Like most fruit-bearing nightshade crops, physalis came to us from the Western Hemisphere. It is there that the greatest diversity of species of this plant is observed. In nature, this plant is quite unpretentious; in warm and temperate climates, physalis grows like a perennial. Many are engaged in growing and caring for physalis at home, since its fruits have wonderful properties: from medicinal to culinary.
Content:
Read also: Do-it-yourself Christmas toys for the Christmas tree: beautiful, original, with soul! Master classes and step by step instructions | (75+ Photo Ideas & Videos)
Description
Ripe fruits of ornamental physalis
In fact, the genus Physalis is the largest genus of the Solanaceae family, since it includes more than one and a half hundred species, however, almost all of them grow in Brazil, Mexico and Peru. In the climate of Europe, there are only three types of physalis: common or decorative physalis, vegetable physalis and strawberry physalis. The fruits of the first are poisonous due to the high concentration of corned beef in them, the remaining two can be used for food, having properties similar to tomatoes.
That is, physalis is actually a small cold-resistant tomato. In many languages of the world, it is called "mexican tomato».
Physalis vegetables fruits
For the characteristic shape of the boxes of ripening fruits, physalis is called “Chinese lanterns” in our country and very often they are used not as food, but as ornamental plants. The sight of ripe physalis fruits, located in the center of the vein boxes, always attracts attention.
Ripe fruit of physalis without integumentary tissues of the outer shell
The branches of the physalis vegetable bushes are able to rise to a considerable height and completely braid large enough areas on which nets or trellises are installed.
Read also: Garden cranberries: planting and care, recommendations for growing from seeds in a summer cottage, useful properties, culinary use | +Reviews Biological description
Being a representative of the Solanaceae family, physalis adopted many of the properties characteristic of it. In particular, the plant has a not very strong stem, which does not allow it to grow straight and support several kilograms of fruits, however, if there are possible supports, the plant is able to grow up, braiding them. If there are no supports, the length of the stems rarely exceeds 60-70 cm.
The leaves of the plant are quite large, up to 12 cm long and 6 wide, the flowers are mostly white, consisting of 5 petals. A characteristic feature of the physalis flower is the transformation of the calyx of the flower into the outer shell of the fruit., the one that looks like a Chinese lantern. Its dimensions can significantly exceed the size of the fetus itself and even be larger than a chicken egg.
Physalis blooms
On one short stem there can be up to two dozen fruits, on stems artificially tied up or fixed on fruit supports even more. The size of the fruit depends on the variety and ranges from 5 to 7 cm. The yield of physalis can reach up to 5 kg per plant.
Consider the types of physalis presented in our climate:
Read also: Projects of country houses for 6-10 acres: 120 photos, description and requirements | The most interesting ideas
Physalis vulgaris
Other names for this species: garden or wild. The original form of the plant, imported from South America. Traditionally considered a wild form, due to the inedible fruits and their small size. However, it is believed that in fact, in our climate, it simply does not have time to fully form its fruits, since it lacks light and heat.
On the other hand, of all the physalis species growing in our latitudes, this one is the most cold-resistant, and in the southern regions it is actually a perennial. In many places, the plant is not even cultivated, but grows like a weed, multiplying and spreading by self-seeding.
Physalis wild with a large number of fruits, grown in natural conditions
Basically, this species is used to make various floristic compositions, since its fruits have the most attractive and extravagant appearance compared to other varieties.
Read also: Pomegranate at home: growing from seed and care, useful properties and contraindications (Photo & Video) + Reviews strawberry physalis
Another name for the plant is strawberry tomato or dwarf tomato. gooseberry. A low growing plant with small fruits. It belongs to the Peruvian group of varieties that appeared relatively recently.
strawberry physalis
It is the most heat-loving species of allpresent in our climate, but despite the fact that its fruits are tastier than those of vegetable physalis, did not receive much distribution.
