Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:57 pm
Woodruff is a flavoring and medicinal plant that has been collected and preserved for centuries for kitchen use. With proper care, the plant can also be grown as a ground cover in the garden.
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How often should woodruff be watered?
In its wild locations in the forest, woodruff is often reached by rain only rather indirectly via the moisture-retaining forest soil. The plants should not get waterlogged even when grown in a pot or under a tree in the garden. However, they thrive particularly well if you keep the soil evenly moist and thus mitigate extended dry periods.
Is it possible to transplant woodruff?
The roots of woodruff are relatively delicate and sensitive, so it should be transplanted only with great caution and in mild weather conditions. As a rule, preplanting the seeds and then planting out is not worthwhile in the case of woodruff. As a frost seedling, it is usually sown directly on the spot between September and December. If woodruff spreads too much in one spot in the garden, it is most likely to be transplanted in the fall.
When to cut and harvest woodruff?
For visual reasons, woodruff hardly needs to be pruned, as it reaches a maximum height of about 30 centimeters, even with good care. Therefore, pruning is actually only done to use the stems and leaves as a flavoring for the following products:
- Berliner Weisse
- May punch
- Woodruff lemonade
- Woodruff ice cream
You should be particularly careful with children, as the coumarin contained in woodruff can be hazardous to health in the event of an overdose. Since the content of coumarin increases sharply from the flowering period in April and May, it should be harvested beforehand if possible and dried or frozen.
What to do if the woodruff does not grow well?
The plant is not very susceptible to diseases and pests, so growth problems are usually due to site factors such as sun exposure, water supply or soil conditions.
Do you need to fertilize woodruff?
Woodruff does not require any special fertilization; piling foliage around the plants is sufficient to provide nutrients.
How do you care for woodruff in the winter?
In most locations, woodruff is hardy without any problems, however, in exposed or higher locations, covering the plant with some foliage during the winter can have a positive effect on growth in the spring.
Tips & Tricks
In the first year after sowing, woodruff should not yet be harvested, if possible, so that the fine root system can develop undisturbed.