Content
Physalis belongs to the nightshade family. Growing and caring for vegetable physalis is within the power of even an inexperienced gardener. The plant is used both for decorative purposes and for consumption.
Physalis is a berry or vegetable
Physalis is a herbaceous plant, reaching 1.2 m in height. There are perennial and biennial varieties. The main feature is the fruit, which is in an unusual box that resembles a Chinese lantern. The capsule is a sepals that have grown together. When ripe, it changes its color from green to orange or yellow, less often lilac or white.
The fruit is a berry that looks like a tomato. When mature, it reaches a yellow or orange color. The pulp is firm and fleshy with small seeds. The taste is varied. They range from sweet to neutral with a hint of bitterness.
Wild representatives of physalis can be found in forests, ravines, on the edges, in the form weed in garden plots.
Physalis species diversity is represented by the following varieties:
- berry;
- vegetable;
- decorative.
How to distinguish vegetable physalis from berry
Vegetable physalis differs from berry physalis in its large fruit size. Some specimens reach 160 g. Vegetable variety - a spreading plant, reaching a height of 80 to 100 cm. Refers to self-pollinating species. Doesn't require constant maintenance. The berries can be green or orange in color, they look like a tomato.
Physalis vegetable is one of the most productive varieties. You can collect 4-6 kg from one bushes. berries.
Features of vegetable physalis
Physalis is unique in its benefits. All its parts are valuable.
Berries contain the following beneficial ingredients:
- carbohydrates;
- Sahara;
- pectins;
- carotenoids;
- organic acids;
- tannins;
- ascorbic acid;
- macro- and microelements.
The roots contain alkaloids. The seeds contain a fatty oil. The leaves are rich in carotenoids, steroids, esters, flavonoids and beneficial acids.
Physalis berries are used as an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, analgesic, hemostatic, diuretic and choleretic agent.
Decoctions of them are used in the treatment of the following diseases:
- Cystitis.
- Hepatitis.
- Urolithiasis disease.
- Swelling.
- Ascites.
- Bronchitis.
- Gout.
- Rheumatism.
Fresh berry juice is useful in the following cases:
- in the treatment of respiratory diseases;
- dysentery;
- hypertension;
- dermatosis.
A decoction from the roots is used as an analgesic and antitussive agent. From the leaves and capsules of vegetable physalis, tea is prepared for the treatment of hypertension.
The calorie content of fruits does not exceed 55 Kcal per 100 g.
How to grow vegetable physalis
Physalis vegetable prefers sunny areas. Transfers light shading. Grows well in soil not overloaded with fertilizers. Most often it is grown in seedlings, but you can sow seeds in open ground.
Landing dates
Physalis is usually grown using seedlings. Seeds must be sown in early April.After 45-50 days of care, the seedlings can be planted in open ground. This time falls on the first half of May, when the threat of frost has passed.
Growing physalis vegetable from seeds
To select the best seeds for growing vegetable physalis, you need to prepare them. For this, the seeds are placed in a container with a 6% saline solution. Mix everything thoroughly. The seeds trapped at the bottom are of the highest quality and are best suited for growing. Dry them thoroughly before planting.
The soil on the ridge is dug up several weeks before sowing. Ash and humus are used as top dressing. It is good to grow vegetable physalis in the beds after cabbage and cucumbers. Do not use the soil on which potatoes, peppers and tomatoes were grown.
Physalis is quite resistant to low temperatures. Therefore, for cultivation, they use the planting method before winter. You can sow seeds in early spring in open beds. Young seedlings will be stronger and stronger. But this method of growing leads to late onset of fruiting.
Seedling growing
To obtain good shoots, vegetable physalis seeds can be placed in Epin's solution for 10-12 hours. For planting and care, use ready-made soil or prepare it yourself. The soil should be fertile and light.
The seeds are planted in small containers with soil and watered. At a temperature of 16-21 degrees and careful care, seedlings appear on the 7-8th day. As soon as 2-3 full-fledged leaves have appeared on the sprouts, they are dived into separate pots.