Read also: Hawthorn: description, its useful properties and contraindications, decoctions and tinctures (20 recipes), preparations for the winter
vegetable physalis
Less cold-resistant species than ordinary, but able to tolerate small frosts. In our area it is an annual. It is considered a cultivated species, the actual fruits of which are used by humans.
It belongs to the Mexican group of physalis, whose representatives were cultivated several thousand years ago. Due to sufficient cold resistance, it is planted in the ground a few weeks earlier than the tomato.
It is more resistant to diseases and pests of nightshade. It shows good resistance even to such a “nightshade killer” as late blight.
This species is cross-pollinated, which makes it possible to engage in its selection, although there are practically no significant and fundamental works in this direction. Similarly to the ordinary one, by autumn the boxes of its fruits become bright orange or red.
The fruits themselves have a slightly different shade - they are mostly pale yellow, although there are exceptions. The main difference between ordinary physalis and vegetable is the much larger size of the fruits of the latter.
Purple form of vegetable physalis
It is vegetable physalis that can grow on stretch marks and supports up to 2 meters in height. It all depends on how you take care of the plant. However, even without any care, the plant can reach a height of 1 meter.
The Mexican tomato, which has received the greatest distribution in Europe, has several dozen varieties, the most common of which are:
Early Moscow variety
It is a plant with a harmful degree of branching, with predominantly lying stems. The foliage has an elongated oval shape, its color is light green. Flowers are distinguished by the presence of brown spots on a white-yellow background. The calyx covers the fetus almost completely.
The fruits are usually round in shape, their diameter is 40-50 mm, weight is about 60 g. Unripe fruits are green, turning yellow as they ripen; sometimes ripened fruits have a yellow-amber tint.
Fruits of the variety Moscow early
The fruits of this variety have a sweet taste.. The sour taste characteristic of many other varieties of vegetable physalis is practically absent. It ripens relatively early - in early or mid-summer. The yield can reach 5 kg per sq. m.
Grade Gribovsky ground
Despite the name, it is a relatively tall plant, growing without supports up to 80 cm in height.. The leaves are dark green and oval in shape. The leaves are smooth to the touch. Flowers have an uncharacteristic green color, covered with light brown spots.
The box that contains the fruit covers it entirely. The veins are dark green, sometimes brown. The fruits themselves, even ripe, are green. The mass of fruits can reach 60 g.
Fruits of the Gribovsky soil variety
The fruits have a sweet and sour taste.. It belongs to cold-resistant varieties, can be stored for a long time. Productivity from 3 to 5 kg per square. m.
confectionery grade
Created relatively recently, specifically for the needs of the confectionery industry. It is a plant with branching and spreading stems. The leaves are dark green in color. Flowers, fruits and capsules are light green. Fruit weight 50-60 g.
confectionery grade
The taste is sweetish-sour, the fruits can be stored for a long time. It has a high content of jelly-like substances.
Read also: Growing seedlings at home: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, cabbage, strawberries and even petunias. All the subtleties of this issue Growing a plant
In our climate, vegetable physalis is grown using seeds. They have good germination already at a temperature of +10°C. The plant is very unpretentious and practically does not need care.
It is believed that when planted directly in the ground, the yield is slightly higher than with the seedling method of growing.. This is primarily due to the fact that plants planted in this way do not lose part of the root system during picking and transplanting. The only advantage of the seedling method of growing is only earlier harvesting dates.
Physalis in the garden
On the other hand, with the proper organization of seedlings, and when using a separate container (for example, peat pots), such troubles with the root system can be avoided. However, few people will bother with physalis seedlings, planting each plant individually.
Consider growing a plant when planting in open ground:
Site selection and preparation for planting
Physalis prefers sunny areas where there is no stagnant water. The level of soil acidity for him, in principle, is not important. But still, it is not recommended to grow a plant on very acidic soils (pH less than 4.5). Such soils must be limed.
