Growing physalis at home, choosing a variety and further caring for the plant
Physalis is not so common in summer cottages. Many gardeners do not even know what this plant is for. Physalis, meanwhile, is used in cooking and for the preparation of traditional medicines. It is not difficult to grow physalis from seeds at home.
Choosing a physalis variety for growing at home
There are two types of plants - vegetable and decorative. Depending on the purpose of cultivation, one or another species should be preferred. The most famous edible physalis is called Mexican.
Vegetable physalis varieties:
- Pineapple - the fruits are small, the smell of ripe vegetables resembles pineapple. The berries taste sweet. The variety belongs to the early maturing. Grown for making jam.
- Strawberry - the height of the bush is no more than 70 cm. The fruits are small. The skin has a rich yellow-mustard hue, the taste of the berries is sweet. Suitable for fresh consumption.
- Kinglet - used for making jam, candied fruits, caviar, as well as for preservation.
- The vegetable confectioner is a mid-early variety. The skin of the fruit is light green or yellow. The berries are large in size.
There are a huge number of varieties of the nightshade crop. Their characteristics are similar.
Preparing for landing
When growing any agricultural crop, special attention is paid to planting seeds and growing seedlings. The future harvest depends on this stage.
Landing dates
The optimal timing for planting seeds of a plant is mid-March to the end of April. Seedlings emerge and grow for 45-50 days. As a rule, seedlings should be planted in open ground in early May. In addition, it is important to plant the seedlings after there is no frost at night.
Soil requirements
The culture grows on any type of soil. But there is one condition that must be observed. Before planting seedlings, the soil must be dug to a depth of 20-25 cm and rotted manure must be added... Physalis prefers to grow on loose soils, so you need to saturate the soil with oxygen before planting.
It is not recommended to use fresh manure. It is too concentrated and negatively affects the growth of young plants. Dig up the soil in early spring, as soon as the ground warms up.
Rejection of seeds
The plant has very small seeds. And in order to increase the germination of seedlings, they are rejected before planting seeds in open ground. To do this, dilute half a tablespoon of salt in a glass of water. Pour seeds into the solution. Those seeds that have surfaced are not suitable for planting. They can be thrown away.And those that remain at the bottom are planted in the soil.
Physalis care at home
Plants are planted in one container. Their seeds are small and planting a vegetable in different containers is problematic. The first days, when the seedlings grow up, they keep it in the house. In the soil outside, seedlings are planted after the soil warms up.
In order to increase yields, the seedlings are regularly looked after. Although the vegetable is not demanding, it still needs minimal care. Bushes do not need to be pinned and tied up, unlike the closest relatives of physalis - tomatoes. The more branches there are on the bush, the higher the yield.
The beds need to be watered several times a week (depending on the weather) and weeds removed. Mature shrubs need even less care than seedlings. Since the plant belongs to perennials, in the middle of autumn you need to think about preparing the bushes for winter. The culture is not frost-resistant, so it must be covered for the winter.
Before the cold weather, the bushes are cut at the root. Then they cover the roots with spruce branches or leaves from the garden. If the plant is annual, then it is simply dug up along with the rhizome.
Harvesting
Physalis berries begin to be picked after the bright petals, inside which the fruit is located, begin to dry out and fade. The berries ripen unevenly. First, those berries that are closer to the soil ripen. Then everyone else. If not collected in time, they begin to fall to the ground and deteriorate. True, if the weather is dry and warm, then you need to collect fallen fruits. And if it rains outside, the berries rot and the caterpillars eat them. Such berries are not suitable for cooking. Ripe fruits have a pleasant aroma.
In order to store physalis for some time, its fruits are harvested a little unripe. Moreover, the berries are cut along with the bushes. While they are stored, the fruits will receive nutrients from the tops. This way vegetables can be stored for several weeks.
Physalis berries are eaten fresh. They are also used to make jam, make candied fruits and preserve them. In addition, various folk remedies for diseases are prepared on their basis. It is a versatile fruit that is rich in nutrients and trace elements necessary for the human body.
