It is not clear why, but ordinary hop has become a very rare guest in our garden and summer cottages, although it was found in abundance some forty years ago.
Common hop is one of the few lianas growing in central Russia. In Russia it was dubbed "Yarila's grass" in honor of the Slavic god of fertility. The plant is very unpretentious, grows on almost any soil, is very winter-hardy, its rhizome tolerates frosts down to -35 ... -40 ° C.
Hops are a perennial herb. In 2-3 years, a huge bush grows with 25-30 shoots, reaching a length of 5 meters and much more. The plant is durable, lives for about 30 years and requires virtually no maintenance. But you just need to monitor the roots, which, like horseradish, quickly spread outside the area allotted to it.
All this gigantic above-ground mass of branches and leaves dies off annually, and only thickened rhizomes remain in the soil for the winter. And in the spring, a rapid growth of shoots begins, and the size of the bush is restored in less than a month.
The plant is dioecious, has male and female flowers. The covering leaves of the inflorescences grow and cover the nuts, forming "cones", which consist of a large number of scales, pressed against the common stem of the fruit. On the inner side of the scales, there are numerous yellow glands. Hops bloom in June – August.
Hops are propagated mainly by seeds, and the transplantation of hop rhizomes is very poorly tolerated due to mechanical damage. It is much easier to cut or purchase seedlings from the store.
Recently, hop varieties with golden yellow leaf color have appeared. They look luxurious against the background of trees with dark foliage and architectural structures; they can be used to braid a gazebo or pergola.
But no matter how beautiful the hop is, its main advantage is its healing properties. Moreover, all parts of the plant have healing power. The presence of hops on the site has a positive effect on human health, since its leaves are a powerful source of phytoncides and dramatically reduce the number of microorganisms in the air.
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Medicinal uses of hops
In medicine, unripe hop cones are used primarily, which contain a lot of lapulin. They are greenish yellow in color. Unripe buds are bright green, overripe buds are yellow-brown, and are not suitable for harvesting.
Cones are harvested in August – September. They are dried in a place protected from the sun with good ventilation, laid out in a thin layer. When properly dried, raw materials retain their natural color, aroma and firmness for two years.
Hop cones are used as a means of calming the nervous system, enhance the secretory and motor functions of the stomach, relieve pain in case of inflammation of the bladder and painful urination.
For cooking infusion you need 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of dry crushed cones with 1 cup boiling water, cook in a water bath for 15 minutes, leave for 45 minutes, drain. Take 0.3 cups 3 times daily before meals.
For cooking alcoholic infusion their cones are poured with vodka in a ratio of one to four, insisted for one week in a warm place. Take 7-10 drops in the morning and evening before meals.
With nervous excitement, in the climacteric period they drink bud powder 1 g (at the tip of a knife) 3-4 times a day.
In the same cases, herbalists recommend collection, consisting of 2 hours of hop cones, 3 hours of mint leaves, 3 hours of motherwort herb, 2 hours of valerian root. For the preparation of the infusion 2 tbsp. spoons of the mixture must be poured with 1 cup of boiling water, insist in a warm place for 1 hour, drain. Take 0.3 cups 3 times a day.
Helps with neuroses collectionconsisting of equal proportions of hop cones, valerian root and St. John's wort. For the preparation of a decoction 1 tbsp. a spoonful of the mixture is poured with 1 glass of boiling water, heated in a water bath for 15 minutes, filtered. Take 3-4 times a day before meals, the last time before bedtime, for 3 weeks.
To relieve arousal, a calming tea, consisting of 2 tsp hop cones, 3 tsp.valerian root, 3 tsp St. John's wort, 2 tsp thyme herbs, 3 tsp chamomile flowers, 1 tsp lemon balm herb. For making tea 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of the mixture with 1 glass of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes. It is taken in the morning on an empty stomach, in the evening - before bedtime, and in the afternoon - 1.5 hours after eating.
As a sedative for cardioneurosis, used collectionconsisting of equal proportions of hop cones, anise root, lemon balm herb, valerian root and yarrow herb. To prepare the infusion, you need 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of the mixture with 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, strain. Take 0.25 glasses 4 times a day.
Good also helps collection, consisting of 2 hours of hop inflorescences, 2 hours of mint leaves, 2 hours of three-leaf watch leaves, 1 hour of valerian root. To prepare the infusion, you need 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of the crushed mixture with 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes, strain. Take 0.5 cups 2 times a day and at night.
Useful for insomnia and neurosis collection, consisting of 1 tsp hop cones, 1 tsp valerian root, 2 tsp watch leaves and 2 tsp mint leaves. To prepare the infusion, you need 1 tbsp. Brew a spoonful of the mixture with 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, drain. Take 0.5 cups 3 times a day.
In some countries, herbal sleeping pills, which include hops. It is not difficult to make them yourself. To do this, you just need to quickly dry the plants, not allowing them to dry out.
The following plant combinations can be prepared:
- hops - 3 parts, fern - 2 hours, laurel - 1 hour;
- hops - 2 tsp, fern - 3 tsp, mint - 1 tsp
Small herbal pillows can be placed over the radiator of the battery to scent the air in the bedroom.
With pyelonephritis in folk medicine used collection, consisting of 1 tsp hop cones, 3 tsp nettle herb, 1 tsp black currant leaves, 1 tsp birch leaves, 1 tsp juniper fruit, 2 tsp bearberry leaves, 2 tsp plantain leaves. To prepare the infusion, you need 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of collection with 2 cups of boiling water, insist in a warm place for 30 minutes, drain. Take 0.75 cups 3 times a day, 30 minutes before meals, warm.
Hops in home cosmetics
Hops are widely used in home cosmetics as well. Hop decoction wash hair to strengthen it, against dandruff, itchy scalp and baldness. In the form of lotions, they are used for bruises, boils, ulcers. Hop cones are included in bath preparations.
For cooking decoction of hops for external use you need 4 tbsp. pour spoons of cones with 1 liter of boiling water, boil for 5-7 minutes, leave for 1 hour, drain.
Helps with hair loss collection, consisting of 3 hours hop cones, 4 hours calamus rhizomes, 4 hours burdock root and 2 hours calendula flowers.
For cooking infusion need 5 tbsp. pour spoons of the mixture with 1.0 l of boiling water, leave for 2 hours, drain. Lubricate the scalp at night.
For the same purpose, apply collection, consisting of 3 hours of hop cones, 4 hours of burdock root and 2 hours of calendula flowers. To prepare the infusion, you need 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of the mixture with 1 liter of boiling water, boil for 15 minutes, cool, strain. Moisten the head, tie it with a towel for 4 hours, then rinse the hair. The course of treatment is up to 10 procedures every other day.
Nutritional Uses of Hops
But hops will not only cure, but also feed. Its young shoots and leaves can be used fresh in salads and soups, they can be dried or salted for the winter. Hops are widely used in the production of beer and bread baking.
- Sourdough for kvass or hop baking
- Tea with ordinary hops "Calm down"
- Sbiten hot
- Lemon honey with hops
Ornamental use of hops
Among other things, hop lianas are an excellent decorative decoration for a gazebo, wall, fence, any structure and an excellent background for your flower garden, but it is especially decorative with clusters of cones, which change their color from yellow-green to golden-yellow as they grow.
Read also articles:
- Medicinal use of hops
- Hops: growing and breeding
"Ural gardener", No. 21, 2020
