How to grow a strawberry tree from seeds at home?

You can often see an advertisement for a strawberry tree. Many buyers think that this is a standard strawberry, which is shaped like a tree. But in reality, this is not at all the case. The strawberry tree gets its name from the appearance of its berries. From a distance they look like strawberries. But that's where the similarities end. Arbutus is a real tree. It belongs to the heather family. Is it possible to grow a strawberry tree at home?

Description

A small tree with several originally curved trunks with an openwork crown, very beautiful. Leaves for the winter does not drop. Its bark is especially interesting. In a young tree, it is light green. Blushes more and more with age. In an adult tree, it cracks and exfoliates in the middle of summer. What remains is a young green bark, which will face the same fate next summer. The trees themselves can live for hundreds of years.

Bark slides down with a rustling sound. For this in America, the strawberry tree (pictured above) was named "whisper". Large-fruited strawberries are found in the Mediterranean. In the Black Sea region, small-fruited strawberry with red bark is widespread, for which it is called red. Here he has another name - "shameless".

The leaves of the strawberry tree, the photo clearly demonstrates, has leathery, dark green, whole, with petioles. The length of each is 5-8 cm.

Honey-scented flowers, white, green, cream or pink, are shaped like lanterns. From a distance, similar to lily of the valley flowers, they form an apical panicle. The flower buds themselves take a very long time to form. Until October, inflorescences are laid, and in winter, parts of the flower itself are formed.

Flowers are usually pollinated with the help of bees. In October, fruits are formed - spherical or oblong berries about a centimeter or three in length. As they mature, their color changes from green, yellow, and finally reaches a bright orange. They have specific processes over the entire surface. There are five seed pods inside. Their pulp is mealy, the taste is vaguely reminiscent of strawberry, but not sour, but bitter. As they ripen, they become sweeter, the bitterness disappears. But the strawberries do not reach the taste of the usual to us.

Spreading

The strawberry tree has a very ancient history. Its petrified branches were found in Jordan. It is mentioned in written sources even before our era. Then it was used to dye wool for making clothes and household items.

The strawberry tree is widespread in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions (Abkhazia and the South Coast), in the south and west of Europe, including Ireland and southern Switzerland, America. A large number of species are native to Mexico. The strawberry tree can withstand light frosts, but only for a short time. It grows along the banks of rivers and at the edge of the forest. It is grown in gardens for decoration rather than production needs.

Usage

The pollen of the flowers of the strawberry tree is processed by bees into bitter honey. Wine and aromatic vodka are prepared from berries, jam, candied fruits, syrups are made. They are eaten fresh, but in small doses.But this does not apply to strawberries, which are grown in an apartment. Rather, it performs a decorative function.

Extract from plant parts is used for processing and dyeing leather. It contains the substance tannin, which not only imparts astringency to the leaves, but also repels animals that try to eat the stems of the plant.

In medicine, they are used to treat diseases of the urinary system and to protect against microbes.

The wood is off-white and does not rot. It is highly valued and is used to make gift boxes.

An interesting feature of strawberry wood: it does not lend itself well to fire. Therefore, the strawberry tree is used in growing areas for reforestation after a fire.

The calorie content of the fruit is about 30 kcal. But there is evidence that, when consumed in large quantities, they act like a dope. They have a severe headache. Unripe fruits cause nausea and vomiting.

Care

Seedlings can be purchased from botanical gardens. The strawberry tree does not like our continental climate. And this is not surprising, because with its thin skin it is impossible to endure severe frosts.

Therefore, in latitudes north of the Crimea and the Caucasus, it should be grown only in pots, if possible, in the spring, taking it out into fresh air and installing it in places protected from the wind. In colder seasons, trees can be placed in conservatories or warm balconies.

The strawberry tree loves light, but in hot weather the sun's rays can cause leaf burns. Therefore, it must be shaded from their effects.

The room where the earthen tree grows must be often ventilated, giving access to fresh air. And in the summer it feels better outside.

A young tree is demanding on soil moisture. It is watered abundantly during active growth, flowering and fruiting. This is rarely done in winter. When the tree grows, it no longer needs frequent watering.

