2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Cyclanthera (Latin Cyclanthera) Is a genus of herbaceous lianas of the Pumpkin family. Another name is Peruvian cucumber. The genus has about 75 species. In nature, cyclantera grows in the mountainous regions of Peru, Ecuador and Brazil. It was introduced into the culture of cyclanter back in 1989, but over time it was no longer cultivated, and quite recently scientists again showed interest in this unusual plant. In Russia, the cyclanter appeared relatively recently, and is grown by amateur gardeners on their personal backyard plots.
Characteristics of culture
Cyclantera is a powerful annual liana, forming a pubescent stem and a huge number of shoots with deeply dissected five or seven-lobed leaves, which give the plant a special decorative effect. Shoots in length reach 7-8 m. Flowers are dioecious, green, white or yellow, do not have nectaries, pollinated by the wind. Male flowers are collected in small clusters or scutes, female flowers are larger and are located singly in the axils of the leaves.
The fruits are fleshy, oval or pepper-shaped, up to 7-8 cm long, equipped with thorns on one side. As they ripen, they acquire a yellow color, and then crack with two valves that fold back. Seeds are black, angular. Productivity - 4-5 kg per plant. The plant is resistant to diseases and pests.
Growing conditions
Soils for growing cyclanters are preferable light, permeable, fertile, well aerated, with a pH of at least 6. Sandy loam and loamy soils are optimal. The culture of heavy clay soils, as well as areas with a close occurrence of groundwater, will not accept.
The cyclanter does not impose increased requirements to the temperature and humidity of the air. The best predecessors are green manure, all types of cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, legumes and onions. It is unacceptable to plant a cyclanter after representatives of the Pumpkin family.
Sowing
In general, cyclantera agricultural technology is similar to the technology of growing cucumbers, although there are some differences. The culture is grown directly by sowing seeds in open ground or through seedlings. For seedlings, seeds are sown in plastic cups or any other container filled with a mixture of fertile soil, humus and coarse sand (in a ratio of 2: 2: 1, respectively) in early April. Before sowing, the soil mixture is fertilized with small doses of phosphorus fertilizers, for example, superphosphate. 2 seeds are sown in one glass. Embedment depth 2-3 cm.
For disinfection, crops are sprayed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Until the emergence of seedlings, the crops are kept in a warm room, and then put on the windowsills. Watering the seedlings is carried out regularly and moderately, waterlogging should not be allowed. Seedlings are planted in open ground in the second half of May. Holes are formed on the ridges and a vertical trellis is prepared, along which the cyclanter will curl as it grows. By the time of planting, the plant should have about 5-6 true leaves and 2-3 antennae.
Care and harves
After planting, young plants are fed with urea (20 g per 10 l of water). In the future, it is important to carry out another 3-4 feeding with mullein and nitrophoska solutions. The last feeding is carried out 15-20 days before the last harvest of fruits. To obtain a harvest, at least two plants should be planted on one ridge, otherwise there will be no fruit. Do not forget about watering, weeding and loosening in the near-stem zone. During flowering, the amount of watering is increased up to 3 times a week.
With the yellowing of the fruits, they begin to collect them. Unripe fruits are eaten. The cyclanter is harvested for seeds after the first frost. Leaves and stems of the crop are suitable for laying a compost heap, they decompose quickly and turn into a good organic fertilizer.
Application
Cyclanter is widely used in cooking and folk medicine. The fruits of the plant have mild choleretic and diuretic properties, they increase the motor and secretory functions of the stomach. Benefits cyclanter for kidney and liver diseases, anemia, atherosclerosis, urolithiasis, etc.
