You can also harvest the seeds to save for future plantings. When harvesting the leaves, never pick more than a third of the plant at once. Pick flowers in mid-morning after the dew has dried. The essential oils in the plant are highest just as flowering is beginning. Leaves can be harvested any time during the season, and flowers can be harvested as soon as they start blooming. Infected plants must be pulled up and discarded.įinally, feverfew is sometimes susceptible to powdery mildew if planted in a shady area, but this can be easily avoided by selecting a location that receives full sun. Use diatomaceous earth or insecticidal soap to kill the bugs that spread this bacterial disease. The only cure for aster yellows is prevention. You can remove them easily by handpicking at dusk or after rain.ĭiatomaceous earth or coffee grounds sprinkled around the base of plants will also help to deter slugs.Īster yellows disease can also be a problem. You may notice wilted foliage and a slimy residue where slugs have been. If they become an issue, spraying off plants with a hard stream of water from the hose often does the trick.įor severe infestations, you can try a homemade insecticidal soap by mixing one tablespoon of pure liquid soap and two teaspoons of cooking oil into a quart of water to spray on foliage whenever you notice signs of aphids. This white and yellow beauty is relatively disease free, but you should still keep an eye out for the occasional problem.Īphidscan occasionally plague feverfew. Ideal for cottage gardens or container growing, expect a mature height of 18 inches. Well-drained sandy or loamy soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.7 is perfect for these plants. Plant it in full sun, or in an area that receives a bit of light shade. Replant divisions 18 inches apart at the same depth as the roots were growing before and water well. To divide a mature plant, dig a circle about a foot deep and a few inches wider than the plant and lift it from the ground in spring or fall, using a shovel to cut the crown into three or four chunks. By Divisionįeverfew roots consist of a deep taproot with many branching rhizomes. Plant in holes as deep as the root ball, spacing plants about a foot apart.Īny garden soil is fine as feverfew is tolerant of poor soils. Transplants can be planted out in the garden after last frost, once at least two true leaves have emerged. Expect germination to take 10 to 14 days. Scatter seeds in flats filled with a well draining seed starting mix and tamp them down lightly, barely covering them as light aids germination.Ĭover with a dome lid and set in a bright location, keeping it evenly moist until seedlings emerge. To get an early start, you can also sow seeds indoors in spring, about five to seven weeks before the last frost. You can plant in rows a few inches apart and thin to a foot apart once plants are a few inches high. From Seedĭirect sow seeds after the last frost, barely covering them with quarter of an inch of soil. You can also transplant seedlings from a garden center or divide existing plants. You can start seeds indoors in late winter, or direct sow in your garden after all danger of frost has passed. Scientists are still working to identify the substance in the plant that offers the beneficial effects. found that incidents of migraine headaches were reduced in patients who ingested feverfew extract. Numerous studies assessing the effectiveness of feverfew as a headache treatment have been conducted, and in 2005 a German study from H.C. It has also been used to relieve the symptoms of arthritis and digestive problems.Īll parts of the plant that grow above ground may be used in medicines, but most commercial products use the leaves. Though its name may suggest an ability to lower body temperature, feverfew is instead mainly relied upon medicinally to treat and prevent headaches.
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