Physalis is not so often found in dachas. Many gardeners don’t even know what this plant is for. Meanwhile, physalis is used in cooking and for the preparation of traditional medicine. It is not difficult to grow physalis from seeds at home.
Choosing a physalis variety for growing at home
There are two varieties of the plant - vegetable and ornamental. Depending on the purpose of cultivation, you need to give preference to one type or another. The most famous edible physalis is called Mexican physalis.
Varieties of vegetable physalis:
- Pineapple - the fruits are small, the smell of ripe vegetables is reminiscent of pineapple. The berries taste sweet. The variety is early ripening. Grown for making jam.
- Strawberry - the height of the bush is no more than 70 cm. The fruits are small. The skin is a rich mustard yellow color, the berries taste sweet. Suitable for fresh consumption.
- Korolek - used for making jam, candied fruits, caviar, as well as for preservation.
- 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 nightshade crops. 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 time for planting plant seeds is considered to be mid-March to the end of April. The seedlings sprout and grow within 45-50 days. As a rule, seedlings need to be planted in open ground in early May. In addition, it is important to plant 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 added.. Physalis prefers to grow on loose soils, so before planting you need to saturate the soil with oxygen.
It is not recommended to use fresh manure. It is too concentrated and has a negative effect on the growth of young plants. Dig up the soil in early spring, as soon as the ground warms up.
Seed rejection
The plant has very small seeds.And in order to increase the germination rate of seedlings, they are discarded before planting the 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 float are not suitable for planting. You can throw them away. And those that remain at the bottom are planted in the soil.
Caring for physalis at home
Plants are planted in one container. Their seeds are small and planting vegetables in different containers is problematic. The first days, when the seedlings grow, they keep them in the house. Seedlings are planted in the soil outside after the soil has warmed up.
In order to increase productivity, seedlings are regularly cared for. Although the vegetable is not demanding, it still needs minimal care. The bushes do not need to be pinched 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 bushes require even less care than seedlings. Since the plant is a perennial, in mid-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 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 collected after the bright petals containing the fruit begin to dry out and fade. The berries ripen unevenly. The berries that are closest to the soil ripen first. Then everyone else. If you do not collect them 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 collected slightly unripe. Moreover, the berries are cut along with the bushes. While they are stored, the fruits will receive nutrients from the tops. You can store vegetables this way 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. This is a universal fruit that is rich in nutrients and microelements necessary for the human body.
