2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Prisepia (lat. Prinsepia) - a genus of ornamental and fruit shrubs of the Pink family. The genus got its name in honor of James Prinsep, the secretary of the Bengal Asian Community. The genus includes all three species, which grow mainly in the Himalayas, China, Mongolia and the Far East. Currently, prinsepia is widely cultivated in the countries of South and North America and Europe.
Characteristics of culture
Prinsepia is a deciduous shrub with thorns that are grouped above the leaves. The bark of prinsepia is rough, scaly. The branches are light gray or greenish gray. Leaves are simple, dull, green, scarious or leathery, alternate, with a smooth or slightly jagged edge. In autumn, the foliage becomes yellowish-brown in color. Stipules are small, sometimes completely absent.
Flowers are bisexual, fragrant, collected in racemose inflorescences of 1-13 pieces, located at the ends of biennial shoots. The calyx is five-part, the lobes are wide, short, often unequal. Corolla is five-petaled, petals are white or light yellow, free, equal, rounded.
The fruit is a juicy drupe, reaches 1, 3-1, 8 cm in diameter, contains one elliptical seed. Edible fruits, seeds are also used in cooking and traditional medicine. Fruits ripen in August. The taste of the pulp is sour, somewhat similar to the taste of cherries. Life expectancy on average is 40-50 years. Prinsepia is distinguished by increased frost-resistant properties, however, in severe winters, the tips of annual shoots can freeze out.
Growing conditions
Prinsepia is demanding on growing conditions. Soils are preferable fresh, loose, light, fertile, well-drained, moderately moist. The location is preferably sunny, light shading is not prohibited. On open sunny areas, prinsepia blooms more abundantly, the fruits are more juicy and tasty.
Reproduction and planting
Prinsepia is propagated by seeds, layering and green cuttings. Sowing is carried out with freshly harvested seeds. Germination rate is about 85-90%. Spring sowing is not prohibited, but in this case the seeds are subjected to preliminary cold stratification, which lasts about 3-4 months at a temperature of 2-3C.
Reproduction by green cuttings is no less effective, although the rooting rate reaches only 50-60%. To increase the yield, cuttings must be treated with growth stimulants, for example, "Heteroauxin" or "Kornevin".
Reproduction by layering is the simplest method, often used by gardeners in their personal backyard plots. Healthy and strong shoots are bent to the ground, laid in grooves, pinned with wooden brackets, made minor cuts, covered with soil and watered abundantly.
Rooted layers are separated from the mother bush next spring, and planted in a greenhouse or any container for growing. Young plants obtained by the method in question are planted in a permanent place after 2 years. The planting of seedlings purchased in specialized nurseries is carried out in April-May, but the planting pits are prepared in advance. The distance between plants must be at least 2 m.
Care
Even a novice gardener can take care of the principia. It consists in regular loosening and weeding of the near-trunk zone, rare and abundant watering, top dressing and, of course, in pruning. It is important to systematically carry out thinning pruning, which boils down to the removal of old and thickening branches. Sanitary pruning is carried out in the spring before the onset of sap flow. Prinsepias are fed twice a season - in spring and autumn. You can additionally feed the plants immediately after flowering.
Usage
Prinsepia is used as an ornamental and fruit crop. It looks great in group and single plantings. Prinsepia is suitable for creating a hedge and for securing slopes.