As a predecessor of physalis, any culture can be, except for nightshade. It is not advisable to grow physalis in the place where it was grown potato, tomatoes, eggplant or peppers. It is also not recommended to grow physalis in the same place where it grew last year. Re-sowing after all of the above crops is possible only in the 4th year.
Growing physalis in greenhouse conditions
The soil must be sufficiently fertile and well ventilated. Therefore, in the fall, the site must be dug up to a depth of about 30 cm, after fertilizing it with rotted manure or compost. The application rates of these organic fertilizers should be approximately 30-40 kg per 1 sq. m.
In the spring, before re-digging the site, mineral fertilizers are applied to it. It is necessary to apply fertilizers containing phosphorus and calcium in the amount of 15 m 40 g per 1 sq. m respectively. The site is re-digged to the same depth as in autumn 2-3 weeks before planting seeds or planting seedlings.
Preparing seeds for planting
Large and full-weight seeds are selected for plantingbecause they can give a higher yield. To select seeds suitable for planting, they are immersed in a 5% salt solution and stirred thoroughly.
After about 5 minutes, seeds that do not have the desired mass float. They are thrown away, and the rest are washed with running water and used for planting.
Physalis seeds
Planting seeds in open ground is carried out by mid-April. By this time, you need to prepare the seeds so that they germinate faster. To do this, they are soaked in warm water and kept in this way at a temperature not lower than + 20 ° C for a week. After this treatment, the seeds germinate about three days after planting.
Immediately before planting, the seeds are treated in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate., in order to disinfect them from fungal diseases and viral infections. Physalis is vulnerable to the tobacco mosaic virus, therefore, after washing in potassium permanganate, it must also be washed in a 20% hydrochloric acid solution.
Landing is carried out in the ground to a depth of about 1-2 cm. Seeds are planted in small holes at a distance of 30-50 cm from each other. Several seeds are placed in each hole. It is not worth overly thickening the plantings, as the plants will begin to stretch strongly. Sometimes sand or seeds of other plants, such as radish, are added to the holes for more uniform sowing.
The latter also act as a beacon culture - since in the cold season the physalis may not germinate quickly, the hatched radish sprouts will indicate exactly the landing site and will act as an indicator for the first work on loosening the soil.
When the physalis sprouts hatch from the ground and germinate enough, they are thinned out so that the number of plants per 1 sq. m did not exceed 4 pieces. Usually, the strongest and largest plants are left, or those that have the maximum number of leaves.
Growing physalis seedlings
Seedlings can be grown both indoors and in special greenhouses; sometimes they practice growing in greenhouses in the beds, with their shelter covered with a film. The soil mixture during planting can be of any composition, it is best to choose the one that is used when planting tomato seedlings.
Physalis seeds are sown to a depth of about 1 cm. The distance between seedlings should be 5-6 cm. After planting, watering is done. The required temperature for normal germination of seedlings is about + 15-17 ° C.
Seedlings a week after planting
As soon as the plant has two leaves, the seedlings are dived and transferred to individual pots. 1 or 2 plants are transplanted into each pot. It is necessary to water the seedlings abundantly before this operation.
The pick itself is made using pointed stakes about 10 cm long and 1-2 cm in diameter. They need to make a hole in the substrate in a pot and carefully transfer the seedlings with a small clod of earth there, without damaging or falling asleep the growth cone.
Seedling after picking
After that, the plants are placed in the same greenhouse. Seedling care at this stage is the most difficult operation.because it requires concentration and regularity of action. The plant itself is unpretentious, but its seedlings will have to be well looked after.
By the time of planting in open ground, the first buds should already be present on the seedlings., and she herself should have at least 5-6 leaves. This corresponds to approximately 40-45 days after planting.
Seedlings can grow at temperatures of the order of 10-12°C, however, it would be better if it is accustomed to such a temperature gradually, using the hardening method. Maintaining a temperature in the greenhouse of the order of 15-17 ° C, daily during watering it is necessary to open the greenhouse for ventilation, accustoming the plant to the ambient temperature. After about a month, the seedlings can be safely left outdoors, however, in case of a cold snap, they must be covered again.
