Traveling the world not only enrich the impressions of what he saw, but also give an acquaintance with the exotic fruits of warm countries. Having tried and appreciated the unknown gifts of the southern gardens, you will also want to grow something new on your site, unusual for the surprising neighbors and the joy of the family.
Not so long ago, medlar began to appear in Russian supermarkets, which tourists feasted on in Turkey or elsewhere. Enthusiastic gardeners are interested in: medlar fruit what it is, whether it is possible to engage in growing tropical plants at home.
Exotic Fruit - Medlar
Despite the abundance of medlar species, only a few are suitable for growing at home. Widespread were 2 of them: medlar German and Japanese. Plants differ significantly in appearance, only their fruits are similar.
Exotic fruit attracts amateur gardeners, they are interested in: medlar how to grow at home, what type to choose. To do this, you should familiarize yourself with its features, learn more about how the medlar grows, about the rules of planting, how to care for a medlar.
Species and varieties
About 30 types of medlar grow on the earth. So what does the mysterious medlar look like that many have heard of but never seen?
This is a fruit plant from the family of the Pink subfamily Apple. There are deciduous and evergreen forms. The habitat is subtropics of the south and southeast of Asia. It can be found on the Japanese islands and in Abkhazia.
The most popular are the medlar German, which is also called Caucasian, and Japanese - lokva. These species have learned to grow even in central Russia.
The names of medlar, or medlar, as they say in some countries, are assigned at the place of growth:
- Abkhaz medlar in Abkhazia;
- Turkish - in Turkey, there it is called eni-dunya;
- Azerbaijani - in Azerbaijan.
Japanese lokva
This is an evergreen tree up to 8 meters high with large glossy oval-shaped leaves. In the wild, found in China and Japan.
Japanese lokva
Due to the high demands on the regime of temperature and watering, difficulties arise when growing in open ground.
German Eriobotria
The second name is the usual ezgil. It was introduced by the Greeks to German lands. At the place of growth, it received other names:
- Abkhazian;
- Crimean.
Ornamental plant up to 3 meters high, unpretentious. Resistant to frost. Feels good in areas with warm winters and mild summers.
The origin and description of the appearance of the medlar Japanese
More than a thousand years ago, the plant appeared in Japan, now it can be found throughout Asia, the countries of the Middle East, the American continent and the Mediterranean.
Grows in the form of an evergreen tree or shrub. Oval leaves up to 25 cm long resemble walnut leaves, the outer side of which is glossy, the bottom with a delicate fluff.
It blooms in November and December. The flowers are small, with a diameter of up to 2 cm, with five snow-white or yellowish petals and stamens of a yellow-green hue, form inflorescences in the form of panicles. They withstand frost up to -5 ° C.
Lokva blooms (Japanese medlar)
Medlar, what an exotic fruit, can the fruits of medlar be called a berry? The ovary appears on young shoots. Ripening occurs in April-May. Sweet fruits with a sourness of yellow or soft orange form brushes of 10-12 pieces. Juicy, with 1-6 large shiny pits, similar in taste to apricot or plum, some claim that they resemble at the same time cherries, strawberries and pears. Weighing up to 100 g.
From the fruits you can cook:
- jam;
- candy;
- jelly;
- the fault.
Healthy fruits are better to eat fresh, they are rich:
- vitamins (A, group B, C, E, K):
- trace elements (iodine, magnesium, potassium, selenium, phosphorus).
Eating fruits will help get rid of intestinal diseases, normalize the work of the stomach.
The origin and appearance of medlar German or Crimean
It is found in the wild in the countries of Asia Minor, Iran, the Balkan and Crimean peninsulas, in the Caucasus. It grows in the Caspian region and in the Baltic states.
Note! This is the only type of medlar that is deciduous.
A small spreading tree with long waxy leaves of dark green color. In an adult, the trunk is up to 15 cm in diameter, covered with a cracked bark of a gray-brown hue. On the branches are small thorns. The roots are powerful, lie shallow from the surface of the earth. Decorativeness is created by spirally arranged leaves, which acquire a bright crimson color in the fall.
Blooms in early spring. The flowers appearing are white, after a while they acquire a pink hue, are located at the ends of the shoots, they resemble apple in shape, exude the aroma of almonds.
Flowering Eriobotria (Medlar German)
The ovary is formed on the shoots of last year, the fruits ripen in the fall. They are solid, similar to a large rosehip, with 5 seeds. They have a terracotta hue, round in shape, up to 5 cm in size. The skin is thick. Fresh they are not consumed due to astringency. After aging in the freezer, the palatability improves. They taste like apple with quince.
Transplant of medlar into the open ground
A suitable time for transplantation is early spring or autumn, before frost.
Before planting, you must choose a place in the garden. It should be noted that medlar will not grow in places with a close occurrence of groundwater. It is photophilous, but also feels good in shaded places, but the fruits will become smaller.
