During flowering on the upper branches of plants there are many beautiful flowers pink. The fruits ripen in early autumn.

Heather can live for about 40 years. It is very common in the European part of Russia, Eastern and Western Siberia. Heather prefers sandy and sandy loam soils with a varying degree of moisture. Best Heath suitable moisture-rich peat swamp. This is explained easily: in a peat bog does not get sunlight, as keeping them moss, so the water in the swamp is cold and does not go to the roots of plants, or does, but in small quantities. In this case, to briar to help retain moisture its leaves, which are rolled into a tube (so the moisture is almost lost). Heather can be found between the pine trees on the dry sand.


Planting Heather

Planting Heather is better done in an open Sunny position, but also light partial shade, too. Due to the fact that Heather does not like the calcium in the soil, when planting you need to choose a place where was made the soil of dolomite flour or lime.

Plantings need to be protected from the wind. Spring – the best time for planting, as the season Heather will adapt, take root, have time to ripen the shoots before the cold weather, and so the plant will easily survive the winter. If you put Heather in the autumn, it will affect his growth, how to change temperature setting: from warm climate on the European freezing. By the end of autumn planting will be freezing the Heather, and even the death of the whole plant.

Before boarding kom roots need to be watered with water: this is necessary for complete soaking of the root ball. And then quietly planted the plant in soil. Per 1 square meter can be planted no more than 8 tall varieties of Heather or 15 and stunted bushes. After 2-3 years the landing will have a beautiful carpet of Heather.


Care and cultivation of Heather

Most vereskov long time can do without irrigation, but if the Heather is growing on peaty or sandy soil, then he just needs constant watering, otherwise the plant will dry up.It is because of the drying out you need to carefully monitor the soil where they were planted heathers, and time to water the plant.

Heather does not tolerate fresh manure, so as baits it is better to apply fertilizers. And the best result will give a special fertilizer for azaleas, which need to be applied to the package directions of the fertilizer, carefully following the instructions and dosages. So Heather did not burn, you should try not to apply fertilizer on the leaves of the plant. Fertilizing must be done 1 time a year in the spring.

Within two years after planting of Heather shoots should not be cut. And in the future it is necessary to do a moderate pruning of the plants. Pruning is done in autumn, when plants Bud. Shoots need to be cut off just below the location of the inflorescence. Making pruning, try to cut some old wood.

In late autumn should prepare Heather for the winter. To do this, after freezing of the soil need to fill the peat around the bushes. Cover plants are better spruce branches, which will not allow the Heather to freeze in the winter and in spring will save you from sunburn. Spruce branches removed in mid-April, and the need to remove peat from the bushes.

Useful properties of Heather

In all parts of the Heath, contains phenols, phenol carboxylic acids, catechins, glycosides and coumarins. In the stems of the plants discovered the contents of leukoanthocyanidins, and roots and shoots – protoanemonin.

Drugs, prepared on the basis of Heather, have a calming effect on the nervous system of the body, sleeping pills and anti-inflammatory effect on the human body. In addition, Heather has antibacterial, diaphoretic and diuretic, expectorant and wound healing properties.

The plant is able to accelerate blood coagulation and it is used as antacid remedies.


Honey from Heather

With the most beautiful pinkish-lilac bushes of Heather bees to collect honey. honey from Heather is usually a dark shade of red, its aroma is very strong.

The composition of Heather honey is markedly different from other types of honey. The honey from Heather contains a lot of minerals, proteins, so, this honey is so useful.

Heather honey is stored for a long time due to the fact that it contains a lot of proteins and it is not kristallizuetsya, but on the contrary, coagulates and becomes like a jelly.

Honey from Heather is the most valuable and healing among all honeys. It is used as a diuretic in diseasethe bladder and kidneys. honey also helps to cure rheumatism and gout.

Insomnia? And then help the honey from the Heather. Enough to take just before bed one teaspoon of honey and you'll fall asleep soon and you will be guaranteed a peaceful sleep.

Due to the fact that honey has a unique chemical composition, it is used in diseases of the stomach or intestines as an anti-inflammatory agent.

If a person has a lowered stomach acidity, honey is used as an antimicrobial and protivokashlevoe tool.


Treatment Heather

Heather used in folk medicine for a long time and with great success. It is used in the treatment of cough, nephrolithiasis, cystitis, gout, pulmonary tuberculosis, gastritis and other diseases.

Juice of Heather are used for rinsing the mouth and throat.

When gastritis with high acidity of gastric juice drink an infusion of Heather.

Heather is a stimulant of the vascular system, it is content in the grass plant glycosides.

A decoction of Heather used in diseases of the stomach, with allergies, eczema, dysentery and other diseases. And externally, the decoction helps in the presence of wounds, ulcers and burns. Bath of Heather used for sciatica, swelling of the legs, dislocation, fracture and injury of the bones.

Decoction of leaves and flowers of Heather. Prepare it as follows: take 20 grams of powdered leaves of the plant along with the flowers and pour 200 ml of boiling water. Hold a quarter of an hour the broth in a water bath, it is cooled for 45 minutes, and after cooling, filtered. To use this tool you need 70 ml before meals 2-3 times daily. This drug is used in the presence of kidney stones, disease of liver or gall bladder.

Tea from Heather. To prepare it, take 1 or 2 teaspoons of herbs or flowers, pour a glass of boiling water and steep for 10 minutes. Strain the tea, take it in the form of heat Cup once a day. This tea soothes and helps with insomnia.

Tincture of Heather. Take 10 grams of plant roots and fill it with 50 ml of 70% alcohol. Leave to infuse for 14 days in a dark place. Then, strain the tincture, you can safely take 30-40 drops 3-4 times daily before meals.

Tub of Heather. To do this, take 50 grams of herb plants and steamed in 7 liters of boiling water. Leave the part for half an hour to infuse and after the filter. Pour all cooked in a tub and takeprocedure. This bath is soothing effect on the entire body.


Contraindications to the use of Heather

It is better not to take the Heath in the case of a disease of the stomach with decreased secretion of gastric juice. Also contraindication is the idiosyncrasy of the body of the Ling.