Guide to the care and uses of lovage

We have not tested its cultivation and we do not know anyone who grows lovage. What we can tell you is that if you like common celery, the flavor and intensity of lovage or lovage is even more intense.

An alternative for salads, condiments that hardly anyone knows.

Whether you have a garden or not, you can grow lovage in the garden as an ornamental and at the same time take advantage of its intense aroma.

CHARACTERISTICS OF LOVAGE ( LEVISTICUM OFFICINALIS )

One of the most controversial vegetables in Spain in terms of aroma and flavor is celery. It is not like other vegetables that you may like more or less.

I only know two types of tastes regarding the taste and smell of celery.

Those who hate him and those who love him. There is no middle ground. The reason is its aromatic intensity , it is clear. This intensity is what many like and many others annoy.

If you are one of those who makes celery “retro” , you can still skip this article, because today we are talking about celery but not about normal celery.

Lovage or lovage ( Levisticum officinalis ). The peculiarity of this plant is that its aroma and flavor are even stronger and more intense than the celery we usually consume .

Lovage or lovage is from the same family as celery (apiaceous or umbelliferous). It is perennial and depends on how it is planted it can look like a small shrub.

It can reach up to 2 meters in approximately 3 years, although it all depends on the growing conditions and the climate.

If it is used for culinary purposes, good quantities of it can be cut every year, which will re-sprout without problems the following year. Dried leaves, stems and roots can be used.

ORNAMENTAL AND CULINARY VALUE OF LOVAGE OR LOVAGE

The truth does not stand out for great reasons. We have written about flowers, plants and spices with much more interest in other articles, but not for that, we are going to forget about those that apparently do not contribute much.

As an ornamental value for the garden, we can highlight its large and divided leaves. The umbel-shaped flowers are not especially showy. They are pale yellow but add their point.

If we take the leaves to the kitchen, we can dry them and mix them with other spices.

If you have never tried it, it is advisable that you try before mixing because it would not be strange to go over the proportions, with the result of masking all the other aromas of somewhat finer spices.

The tender, very tender and young shoots are put in a salad. It would not be strange if you have been to a restaurant where they have put lovage leaves in a sprout salad.

Dare to even make yourself an infusion of lovage leaf.

It is truly surprising and refreshing we could say. If the stems are to be used, a very common practice is to blanch them like leek , asparagus or celery as well. The only advice is that they should be consumed when shooting young people.

HOW TO GROW LOVAGE IN OUR GARDEN

CLIMATE AND SOIL

It is resistant to very low temperatures that in few places in Spain for example we will reach (-20 ºC). So there is no risk of planting in mountain gardens or cold weather.

It is from cool climates although we can grow it in other warmer areas. What you do need is to be located in a shady or at least semi- shady area .

It tolerates the sun well but if it is located in slightly shady areas we will be able to maintain adequate soil humidity as we will see in the next section.

SOIL AND IRRIGATION CHARACTERISTICS

Taking into account that the soil must be humid, the risks will depend to a great extent on your climatic zone and season of the year in which you are.

The type of soil, resembles the type of soil of crops such as chives or the same common celery.

Fresh, humid and very rich in humified organic matter . Puddling does not cope well like most plants. Moist but not watery.

If you did not know lovage, you already know it and we hope that with these little notes you can grow it if you feel like it.

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