Field bindweed
Cultivation and application of useful properties of field bindweed
What is a plant like field bindweed?
Field bindweed is a plant belonging to the bindweed family. This species has a long taproot that can penetrate up to three meters into the soil. The bare and creeping stems are up to 120 cm long. The stems all extend from the root collar, forming dense rosettes. Bindweed leaves are located on long cuttings. Beautiful, large, pink or white flowers of the plant are already visible from afar. Each peduncle has one to three such beautiful flowers.
The fruit of the plant is a capsule that looks like an egg. It contains seeds with an uneven surface, brown or dark gray.
From the beginning of summer to the first days of autumn, the flowering of the bindweed lasts, the ripening of the fruits lasts only a month, namely from August to September.
The field bindweed reproduces only in two ways: by seeds and root suckers. You can see this plant in the CIS countries. Bindweed prefers fresh loamy soil. Bindweed can also be found in a forest glade, near roads, in garbage collection points and in vegetable gardens.
In fact, the field bindweed is a poisonous plant, but it is safely used in the preparation of drugs for the treatment of diseases in folk medicine, as well as as feed for pigs.
Cultivation of field bindweed
Once the bindweed pods turn light brown, they must be collected. Next, you need to sow bindweed seeds in the open ground. May is the best month to sow plant seeds. 7 days after sowing the seeds, bindweed shoots will appear. It is immediately necessary to thin them out so that there is a distance of 15–20 cm between the seedlings.
On the 70-80th day, the plant will begin to bloom (June), which continues until the beginning of autumn. If a plant receives a lot of nitrogen fertilizers and is watered a lot, then it grows very quickly, but flowering is weak. During the initial budding period, complete mineral fertilizer is applied. Water the plant only if there is a strong drying out of the soil.
Useful properties of the field bindweed
For medicinal purposes, the herb and roots of the plant are used, seeds and flowers are used less often. Bindweed has a laxative and hypotensive effect. Bindweed preparations are used as a choleretic and diuretic. Bindweed seeds improve the secretory function of the large intestine, enhancing its peristalsis. Considering the fact that during the drying process the plant loses many useful substances, it is better to use it fresh.
Field bindweed application
Field bindweed is very popular in folk medicine. From all parts of the plant, many preparations are prepared, with which people suffering from various diseases are saved.
For example, the roots of the plant are used as a laxative. For neurosis, toothache, gastritis, bruises and wounds, decoctions, powders, infusions and teas of this plant are used as an antitumor, analgesic and diuretic. Bindweed juice, as well as an ointment prepared on the basis of a plant, helps with dermatomycosis and dermatitis.
For tuberculosis, diseases of the throat, ear, oral cavity, fever and atherosclerosis, drugs from the aerial part of the plant are used. In the postpartum period, with chronic bronchitis, a decoction or infusion of bindweed can help.
If there is such a disease as furunculosis, then the external use of plant leaves will help. When a poisonous snake is bitten, it is necessary to use preparations from bindweed leaves, which have a detoxifying effect.
With fainting, neurosis, dermatitis, infusions and decoctions of bindweed flowers will provide significant help.
To cope with cough, constipation, edema of different etiology, nephritis, dysuria will help a decoction of bindweed seeds. The healing effect is explained by the fact that this broth has a diaphoretic and laxative effect on the body.
Field bindweed treatment
For medicinal purposes, infusions, decoctions and tinctures of field bindweed are prepared. How to prepare each of the presented preparations will be written below.
Infusion of bindweed seeds. To prepare it, you need to take 1 teaspoon of bindweed seed powder and pour 200 ml of boiling water over them, put everything in a water bath, closing the lid. After 15 minutes, remove the infusion from the water bath. Next, you need to leave the infusion for 45 minutes and strain. This infusion is used for colds as a diaphoretic. Every day, 70 ml a quarter of an hour before meals, you must take such an infusion. You need to drink this medicine 3 times a day.
Bindweed herb tincture. To prepare such a product, take 10 grams of plant herbs and fill them with 50 ml of alcohol (70%). We leave the composition to infuse for a week. We take this tincture in half or a whole teaspoon 2 or 3 times daily before meals. This tincture should be used in case of fever, atherosclerosis or bleeding.
Infusion of bindweed roots. We take 1 tablespoon of crushed plant roots and pour 200 ml of boiling water. Stir and leave for 25 minutes, covered with a napkin. Taking a cotton cloth, you need to strain the finished infusion. This infusion is taken to rinse the mouth in the presence of inflammation, and this medicine also helps to get rid of toothaches.
Bindweed broth in milk. To prepare it, take 1 teaspoon of chopped herbs and pour a glass of milk. We put on fire for 5 minutes. After that, we filter the finished broth. Further, the entire volume must be divided into 4 parts. And now, for 4 doses a day, you need to drink the entire cooked broth. Such a decoction is taken by women in labor who have difficult childbirth. People with syphilis and metrorrhagia will also benefit from this drug.
Fresh bindweed juice. We take the fresh grass of the plant and squeeze the juice out of it. Now we take 2 tablespoons of the resulting juice and dilute with 200 ml of boiling water. We take this medicine in a quarter of a glass three times a day before meals. Indications for the use of this juice are inflammation of the spleen and liver.
Collection for chronic bladder disease. We take 1 teaspoon of the following herbs: field bindweed, bearberry leaves, lingonberries with flowers and yarrow herbs. Now you need to take 2 tablespoons of this collection (you need to grind it in advance) and pour half a liter of boiling water. We leave this infusion for 2 hours in a warm room. Next, we filter the product. We apply this infusion three times a day, 200 ml at a time.
Contraindications to bindweed use
Don't forget that bindweed is a poisonous plant! Therefore, it should be taken only in the correct dosages and very carefully. In case of overdose or poisoning with plant seeds, vomiting, nausea and pain in the abdomen will appear.
Pregnant women should not take wild bindweed seeds, as their use will lead to miscarriage or premature birth (which is undesirable).
Before deciding to use bindweed for medicinal purposes, consult your doctor! Be careful!
The author of the article: Sokolova Nina Vladimirovna | Phytotherapist
Education: Diploma in "General Medicine" and "Therapy" received at the Pirogov University (2005 and 2006). Advanced training at the Department of Phytotherapy at the Peoples' Friendship University of Moscow (2008).
