Lady's Bedstraw

Lady's Bedstraw — variety description

Lady's Bedstraw (Galium verum) is a perennial herb of the Madder family (Rubiaceae). Lady's Bedstraw is a slender, creeping plant with many more or less upright stems, bearing mostly summer panicles of numerous, small, coumarin-scented, bright yellow flowers.

The flowers have been used, like rennet, to curdle milk.

The plant reaches a height of up to 50 cm.

The herb has mostly diuretic, antimicrobial, haemostatic, mildly laxative and painkilling actions.

Bedstraw is an aromatic medicinal herb with honey-yellow flowers, associated with Midsummer's Day (St John's Day).

Key features

• Measured germination rate of the batch: 85%
• Seeds per packet: 510–690 pcs (0.2 g)
• Seed origin: Poland
• Sowing: March and April; direct
• Flowering: July and August
• Harvest: May – July
• Position: sunny spot

When to sow Lady's Bedstraw

Lady's Bedstraw seeds are sown in March and April. The plants flower in July and August. The crop is harvested from May to July. The months are a guide for a temperate climate — in warmer areas sow 1–2 weeks earlier, in cooler or upland areas, later.

How to sow and grow Lady's Bedstraw

• Sowing method: direct
• Depth: 0.5–1 cm
• Spacing: 20–30 cm
• Germination: 10–20 days at 15–20 °C
• Position: sunny spot

The flowers are bright yellow, 2–3 mm in diameter and in dense clusters gathered into umbel-like flower heads located at the tips of the twigs or in the axils of leaves and stems. Flowering usually takes place between July and August. Sow directly, preparing the site before sowing. Mix the seeds with a little sand and scatter them. Germination takes about 2 weeks. Sometimes it may germinate a little slowly.

Undemanding.

Harvest and use

Picked in flower around Midsummer's Day (St John's Day).

Frequently asked questions

When should Lady's Bedstraw be sown?

The recommended sowing months are March and April. Sowing method: direct.

How many seeds are in the packet?

The packet contains 510–690 seeds, pack size 0.2 g.

What is the germination rate of the seeds?

The measured germination rate of this batch is 85%. The test was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; in the field, emergence depends on soil, temperature and moisture.