Worth knowing:
In ancient Greece the evergreen True Myrtle was dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Myrtle twigs are the symbol of vitality, fertility, marital happiness and ever-lasting love. Even the wedding tradition, that the maiden bride gets to wear a Myrtle garland, was already known by the ancient Greeks and Romans. This small bush with its aromatic dark green leaves and its fragrant blossoms – sprouting between May and August – can easily be kept in a pot or tub. Older plants even show their small eatable dark blue berries after blossoming.
Natural Location:
The native habitat of the Myrtle is the Mediterranean Sea and the Canary Islands, where it can be found in form of a bush or a small tree.
Cultivation:
Seed propagation indoors is possible throughout the year. To increase the germinability, you can place the seeds in warm water for 24 hours. Spread the seeds on the moist potting compost, put just a little compost earth on top and cover the seed container with clear film to prevent the earth from drying out. Don’t forget to make some holes in the clear film and take it every second or third day completely off for about 2 hours. That way you avoid mold formation on your potting compost. Place the seed container somewhere bright and warm between 20°C and 25°C and keep the earth moist but not wet. The seedlings usually come up after two to five weeks. It is quite possible that the 5 cm long sprout tops will multiply afterwards.
Place:
Myrtle plants like to be kept at an airy place in the sun. Avoid placing it near a heater. During the summer it can be kept outdoors on a balcony or in the garden.
Care:
A regular supply with lime-deficient water is best for the Myrtle plant, but avoid water logging in pot and saucer. Between April and September you should also add fluid fertilizer for tub plants. During growth, Myrtle can easily be pruned time and again, but to get a rich blossoming, you should consider not to cut it back after May. Every for years you should repot your plant using azalea earth.
During the winter:
In the wintertime you shouldn’t give any fertilizer and water only sparingly. Keeping your Myrtle plant in a bright spot but a bit cooler with 5° to 14° Celsius, would be best. In a warmer place you should check for sufficient airflow and spray the leaves regularly to avoid pest infestation due to the dry air caused by the heater.
Picture credits:
- © © Forest & Kim Starr - CC-BY-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Javier martin - Public domain - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/
- © Ettore Balocchi - CC-BY-2.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
- © Forest & Kim Starr - CC-BY-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
- © Forest & Kim Starr - CC-BY-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
- © Forest & Kim Starr - CC-BY-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
- © Forest & Kim Starr - CC-BY-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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