You can start sowing milk thistle next monthbut it is worth preparing for it now. The best time is at the end of March or April. Then the plant will have ideal conditions for growth.
It is one of the most interesting and impressive plants you can have in your garden, and it does not pose any major problems in cultivation.. So don’t think twice, just consider a place to grow milk thistle in your garden. Especially since this charming “troublemaker” may have .
Milk thistle (from Latin: silybum marianum) has impressive dimensions. Under favorable conditions, it can grow up to 1-1.5 meters in height. Its stem is thick and stiff.
A characteristic feature of this species are large, spreading dark green leaves with sharp spines and distinct white, marbled spots. In the summer – from July to early September, milk thistle turns into .
This is the period when it blooms and you can admire its spectacular, intensely purple flowers in the form of large baskets, placed individually on the tops of the shoots. They are surrounded by a thorny coveringhence some people confuse it with thistle. However, in milk thistle the leaves are wider and have bright decorations, and the flowers are more impressive.
Milk thistle is a rather undemanding plant, so even novice gardeners can grow it. It is best to sow it into the ground at the end of March or in April, when there is no risk of heavy frosts, placing the seeds 2.5 cm below the surface at 45-50 cm intervals.
The best location for milk thistle will be a sunny place, and its soil should be permeablerather dry than wet, although it can cope with any conditions.
When the plants are young, they need to be watered regularly. However, adult specimens are drought resistant. This species actually does not need fertilization. It is only worth removing weeds around young seedlings.
Milk thistle is an annual plant, but it can self-sow if you leave the seed baskets. The best time to harvest is at the end of summer. After collecting them, they need to be dried in a ventilated place and then the seeds should be crushed. which should be hard and brown-gray.
Before use, you need to grind them and eat a maximum of 1-2 teaspoons a day, e.g. as an addition to yogurt or a cocktail. It is worth consuming them because milk thistle contains silymarin – a compound with strong antioxidant properties.
This substance can support the liver and help protect it against the harmful effects of toxins. It may also support digestive processes and have a beneficial effect on fat metabolism.