The optimum temperature for him in the summer is 18-25 degrees, in the winter from 3 to 10 degrees. If the temperature in the room is high during the dormant period, then the leaves of the strawberry tree stretch out from the lack of light and become ugly.

Special pruning is not carried out, because the tree is already growing very slowly. In the spring, some weak twigs are removed.

What the strawberry tree has no complaints about is the soil. It can be dense and loose, with varying levels of acidity. For growing at home, a universal soil from a store is quite suitable.

Top dressing

In winter, the strawberry tree is dormant and does not need feeding. In the spring it is fertilized with manure. In summer, they are fed no more than once every three weeks, applying universal fertilizers with microelements in liquid form.

Growing

Strawberry tree seeds are small, they are elliptical in shape. From them you can get a full-fledged tree. From cuttings it is possible to do this much less often.

A strawberry tree at home is grown from seeds for more than one year. First they are removed from the fruit, dried, and stored for a year or two. Then two months are stratified at a temperature of 21 to 24 degrees in a mixture of peat and sand. Seeds are sown 0.7 cm, watered and covered with glass. Seedlings appear in two months or later. They are watered as needed, and when they grow up, planted in pots.

The strawberry tree (Arbutus) is an evergreen thermophilic plant with high decorative qualities. It is especially attractive during the period of flowering and ripening of fruits that outwardly resemble the berries of garden strawberries. It is easy to be convinced of this just by looking at the photo of a tree with ripening fruits. For this similarity, the plant got its name.

Description of the plant, varieties and varieties

Arbutus is a slow growing plant. At the age of 10 they reach a height of only 2.5 m, and by the age of 50 - 5 m. They are long-livers. They belong to the Heather family.They grow in the form of a large shrub or undersized tree.

There are about 14 species of this plant. The most famous are two of them:

• Arbutus unedo - Common strawberry, or large-fruited strawberry tree;

Large-fruited strawberry tree

• Arbutus andrachne - Red strawberry tree is a culture with small fruits.

Strawberry tree red

In cultivation, large-fruited arbutus is more common. The culture is not frost-hardy; in severe winters, the plant can freeze out. Therefore, on the territory of the climatic zone of the Middle zone and the Moscow region, it is grown in closed ground, greenhouses, conservatories and in residential premises.

The strawberry tree is prized for its decorative qualities. The trunk of the plant is of red-brown shades, the branches are bizarre, the leaves are leathery, oval, emerald green. White, cream or pale pink flowers in the form of lanterns are collected in panicles. The flowers of the "Rubra" variety are distinguished by a more intense pink shade.

Blooming Rubra variety

The fruits are edible, red-orange when ripe, which in combination with bright green foliage looks very attractive, just look at the photo of the plant during the ripening period. A characteristic feature of the strawberry is the annual shedding of the bark. It sags, exposing a trunk with a young, pistachio-colored bark, with some rustling and crackling, for which the plant was nicknamed "the whisper."

Strawberry tree tends to shed its bark

Planting a strawberry tree

In the Moscow region, the strawberry tree is grown mainly as a pot culture. The plant can only withstand light and short frosts, but it is not able to withstand severe frosts. You can buy a ready-made arbutus seedling or grow a tree from the seeds of ripe fruits.

The process of planting and growing from seeds consists of several stages:

• within 2 months, seeds are stratified in a substrate consisting of 7 parts of high-moor peat mixed with 3 parts of river sand;
• then soak the seeds for a week in warm water;
• plant in the soil to a depth of 1.5 cm, place the container in a warm and shaded place;
• with the emergence of shoots (within 2-3 months), sometimes spray the shoots and, without bringing the soil to dryness, water.

Strawberry tree saplings

The strawberry tree can grow well in almost any soil - in dense and loose, acidic and alkaline. Any universal soil is quite suitable for growing it indoors.

Advice. For better survival rate of strawberry, planting it in soil collected from under woody plants would be a good option.

Strawberry tree: care

This plant is surprisingly unpretentious. Caring for him consists in:

• regular watering during the growing season with soft, settled water;
• sufficient feeding;
• providing a dormant period in winter.