Seedlings need top dressing every 15 days. The first top dressing is carried out on the 10th day after planting and consists in adding ammonium nitrate (watering the plants with a solution of 20 g of nitrate per 10 liters of water).It can be replaced with organic fertilizer, which is used as mullein or bird droppings. Fertilizers are diluted in water at a concentration of 1 to 10 or 1 to 15, respectively. A volume of 10 liters of such fertilizer is enough for watering seedlings, an area of about 2.5-3 square meters. m.
The second top dressing is carried out with the use of potash mineral fertilizers.. At the same time, 10 g of ammonium nitrate and 15 g of potassium chloride must be diluted in 10 liters of water. With this solution, seedlings should be watered already at the rate of 10 liters per 2 square meters. m.
The third feeding of seedlings is carried out with the help of superphosphate. For 10 liters of water, 30-40 g of superphosphate is taken, and the consumption rates in this case are already 10 liters per 1 sq. m. That is, in each subsequent top dressing, the concentration of fertilizers increases by about two times compared to the previous one.
Physalis seedlings a week before planting
After the third feeding, the amount of liquid during irrigation is reduced by about half and remains so until the seedlings are planted in open ground.
Planting seedlings in open ground
Usually, seedlings are planted at the end of May, about 1-2 weeks earlier than tomato seedlings are planted. Immediately in the morning before planting, seedlings are abundantly watered. It is necessary to pre-mark the area in which the landing will be made.
Distances between plants should not be less than 30 cm, in addition, it is desirable to place on 1 square. m no more than four plants of vegetable physalis. For strawberry physalis, this figure is 6 plants.
Too dense planting
Between physalis plants, you can plant any other early-ripening crops, such as lettuce or radish.. This will help to use the sown area more rationally, and the plants will not interfere with each other, since the harvest of auxiliary crops occurs much earlier than that of physalis.
The landing itself is carried out in the afternoon, but if the weather is cloudy, the beginning of the landing does not depend on the time of day. The first watering after planting is not carried out directly under the root of the plant., but at some distance from it, so that an earthen crust does not form around the bushes.
If the soils are poorly drained or there is a high level of groundwater, it is necessary to use beds 30-40 cm high for growing physalis, since the plant is very negative about excess moisture at its roots.
Read also: Ageratum: description, planting in open ground and caring for it at home (30+ Photos & Videos) + Reviews plant care
As such, physalis does not require active care. Basically, when growing it, they are engaged in preventive measures, which consist in maintaining the plant and the plot in a normal form, removing weeds, loosening the soil, fertilizing and watering.
The frequency of watering under normal conditions is once every 3-4 days. Depending on the degree of soil moisture and precipitation, this period may be adjusted. There is no need to keep the soil moist all the time. Repeated watering is carried out under the condition of a hollow drying of the topsoil.
During the active growth of the green part of the plant, it is necessary to regularly loosen the soil, ridding it of weeds.. Depending on the growth rate of the plant, it is necessary to apply top dressing under it. Usually, the first top dressing after spring digging of the earth is made during the first flowering. The second - during fruit setting. The third feeding is carried out 15-20 days after the second.
In these cases, solutions of complex mineral fertilizers are used in an amount of 10 to 20 g per 1 sq. m.
You can make the mixture yourself, using the following composition of mineral fertilizers:
- ammonium nitrate - 10 g
- superphosphate - 10 g
- potassium salt - 15 g
All these components dissolve in 10 liters of water and are applied to the soil at the rate of 10 liters per 1 sq. m.Just in case, to neutralize superphosphate when mixed with ammonium nitrate, about 1-2 g of chalk can be introduced into the solution.
It is believed that physalis does not require garters or pinching, since this, they say, does not allow the formation of strong and resistant stems. However, this is not an immutable rule or dogma, since in growing any crop in the garden, it is not the appearance that is important, but the yield.
