Epazote – Herb garden

Epazote is an annual or perennial herb has been utilized in traditional herbal medicine for quite a long time to treat intestinal parasites in humans and domestic animals. It will grow to roughly 4′ tall, with long slender leaves and clusters of tiny green flowers. The fruit is perfectly enclosed in the calyx, obtusely angled, the seed smooth and shining, the embryo forming about three-quarters of a ring around the mealy albumen. It is some of the time devoured as a leaf vegetable, however, more regularly dried and utilized as a herb.

Scientific Name: Dysphania ambrosioides
Common Name: Epazote, wormseed, Mexican tea, pazote.

 

 

 

 

How to grow and maintain Epazote:

Light:
Epazote should be developed in full sun.

Soil:
It can easily grow in any type of soil though it is preferable to provide a soil that is rich in organic matter, loose and well-drained with pH ranging between 5 to 8.

Water:
To guarantee the proper development of your epazote, ensure an abundant water supply. Water regularly but avoid overwatering or drought-like conditions.

Fertilizer:
Epazote doesn’t require extra compost. Utilize fertilizer or matured compost at the season of planting. Afterward, you can apply a balanced liquid fertilizer if a plant is not growing well.

Propagation:
Sow seeds in late-winter after the last frost. In warm atmospheres, you can sow seeds anytime. Sow seeds in seed blend in pots or seed tray and cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. Water well after sowing.

For the most part, the germination rate of epazote is very great. The first set of leaves appear within a few days after sowing. Sow them outside when normal evening time temperature begins to remain over 50 F.

Harvest:
Epazote leaves are aromatic and rich in taste. The young leaves can be gathered whenever once the plant achieves 20 cm in height.

Pests and Diseases:
Its herbaceous stems and delicate foliage can be assaulted by common garden pests such as caterpillars, snails, grasshoppers.