Red viburnum is a berry that is famous not only for its beautiful appearance, but also for its beneficial properties. It is a shrub up to 4 meters in height. Grows in semi-shaded park areas on personal plots. The leaves, bark, and berries of the plant are used for medicinal purposes. To preserve all the beneficial properties, you need to study the features of harvesting and storing the crop. Before you start consuming the product, it is important to know when and how to collect viburnum.
When to collect viburnum?
Harvesting begins after the first frost, as the fruits ripen.The specific time depends on the climatic conditions of the region and soil characteristics. The first collection usually begins after the end of September. A bright red hue is not an indicator of berry ripeness. The first frosts bring sweetness to the viburnum fruits. During this period, the destruction of glycosides occurs.
Many gardeners are afraid that birds may eat the crop, so they try to harvest it faster. Unpicked berries do not fall off the branches and remain until spring. After the first snow falls, viburnum loses its attractiveness, the fruits become wrinkled, but do not lose their beneficial qualities.
According to the lunar calendar
The moon actively influences the quality of collected plant parts. Therefore, during harvesting, some rules are taken into account. In the First Phase of the Moon, attention is paid to the underground parts of green spaces. In the Second Phase, the terrestrial organs of the plant are harvested. Energy coming from below carries all useful substances upward during this period.
The fourth phase of the Moon is similar to the second, and therefore also contributes to harvesting. In the Third Phase of the Moon, they are mainly engaged in drying flowers and fruits. The main harvest of viburnum fruits and bark occurs at the end of September.
Depending on the variety
The most common types of shrubs include: Red bunch, Pomegranate bracelet, May sweet, Lightning. These varieties are among the frost-resistant plants and can withstand temperature changes. During fruiting, they are rarely attacked by pests. Berries can be collected until spring.
Viburnum varieties Zarnitskaya, Sunset, Ryabinushka and Shukshinskaya ripen in early September. Vigorovskaya and Zholobovskaya viburnum ripen by the middle of the first month of autumn. The fruits of Viburnum Maria are ready for harvest at the end of August. By the end of September, the berries of the Souzga variety, which grows in the central region, ripen.In the southern part of the country, the varieties Elixir, Aurora and Red Bunch ripen in mid-September.
Each variety of shrub plant belonging to the Adoxaceae family has its own characteristic features. Mostly, Sadovaya viburnum is grown in private plots. The plant is also harvested in September.
Factors influencing timing
Technical maturity of viburnum occurs when the berries acquire a uniform red color without green streaks. In the southern regions this period occurs at the end of August, in the middle and northern latitudes - in September-October.
Harvest time depends on several factors:
- climatic conditions of the region;
- soil characteristics;
- plant varieties;
- taste of berries.
The peak of fruit usefulness and ripeness occurs in mid-September. But many people do not like the bitter taste of viburnum. Therefore, harvesting is carried out in late autumn or winter months. In winter, the taste of the berries changes, becomes sweeter, and the bitterness goes away.
Cleaning technology
The berries overwinter well on the branches, the main thing is that the temperature on frosty days does not drop below -25. This causes the fruits to turn black and die. Viburnum is harvested after full ripening. Clear weather is chosen for harvesting. Gardeners recommend carrying out activities using disinfected pruners. The plant needs such protection from pathogenic bacteria.
To avoid damaging the berries, they are removed as a whole bunch. This way the beneficial properties will be preserved. If you plan to process the berries immediately after picking, then you don’t need to worry about their integrity. The cut bunches are placed on a flat base so that they do not touch each other. This feature prevents tangling of twigs and further shedding of berries.
If processing is planned after harvesting, then the bunches are tied together and the fruits are separated. Then they are washed and dried. When processing, viburnum is sorted out, spoiled and rotten berries are removed, otherwise they will ruin the entire harvest.
Storing berries
Viburnum is useful in different states - fresh, frozen or dried. You can also store it in the refrigerator on a shelf. There are three main ways to preserve the usefulness of viburnum for a long time:
- Hanging bunches - in this form, the fruits of the plant are stored for no more than two weeks, otherwise they will lose their beneficial properties. The bunches are tied together and hung with a rope in a cool, dry room.
- Storage in the refrigerator - viburnum is stored on a shelf in the refrigerator for only a few days. Therefore, for long-term storage it is placed in the freezer. The berries are first removed from the brushes and sorted. Then they are washed under running water and dried thoroughly. The prepared fruits are placed on a baking sheet and placed in the freezer. Frozen berries are packaged in containers or bags. The fruits can be stored in this form for several months.
- Drying – berries in this form retain beneficial vitamins and microelements. To dry the fruits, they are placed in an oven or a special dryer. You can dry the berries naturally on the window. But this option will take a lot of time.
Medicines, various dishes, and drinks are made from viburnum berries. It protects the body from harmful bacteria. This is especially true in the spring and winter.
Therefore, the red berries of this plant can relieve many ailments all year round, subject to the conditions for collecting and storing the useful product.You can also simply enjoy the pleasant taste of viburnum; the main thing is to remember that thermal and mechanical treatments reduce the degree of its usefulness.
