Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis)

Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis): the plant of the famous South American tea. Although made famous by the Argentines, it is used in many other countries, surely consumption was born in Paraguay. Ilex paraguariensis needs care to reproduce the conditions suitable for its development, it is intended for experts or those who want to try something challenging. On the other hand, commitment will be repaid with an exceptional plant and provide room for lots of learning. The bearing is bushy at first but over the years it lignifies until it becomes a tree even 15 meters high. At our latitudes it can reach a small tree of a couple of meters high. The most delicate phases of cultivation go from sowing to the formation of the trunk, which depending on the conditions will be in about 3/4 years. In the meantime, the plant will still make the leaves available for consumption. The comfort temperature ranges from 21 to 25° C, in this range it will provide the maximum vegetative expression of the plant, which in any case tolerates a wide range of temperatures: when the plant is well developed it will also tolerate light frosts, butcher must be paid in the early years, it should not fall below 10° C, in winter it should therefore be kept in a protected environment. First in a vase and then on the ground it should be placed in the mid shade, avoiding direct exposure in the hours of greatest sunshine. The plant requires a slightly acidic pH between 5.5 and 6.5; the subtract chosen should contain these values (no specific one for acidophilus is necessary, normally, even universal soils have compatible values, just check the package) The plant is susceptible to pH variations especially in the early stages of cultivation, so it is necessary to choose a suitable fertilizer, in this case powdered or pellet manure: the earthworm humus that we often recommend in fact tends to be alkaline, and could cause problems. The sowing of Ilex paraguariensis is not among the simplest, in fact we must resort to stratification, which will be explained in detail in the next section. The cultivation of a plant like Yerba Mate will lead you to delve into many aspects of cultivation that are often underestimated, because they are not very visible. From stratification in sowing to careful management of fertilization and Ph, the importance of exposure as well as temperature management. You will then enjoy the plants in your garden, even the most common ones, with a different look.

The most demanding part of the cultivation will be the sowing. First of all, we must guarantee temperatures between 18 and 25°c. The Mate germinates with light, the seed must be only slightly buried, indoor lamps are ideal. WARNING: Lamps are often used for indoor cultivation by turning them on before the seed emergence, this can be a mistake in some cases: many species germinate in the absence of light, and a light source a few centimetres from the substrate will block the seed. In this case , however, the lamps help germination. Stratification:this procedure is used to make the seed come out from its dormant phase, given by antigermination hormones or by the structure of the integument (the "skin" of the seed). The dormancy is the way for the plant to identify the suitable conditions for future development. Now, there are several studies on the practices to increase the percentage of germination of Yerba Mate, excluding the use of baths in sulfuric acid and gibberellic acid solution, the most effective method for percentage and germination time was the use of cold stratification in water. This is how you proceed: soak the seeds in water (better if purified, it can be found in the pharmacy at affordable prices) at 5°C for 72 hours. Change the water every 24 hours and expose the seeds to the air for 10 min. Then continue with the sowing. Sowing In a substrate with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5, place the seeds a few millimetres underground. The temperature must be greater than 18°C but less than 30°C. Mate can take up to 140 days to germinate, although stratification will save you a lot of time, but do not give up and keep the substrate moist at all times.