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Growing, propagating and using the beneficial properties of ivy
Botanical characteristics of ivy
Ivy is an evergreen plant, liana-like, belonging to the Araliaceae family. With the help of its strong and tenacious sucker roots, ivy climbs trees, pipes, fences and poles. Long ivy has a thicker trunk than those that do not climb to a height of 20 meters. In the woods, you can see a rug of ivy on the ground.
The leaves of the plant most often have a heart-shaped base, alternate, dense dark green in color. Ivy flowers are inconspicuous greenish-yellow in color, collected in umbrellas. Ivy flowers are both unisexual and bisexual. Male and bisexual flowers have 5 stamens, while female flowers have a pistil with a 5–10-celled ovary. The ivy fruit is similar in size to a pea. The plant blooms in autumn.
In the wild, ivy can be seen in Eurasia. In Western Europe, ivy is found on trees and on the soil in light and floodplain forests. Ivy also grows well on rocks and rocky cliffs. In Russia, ivy is grown, but you will not see it in the wild. For cultivation, parks, gardens, courtyards are chosen, and even ivy is used as a houseplant.
Reproduction of ivy
Ivy is propagated by cuttings, shoots and layering. The plant is propagated by cuttings as follows: cutting off the cuttings, they need to be planted in pots of 2-3 units, they are covered with a film on top. To plant cuttings, you must first prepare the soil, namely, mix sand with hardwood. Cuttings with aerial roots will root best.
Ivy propagation by layering. For this method, you need to take long shoots, make cuts at the bottom and pin them to the ground with the help of special staples. When the plants take root, they must be carefully and slowly separated and transplanted separately.
Reproduction by shoots. We take a shoot that has 8-10 leaves and put it on the sand. Now we place it inside the sand with the help of indentations. Only leaves should be on the surface. After 10 days, underground roots will appear on the stem, where the buds from the air roots are located. Now the shoot must be pulled out of the sand and cut in such a way that each cutting has a leaf and roots. Cuttings can not be kept in water until the roots appear, for this you just need to treat them with a special powder. When the cuttings take root, they are planted in a ready-made pot or soil.
Ivy cultivation
The soil when growing this unpretentious plant must be constantly moistened. In summer, watering should be plentiful, in winter – moderate. Ivy responds well to frequent spraying. This plant prefers fertile soil. Ivy is responsive to any kind of top dressing. The ends of the shoots need to be pinched periodically – this will give the plant a density of foliage and more decorativeness.
Ivy can be transplanted every two years into a pot with a larger diameter than the previous one. For better development and growth, the plant must be grown in a bright and lit place.
Ivy, although rare, is still exposed to diseases and various pests. If the room is warm, then the plant is affected by the scale insect. In this case, the damaged stems must be cut off, and the plant must be moved to a colder place. If you notice that the ivy leaves turn yellow and fall off, then this indicates a lack of moisture.
Useful properties of ivy
Ivy has antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It is used as an astringent, emetic, laxative. An alcoholic tincture of ivy is used to lower blood pressure and remove warts. A decoction prepared from this plant helps to cure coughs and get rid of headaches. Due to the fact that plant-based preparations have a hemolytic property, ivy is taken to maintain the tone of all blood vessels in the body.
Ivy contains organic acids, iodine, glycosides, due to which ivy is used as a general tonic.
Ivy application
Even in ancient times, ivy was used in folk medicine. On the basis of this plant, preparations are used for children’s cough and whooping cough, bronchitis and asthma. Ivy is used for diseases of the respiratory tract and inflammation of the bronchi of a chronic nature. Ivy contains a huge amount of iodine, so it is used for hyperthyroidism.
Ivy preparations help with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, gout and rheumatism. Infusion and tincture of ivy are used for catarrhs of various kinds. Ivy is also used externally – as a means for washing in the presence of a skin disease.
Decoction of ivy for skin diseases. To prepare it, you need to take 1 tablespoon of chopped ivy leaves and pour 200 ml of boiling water over them. Put everything in a water bath for half an hour. After removing the composition from the water bath, take gauze, put it in 3 layers and filter the product. The resulting broth is brought to the original volume with boiling water. Take this medicine three times a day, 1 tablespoon. The same decoction can be used for washing.
Decoction for rickets. 1 teaspoon of plant leaves is poured into 400 ml of cold boiled water and infused for 1 hour. After straining, the decoction is taken 4 times a day for a quarter cup.
Ivy for the flu. To prepare this medicine, you need to take fresh ivy leaves, squeeze the juice out of them and combine it with the same amount of garlic juice. This juice should be dripped into the nose and nasopharynx. The same medicine can be used in the presence of chronic pain in the head.
Ivy for sore throats. It is necessary to take 10 grams of the leaves of the plant and boil them in old wine, adding a pinch of salt there. Gargle a sore throat with a slightly hot broth.
Contraindications to the use of ivy
Ivy should be used only in moderate doses, otherwise an excessive dose will lead to poisoning. Some people may be allergic to this plant.