Allotments 4 All

EJ>>  i noticed last year you mentioned that you grow angelica from seed.  What method do you use?  i've tried everything i can think of, sowing direct (letting them fall off the plant really), sowing in pots indoors and out, pre-chitting.  nothing seems to work.  gave up and bought some plants at the weekend but know i will have bucket fulls of seed again after flowering.  Any tips?

No.  :-\  I sowed them in a pot, in my usual haphazard way and up they came!  I will take a photo later to show you as the biggest is nearly 6 foot tall already!  They are everywhere and I have been weeding them out of the garden by the bucket full, but for stature they are a must!  Sorry I can't be more helpfull.  What I will say is mine self seed like crazy and they are in a shadey spot next to our willow tree, so also quite dry.  Don't know if that makes any difference at all.

The seeds I bought and sowed in the GH have not been very successful over the years so last year (or the year before?) I bought one plant which eventually flowered and seeded. The plant was growing in full sun all day long.  I have Angelica seedlings all over the place. Too many to give away or sell.
I would like to grow Angelica gigas from seed because the plants are so expensive to buy. It has rather attractive red flower heads.

Same problem here fbgrifter, have sown Angelica 3 years running with no joy, and end up buying plants. However - did do a bit of reading up on them recently and evidently they need stratification - a cold spell - which makes a lot of sense if EJ and Toadspawn have plants which have self-seeded as these seeds will have gone through a winter period. So, I am not going to weed/disturb the soil around the current Angelica plants I have, hopefully if I leave it alone, seedlings will come up nest year.

....must be your luverly seeds then EJ ;)

The ones you gave me last year, grew no problem

Debs

;D

thanks for your answers.

jennym - yes i knew that, but even those that fell to the ground didn't germinate, and neither did the ones i sowed direct last september.  i guess its just an awkward plant family to grow!  (carrots, parsnips etc.)

Always let mine self-seed, but  the first time I grew them I read that the seed needs to be very fresh - seed  may not stay viable for very long, which is why autumn sowing is suggested. Also that they need light to germinate.

I have Angelica self seeding in my garden too - the original plant was put in the shade of a wall (and partly the shed) so it the soil is pretty dry - noticed with my bronze fennel too that it self seeds in the driest locations, so maybe that is the trick?! Good luck.

After the recent rains and warm weather, my plants are now really growing well, and are maybe about 3 ft tall. Now, in previous years, I've only really played at candying pieces of stalk. My questions are, how much taller will they get before the quality of the stalk is impaired? What is the optimum height at which to cut the plant? I am assuming that the stalks won't be so good for candying once they get large and presumably hollow? Will they re-shoot if cut down soon? I think they are biennial and so would flower this year as they are in their second year.

i can't get the ones you sent EJ to germinate :'( :'(
they obviously don't like the cold north ::)

So funny how sometimes the grow, and sometimes they don't!  Like I said, it is almost a weed for me!  That and the bronze fennel on the allotment which has seeded everywhere!!

GW, would you like me to dig up some seedlings and send to you?  i don't know how they will travel, but if you want me to give it a go, just pm me your addy.

Quote from: jennym on May 10, 2006, 11:21:59
I've only really played at candying pieces of stalk. My questions are, how much taller will they get before the quality of the stalk is impaired? What is the optimum height at which to cut the plant? I am assuming that the stalks won't be so good for candying once they get large and presumably hollow? Will they re-shoot if cut down soon? I think they are biennial and so would flower this year as they are in their second year.

They are biennial, but if you prevent them from flowering, they'll hang on for another year or more.

I think the usual advice is to candy the stalks when young, in spring, but I have only tried it once - seems like a lot of work.

My experience of tasting the stems in their raw state is that the older ones are much stronger tasting.

When I've been in Finland, I've seen posh eateries serving angelica soup and angelica sauce (to go with reindeer steaks!). An acquired taste, I think. It's one of the few things that will grow reliably in Lapland and other places in the far north. I think they have recipes using all parts - roots included.

So the cold north is definitely not a problem for these plants  :D

Ceratonia - thanks for that tip about sauce for reindeer steaks - I Googled, and found some good info, particularly on this link:

http://www.henriettesherbal.com/archives/best/1996/angelica.html

I made rhubarb and angelica jam last year (it set very firmly by the way).  Apparently if you cook some angelica leaves with bubby it reduces the acidicness of it.

the other wierd thing is my plant is definately in its third year, but states on the label that it's biennial...and no, i didn't cut the flowers off last year!!!  freaky!  :o