Before planting seedlings in open ground, it is necessary to harden them. To do this, you can take out the seedlings outside, gradually increasing the time they are in the open air. As soon as the temperature reaches 15 degrees, the seedlings are left overnight.
With proper care, fertilizers for young seedlings are applied no more than 1 time in 2 weeks. Liquid top dressing is watered only under the root of the plant.
When the vegetable physalis forms 6-7 leaves, it is planted in open ground. So that when growing, the bushes do not interfere and shade each other, they are arranged in a checkerboard pattern. For better care, the distance between seedlings should be at least 60 cm. When growing tall varieties, additional support is used.
Care rules
Care when growing vegetable physalis consists in timely watering and removing weeds. If mulching is carried out when planting seedlings, then loosening and other care procedures will have to be carried out much less often. Before the harvest ripens, watering is minimized. This will help prevent cracks in the fruit.
With more careful care, fertilizers are applied no more than 1 time in 2-3 weeks. You can use a 1 in 10 mullein infusion or other organic supplements.
Reproduction
Physalis vegetable grows very quickly with a powerful root system. Therefore, when growing it, special limiters are often used.
The easiest way to reproduce is to dig up young shoots with roots. Cuttings are also used for these purposes. The procedure is best done at the end of July. Cut off the top of the shoot with 3 formed internodes. The cuttings are placed halfway into the prepared soil and moistened. For faster rooting, the seedlings are covered with foil. On hot days, they require special care. They need to be shaded and watered more often. Once the shoot is fully matured and rooted, the shelter can be removed.
Diseases and pests
Physalis vegetable can be subject to the following diseases:
- mosaic - refers to viral diseases. It affects the leaves. Dark or light green spots and growths appear on them.Berries on diseased bushes become small and ripen poorly. To combat the virus, a 10% infusion of milk whey with micronutrient fertilizers is used;
- penicillosis - is formed on damaged areas of the fruit, which makes them unusable. For care and prevention, it is recommended to process the plant several times with a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
- white rot - white bloom on leaves, fruits and stems. Affected plants are sprayed with drugs such as Profit, Ridomil, Bordeaux liquid, copper oxychloride, Kartotsid;
- gray rot - brown spots on the top of the shoots. They are treated with Profit, Ridomil, Bordeaux liquid, Copper oxychloride, Kartotsid;
- fusarium - drilling and wilting of the plant occurs. The infected bush is dug up and removed along with a lump of soil;
- late blight - brown spots on the leaves. They are treated with Profit, Ridomil, Bordeaux liquid, Copper oxychloride, Kartotsid.
Very often, when grown on bushes of vegetable physalis, slugs appear. These molluscs can severely damage the green part of the plant. It is necessary to remove them in a timely manner. It is recommended to sprinkle the paths between the ridges with superphosphate or tobacco dust.
Harvesting
With proper care, the vegetable physalis, first of all, ripens the lower berries. They may crumble, but this does not affect their taste. They are collected and used for their intended purpose.
Fruits can be picked unripe and left to ripen. For long-term preservation of the crop, it is necessary to remove it in a dark place with a temperature of no more than +5 degrees.
The collection is carried out before the onset of cold weather, in dry weather. For long-term storage of the crop, the fruits are plucked together with the box. The wax coating protects the berry from damage.
The degree of ripening of the vegetable physalis can be determined by the cap. When it begins to dry out and change color, you can prepare for harvest.
Very often, by the end of September, many unripe fruits remain on the bushes. You can dig up the plant and hang it in the back room until they are fully ripe.
Cooking use
A waxy coating forms on the fruits of the vegetable variety. To remove it, the berries are treated with boiling water for 5 minutes. After that, they can be used both fresh and cooked. Use for pickling, salting and soaking. Berries are added to various salads, sauces, caviar and casseroles. They are also suitable as an independent side dish for dishes. The fruits will enrich the flavor of any soups. Juice is an unusual ingredient for fish sauce.
Conclusion
Growing and caring for vegetable physalis is not particularly difficult. The culture is undemanding to soil and watering. Differs in high productivity and disease resistance. The unusual taste of the fruit will add variety to the prepared dishes.
