The scent and taste of "Maggi herb" bear a strong resemblance to the seasoning sauce developed by Julius Maggi in 1885. This is why it is referred to as "Maggi herb." However, the seasoning does not actually contain any "Maggi herb." Our grandmothers did not call the little plant "Maggi herb" either, but rather lovage. Because of its strong, savory aroma, which is reminiscent of celery and soup greens, they used it to give a very special touch to soups, salads, and quark dishes, as well as fish and meat dishes. Today, it is one of the most underestimated culinary herbs.
This seed is organic certified
(DE-ÖKO-006)
Properties
| Plant information | |
|---|---|
| Two to three times a year | |
| Medium feeder | |
| Levisticum officinale | |
| 30 - 50 cm | |
| Perennial | |
| Green | |
| Tastes great in soups, rustic stews, and sauces. Also very delicious and healthy as tea | |
Planting instructions on the envelope
Lovage is a very low-maintenance plant. It loves sunny to partially shaded locations and likes nutrient-rich and regularly watered soil. When watering, however, waterlogging should be avoided just as much as letting the soil dry out completely. A little compost or organic long-term fertilizer is sufficient for fertilization. Sowing takes place in the spring in pots or directly outdoors. Primarily young leaves are harvested in the time before flowering. Lovage is perennial and frost-hardy. Since it is not one of the evergreen herbs, it is normal for its foliage to wither in winter and sprout anew in the spring.
Detailed planting instructions: Maggi herb (Lovage)
Where the question of soil, irrigation, and sunlight usually comes first for other plants, it must be formulated differently for Maggi herb, also known as lovage: How much space is left in your garden bed? Because as easy to care for and simple to grow as this herb is, it grows—to put it mildly—rather expansively. As a so-called heavy feeder, it depletes the soil significantly. The location itself is not exactly indifferent to lovage, but the requirements are not particularly high. It should be semi-shaded to sunny, with more sun than shade doing no harm. Then, logically, the plant will need more water.
Maggi herb deprives competitors of nutrients
Because the herb likes to steal vital nutrients from competitors in the garden if they are too close, the distance to other plants should be about one meter when you plant the seedlings in the ground. Or you can incorporate a root or rhizome barrier into the soil so that the roots cannot spread unchecked. Of course, you can also put the Maggi herb in large pots and bury these in the soil. The soil, whether free in the bed or in a pot, should in any case be permeable and quite deep. A little lime and plenty of humus, a neutral pH value, and the ability to store water—it doesn't take much more than that to make it cozy for the herb. If you have sandy soil, you are welcome to mix in some clay; if the soil is loamy, however, mix it with sand.
Very productive
As expansive as Maggi herb is, it is also grateful in terms of productivity. Incidentally, sowing is possible throughout the year; this also works with fresh seeds that you take from the ripe plant. For pre-cultivation, put the seeds into smaller pots, which you then transplant into the bed (or into larger pots) as soon as the germinating plants have reached a size of about 15 centimeters. If a few seedlings remain weaker, then you can sort them out right away—they won't make it anyway. Rather focus on the specimens that are robust from the start.
Care, harvest, and use
As already mentioned: Lovage depletes the soil significantly. And this process cannot simply be made good with fertilizer. However, that does not mean that you do not have to fertilize at all—twice a year, 1.5 to two kilos of fertilizer each are necessary, once in the spring and once in the late summer or early autumn. If the plant is still small, then help out once a month with a liquid fertilizer. Oh yes, naturally it should be organic fertilizer that you use; after all, you want to eat the herb later. You should water regularly, because if the Maggi herb becomes too dry, it loses its taste, which you will notice at the latest after the harvest. Incidentally, you have to dig up and relocate the Maggi herb after the season. The soil must now recover for four (!) years until the ratio of nutrients is balanced again.
When you then use Maggi herb in the kitchen, be warned, because it has a strong taste if it has been watered correctly. Whatever you make from it, whether in casseroles, salads, stews, soups, or sauces for fish and meat, don't take too much; rather add more seasoning if needed. You can easily chop the freshly harvested leaves with a knife and add them to the food. Pests do not get too close to the lovage; the strong smell and taste rather deter parasites. Diseases also almost never occur.
