Medlar is a beautiful subtropical garden plant that can be grown on its site. What it looks like, how to plant and care when the Abkhaz medlar ripens, and what needs to be done so that the fruits can ripen earlier - more on this in the article below.
Culture Description
Caucasian loquat (sesek, lokva or eriobotria) is easily grown in Russia, Georgia, Turkey, the Caucasus, although it does not cause much popularity. She does not need careful care, only watering and periodic top dressing. It looks interesting in the landscape, combines with many plants, making up a single composition. Medlar, when it matures, does no harm to them, only good.
What does it look like
What does the loquat Caucasian look like?
Medlar in the middle lane in open ground in the natural environment reaches 8 m. It has large leathery and large leaves with an upper glossy and lower velvety surface. The flowers of white and cream color have a delicate pleasant aroma. The fruits with proper care of medlar obtained from the flowers are tasty and healthy.
Many are often interested in the medlar in Abkhazia when it matures. It happens in the middle of summer. By the way, this happens when figs in Abkhazia ripen.
Plant Overview
Medlar is a fruit plant. There are two varieties. It happens Caucasian and Japanese. Despite the fact that both species have the same name, sometimes botanists classify them to different genera.
Plants appeared in Asia and Europe. Today, fruit can be found in Algeria, Armenia, Crimea and some other regions of Russia with a hot climate. Sweet and sour astringent fruits of a brown-red hue. Their diameter is an average of 3 cm when they ripen.
Loquat leaves
Since medlar at home is an evergreen plant, its leaves throughout the year are green, sometimes turn yellow and fall off. They contain a large number of useful substances.
For your information! Decoctions are made from foliage, which can cure bronchitis and asthma.
Growing Japanese Medlar
Lokva Japanese is a bush plant shaped like a tree. It reaches a height of 5-8 m. It does not tolerate severe frosts, so it can be grown only at home or on the Black Sea coast, where the subtropical climate.
Leaflets of this variety have a large and wide shape (30 cm long and 10 cm wide). The variety differs from the Caucasian one in that it has fluffy foliage.
Note! The cultivation of Japanese medlar is practically no different from the cultivation of ordinary.
Pruning
Japanese medlar does not have to be cut off, but it tolerates the procedure perfectly. You can only break dried branches and cones. Without pruning, the plant grows to 1.7 m. It has a not very thick crown.
Pruning
Why is it worth growing a Caucasian medlar
Growing Caucasian medlar in the garden is a fascinating activity. This is not only a beautiful garden culture, which allows you to design the landscape, but also a useful medicinal plant with:
- Vitamin C
- pectin;
- minerals (calcium, magnesium and potassium);
- organic acids.
Its fruits are useful only after full ripening. They help increase the immune system, improve the state of the vascular system, eliminate sputum, normalize blood circulation, improve the nervous and muscular systems, and stimulate intestinal motility. In addition, they have beneficial effects on hair, bones and nails.
For your information! They have no contraindications.
The use of medlar in traditional medicine
Medlar in season is actively used in traditional medicine. Decoctions are made of it to normalize the digestive system and gastrointestinal tract, tinctures to eliminate inflammatory processes in the respiratory system. To achieve maximum effect and remove asthma, cough and shortness of breath, mashed with honey is done.
Decoctions
When to start collecting
Medlar can be collected immediately after the acquisition of brown-red hue and softness by the fruits. It is stored for a short time. It is almost impossible to transport, because it takes on an unmarketable look. Immediately after collection, it is eaten or sent to the refrigerator for a maximum of two days. To increase the shelf life, you can freeze it or make jam, dessert, juice from it.
Medlar in the middle strip in the open ground
The Japanese variety can be grown in Central Russia, but a little north of the Krasnodar Territory Eriobotria does not bloom. In the south, it has fluffy leaves with a silver coating and delicious juicy fruits. In the north, it is almost impossible to grow. However, a substitute can be used frost-resistant medlar Germanic.
Planting and caring for medlar in the open ground
You can plant medlar, or nispero, in spring or autumn. It all depends on the climatic conditions in the region. In group plantings, it should be borne in mind that the distance between seedlings should be at least 4 m. Fruiting occurs independently, since Eriobotria is a self-pollinated plant.
He loves the sun, so growing a fruit tree is not necessary on a shaded area. It does not tolerate strong through winds, as well as frosts. The soil does not show special requirements, but the vegetation is successful on neutral and slightly acidic soil.
Note! The most favorable soil is sandy, sod and humus, having an acidity of 5-6 points.
Landing
Planting seedlings
Planting of seedlings takes place in a soil dug up in advance from weeds, sprinkled with complex mineral fertilizer and bone meal. Step-by-step planting:
- A pit is dug twice as large as the root system of the seedling.
- A stake is dug in a hole. A seedling is put at the bottom and dug up by the ground.
- Then the future tree is tied to a pin so that it grows with an even trunk.
- Abundantly watered with water.
Note! A day after planting, the soil is loosened and mulched with compost and rotted manure. In the future, regular watering and top dressing are needed.
When the medlar bears fruit
With proper planting, if all conditions have been met, and the weather pleases with a favorable climate, then fruiting occurs for 3-6 years. As a rule, the first fruits ripen quickly, but in small quantities.
Diseases, pests and other difficulties when growing
Medlar is a plant resistant to diseases and pests. It is rarely attacked by aphids and scale insects, caterpillars and fungal infections in the form of soot fungus. Preventive treatment using Bordeaux fluid and copper-containing solutions will help to avoid the appearance of diseases and pests.
Brown spots on the leaves
Brown spots on the leaves are evidence of damage to the plant by scabies. These are half-winged insects having a wax shield on their bodies. They destroy the leaves of medlar, stems and rhizomes of a tree, which leads to its complete death. Fighting them is simple: brush the leaves with a toothbrush and a soap solution, kerosene emulsion or alcohol lotion.
The leaves are dry
The leaves of the medlar die as a result of irregular watering and damage to the roots during transplantation. Brown spots also form on the leaves of the disease of medlar home. In winter, they turn yellow as a result of a natural process. Old leaves fall and new ones appear. To avoid heavy leaf fall, it is best left in a cool place for the winter season.
In general, Japanese, Caucasian, rocky medlar is an unpretentious plant that can give delicious juicy fruits and decorate the landscape interior. In addition, its berries are very useful in the treatment of many diseases.