Optimal place
Medlar is undemanding to the type of soil, but neutral or slightly acidic is best for it.
An area with groundwater stagnation is also not suitable for planting a plant. A place with a groundwater level of 1 m from the surface of the earth should not be chosen for planting. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the probable runoff and water level during rains.
Additional Information. When choosing a place, you must take into account the size of the site, which will be comfortable for its growth. The area under one seedling is 1.5x1.5 m. It is not worth planting other plants on this territory that will pick up nutrients from the soil.
Before planting, the turf is removed from the selected site and a hole of the required size is dug.
Step-by-step landing process
Planting a seedling is easy. The sequence of operations landing:
- in the prepared pit lay a drainage layer;
- make complex fertilizers with the addition of bone meal;
- in the center of the pit establish a seedling;
- next to it they drive in a support for fastening;
- watered;
- fall asleep with soil;
- tamping;
- mulch by adding a layer of compost or humus;
- fasten the seedling to the support.
Medlar can be planted on hawthorn, quince or pear. For different types of medlar, they choose their methods of reproduction, due to differences in features. The seed method is suitable for each of them. Soil is prepared from a mixture of sand, humus, turf and sheet land in equal parts.
For your information. It is convenient to propagate the German medlar by layering; for the Japanese medlar, the method of cuttings is suitable.
Cuttings
For cuttings, branches of last year's growth are used. Cuttings cut with a length of 15 cm with two developed nodes. To exclude a large evaporation of moisture, half of the leaves from the bottom are removed. Sections are treated with wood ash against rot and bacteria. At the bottom of the pot, drainage is laid, which serves as protection against stagnation of water and decay of the roots.
Pour prepared soil. Vertically set the stem, deepening it by 4-5 cm and picking up the soil, well watered. Within 2-3 months, the root system appears. The cutlery is ready for planting in a pot.
Growing medlar from bone
How to grow an exotic medlar from seed at home? This method is the longest in time - it will only be possible to germinate the seeds in a year. Use fresh bones extracted from the fetus before starting the procedure.
Before sowing, the seeds are soaked in warm water for 24 hours. To determine the germination rate, the emerging ones are rejected; they are unsuitable for planting.
Ripen berries of German medlar
At the bottom of the pots with drainage holes, lay out the drainage layer, prepare the prepared soil mixture from above.
Selected quality seeds are planted one at a time in pots with moistened soil to a depth of 2 cm. They are installed in a bright room with a temperature of 10 ° C, covered with a film. The soil must be kept moist by watering 2-3 times a week.
In a month, the first sprouts will appear, which will have to be aired every day and remove condensation from the film, which can cause fungal diseases.
When the height of the seedlings reaches 2 cm, the film is removed and the containers are rearranged in a warmer place. In summer, the seedlings can be taken out into the fresh air by placing on the balcony or porch. It is necessary to provide protection against drafts, wind and hot sunlight.
Note! Seedlings grown up to 15 cm dive into deep pots filled with a substrate of peat, humus and coarse river sand. In countries with hot climates, seeds are sown immediately in the fall.
Layering
In the fall, a cut is made at the branch on the cortex, it is treated with a root growth stimulant, tilted to the ground, and fastened with a bracket. Sprinkle with earth, moisturize and fertilize well.
After 2 years, the root layer forms its own root system, and several new branches grow.
Separate layers from the parent plant after the end of leaf fall and transplant into the space provided for it. The grown specimen will begin to bear fruit in 3 years or 5 years.
Care for medlar
Medlar is a plant whose care is no different from caring for ordinary fruit trees.
Pruning is used to form the crown, in addition there is sanitary pruning, when it is necessary to remove dry and damaged branches.
Medlar
In spring, thinning pruning is performed so that the plant directs its forces to the formation of fruits.
To protect the medlar from insects that damage the plant, insecticides are sprayed. Spray twice a season. This crop requires moderate watering and fairly frequent top dressing.
Watering mode
Moderately watering the plant, you need to ensure that there is no overmoistening and stagnation of water in the near-stem circle.
Note! During the flowering and fruit setting period, watering should be carried out regularly, otherwise the land will begin to dry, which will lead to a decrease in yield.
Top dressing
Seedlings and young trees require frequent feeding: 1 time in 3 weeks. For adults, 23 times per season is enough.
A mixture of mullein with organic fertilizers: peat, compost, bone meal is great for this purpose. The mixture was diluted with water in a ratio of 8: 1. Regular top dressing achieve an increase in yield.
Having become familiar with what medlar is, making sure the plant is highly decorative, combined with the pleasant taste and benefits of its golden berries, armed with information on cultivation and care methods, you can dare to grow your own hands an unusual exotic fruit that can decorate any home.
