Physalis: Decorative Or Edible?

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Video: Physalis: Decorative Or Edible?

Video: Physalis: Decorative Or Edible?
Video: Физалис съедобный и декоративный 2024, April
Physalis: Decorative Or Edible?
Physalis: Decorative Or Edible?
Anonim
Physalis: decorative or edible?
Physalis: decorative or edible?

Physalis is grown not only as an ornamental crop, but also for consumption. The last variety is called vegetable and dessert. Unlike the decorative one, it does not have covers of such a bright orange color. But the fruits differ favorably in size and taste

Physalis features

Physalis varieties for human consumption are called differently. It can be strawberry, berry, raisin, pineapple, vegetable variety. They are intended for the preparation of sweet desserts - preserves, jams, and are also part of recipes for various pickled salads. Physalis belongs to the nightshade family, and like their close relative tomato, it can also be eaten raw.

Physalis is slightly inferior to tomatoes in size, but it has other advantages. In particular, the ease of care and resistance to diseases that plague other nightshades. First of all, this concerns late blight. Physalis is not harmed by such parasitic insects as the Colorado potato beetle. However, the bushes can attack crickets and a bear.

The subtleties of growing and care

Like tomatoes, physalis fruits ripen on the bush gradually, not all at once. And if you put them all together, some have not yet reached the degree of ripeness at which the fruit fully reveals its taste. Physalis must be allowed to mature.

If the weather conditions do not allow keeping the plants outdoors longer, the fruits ripen together with the cut tops. To do this, the bushes are cut and hung indoors. By the way, if the decorative physalis remains on the flower beds until the first frost, without losing its attractive bright color, then the vegetable variety in the middle lane is more thermophilic. And it is better to grow it in greenhouse conditions.

Another feature of physalis is that, unlike tomatoes, which are grown in one, two or three main stems, this plant, which is less familiar to us, does not need to be pinned. Moreover, if the gardener unknowingly carries out such a procedure, he will deprive himself of a good part of the harvest, since the fruits are formed just in the leaf axils. And in order to stimulate the ripening of the fruits, it is recommended to pinch the tops at the end of the season.

Another advantage of physalis is its interesting feature of shedding ripe fruits. If you don't keep track of the tomatoes, they can spoil on the bush. And physalis falls to the ground, and at the same time does not get dirty with earth, since the fruits are protected by a cover. However, this does not apply to all varieties, as large-fruited varieties can damage their protective shell during growth.

Physalis propagation

Those who are engaged in the cultivation of decorative physalis in their garden know that it is worth planting it once, and this perennial culture will delight without transplants for many years, and then for many months it can stand in dry bouquets in cut. But such a number will not work with an edible vegetable variety. This physalis is grown like tomatoes - annuals.

Physalis is propagated for consumption by sowing seeds through seedlings. Sowing and planting times in open ground are the same as for tomatoes.

Sowing is carried out with wet seeds in moist soil. Seedlings are grown both with and without a pick. In the first case, sowing is conveniently carried out on the so-called "rolls" - ribbons of non-woven material twisted into rolls with a layer of earth. The seeds are laid out at a distance of about 2 cm, they are immersed to a depth of about 1 cm.

The pick is carried out in the phase of 3 true leaves in separate cups. Before planting, the hole is generously moistened. Care consists in watering and adding dry soil. The finished seedlings are placed on the beds according to the scheme 25 x 60 cm.

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