Read also: Pepper: description, growing from seeds, planting in open ground and care (Photo & Video) + Reviews Recommendations for the protection of physalis from diseases and pests
Physalis vs. tomato or peppers much less affected by any negative factors in the form of diseases or pests. However, the ease of caring for it can form the wrong opinion that even preventive measures to protect it should not be carried out.
Hanging planter with physalis
Naturally, this is not so. In order to prevent the spread of diseases and to prevent the attack of the plant by pests, it is necessary to observe a number of measures and apply specialized methods to prevent these factors.
The following measures will help when growing physalis to get rid of possible troubles:
- the preparation of seed material should be carried out exclusively from your site, only from healthy and tested plants for productivity; cross-pollination with other areas is best avoided;
- Seeds must be dressed before sowing;
- crop rotation must be followed, correctly observe the alternation of followers and predecessors, in no case allow the growth of nightshade in the same place without a break of at least three years;
- weeds and any pests must be constantly fought;
- plant residues must be regularly removed from the growing area, as they can become a breeding ground for the same mold or other fungi;
Using these simple tips will greatly protect the physalis from possible problems in the form of diseases.
Read also: Ranunculus (Buttercup): description, types and varieties, cultivation and reproduction, planting in open ground and care, useful properties (50 Photos & Videos) + Reviews Physalis properties
The plant has many useful properties that people have noticed for a long time.
It all started, of course, with the nutritional and culinary virtues of physalis. However, later it turned out that this plant also has other useful properties, mainly medical ones.
Culinary Properties
Physalis is a low-calorie product, it contains only 30 kilocalories per 100 g of weight. Despite its relatively watery composition, physalis is rich in fiber and carbohydrates. The taste of physalis fruits is almost indistinguishable from tomatoes, but they have some features, for which they are valued by gourmets.
Physalis can be consumed both dry and processed.. Its fruits go into a wide variety of dishes, and not only analogues of those in which its closest brother, the tomato, is included. These are soups, and side dishes, and sauces. Physalis is also used as a filling for pies. And dried physalis is a very significant export item for countries such as Colombia and Mexico.
Dessert with physalis
In addition to the standard procedures for frying, stewing, baking, and other things characteristic of tomatoes, various confectionery products are also made from physalis in cooking.: preserves, jams, candied fruits. This is explained by the fact that of all nightshades, only physalis has gelling properties.
Preparation of physalis jam
That is, in fact, a decorative Chinese lantern in cooking is even more common than the well-known tomato. We are not talking about our cuisine, however, in South and Central America this plant is very popular.
In addition, dried and specially processed physalis tastes and looks very similar to raisins.. Such dried physalis is often used as a weight loss remedy.And red and orange food colors are also made from physalis.
medical properties
These include malic and citric acids, carotenoids and tannins. Physalis also contains the following trace elements: potassium (one of the highest concentrations), magnesium, phosphorus, iron.
All this leads to many ways of using physalis in medicine, both in folk and traditional. In particular, due to the lycopene contained in it, which is a powerful antioxidant, the use of physalis in food is recommended for the prevention of cancer.
Physalin, contained in the fruits of the Mexican tomato, is an excellent sleeping pill; in Mexico, a recipe is known for obtaining a sleeping drug from physalis, which has practically no negative consequences.
Dried physalis used in folk medicine
In addition, the medicinal use of the plant includes its use as a hemostatic, analgesic and antiseptic. For example, in Central Asia, where, naturally, physalis came relatively recently; its decoction is used as a remedy for stomatitis and various injuries inside the oral cavity.And the pectin contained in the fruits is able to bind cholesterol to itself, facilitating the release of the latter from the body.
Edible and Decorative
Physalis: description, growing seedlings, planting in open ground and caring for it, useful medical and culinary properties (30 Photos & Videos) + Reviews