The optimum temperature for growing strawberries is 20-25 degrees. This is a light-loving plant that requires good lighting. When kept indoors, it is advisable to place the tree in the fresh air for the summer, placing it in a sunny, wind-free place (a gazebo or balcony is suitable). In winter, after the end of fruiting, he needs to ensure peace. The most favorable temperature for him during this period is from 3 to 10 degrees.

Strawberry tree with winter garden

Watering during flowering and fruit formation should be regular, moderately abundant, without strong waterlogging of the soil. The plant is considered drought-resistant; it does not need to be sprayed additionally. In winter, in the coolness, watering is significantly limited.

Pruning for the formation of the crown of strawberries is usually not done, only sanitary - in order to remove weak, damaged, dried branches.

Attention! This culture loves fresh air. The room where the plant is located must be periodically ventilated.

Fertilization and feeding

In spring and summer, the plant is fed with compost or manure 2 times a month. When keeping a house, complex fertilizer is usually used. To stimulate growth, nitrogen and potash fertilizers are used. In winter, at temperatures below 10-12 degrees, top dressing is not carried out.

Strawberry propagation

In this culture, 2 methods of propagation are used - seed and apical cuttings of a young plant. They are cut in August and kept for the first winter in a greenhouse, planted in the ground in the spring with the end of the frost. Cuttings taken from an old tree practically do not take root.

Strawberry tree sprouts

Pests and diseases

The strawberry tree is disease resistant. If the irrigation regime is not followed and the soil is excessively moistened, there is a likelihood of fungal diseases, they are determined by brown spots on the foliage. And the main pest is the spider mite. He loves to settle on this plant, which adversely affects its development.

Strawberry is a beautiful ornamental plant with edible fruits, during which ripening it looks especially picturesque. With proper cultivation and care, the tree will serve as a decoration for a winter garden or living quarters for many years.

How to grow a strawberry tree: video

Strawberry tree: photo

Botanical name: Strawberry tree, or Strawberry, or Arbutus. Genus Strawberry tree, Heather family.

Homeland of the strawberry tree: America, Western Europe.

Lighting: light-requiring.

The soil: fertile, nutritious, drained.

Watering: moderate.

Maximum height: 5 m.

Average life expectancy: over 100 years.

Landing: seeds.

Description of the plant strawberry tree: photo of fruits

The strawberry tree belongs to the genus of evergreens. All species are characterized by slow growth, smooth, reddish or brown bark and curved branches.

This crop is a short, broad-leaved shrub or undersized tree 3-5 m high. Some species of strawberry can reach up to 12 m in height.

The trunk of the tree is orange or reddish. The bark changes annually, while making a characteristic rustling sound, for which the plant was nicknamed "the whisper". Leaves are alternate, leathery, entire, up to 8 cm long, dark green.

The flowers are white or yellowish, collected in erect and drooping panicles, resembling blueberry flowers. Blooms in May.

Fruits are polyspermous, rounded drupes, covered with small outgrowths. The pulp is mealy, sweet and sour. It is similar in taste, color and consistency to garden strawberries. The pulp contains small seeds. Arbutus berries are rich in vitamin C. The fruits of the strawberry tree that have ripened and lain for some time have a sweet taste and pleasant aroma.

The strawberry tree is grown from seeds and cuttings.

Where does the strawberry tree grow?

Where does the strawberry tree grow? In the wild, this individual grows in Mexico, America, Western Europe, the Mediterranean, Southern Switzerland, Tyrol, Ireland. It settles on hills, rocky slopes.

Like other members of the Heather family, this plant thrives on both fertile, nutrient-rich, drained soil and heavy loam. Prefers open, sunlit areas. Drought-resistant. Does not need abundant watering. Average frost resistance. Withstands temperatures up to - 15 ° С. Young seedlings should be covered for the winter.

Application

Berries are consumed fresh, and also used to prepare desserts and alcoholic beverages. Store dried and frozen. The shelf life of dried fruits when stored at room temperature is 1-2 years. For longer storage, the berries are placed in an airtight container. 100 g of fruit contains 28 kcal.

All parts of this plant are used in medicine and pharmacology.The flowers are used to make diaphoretic remedies. Leaves, roots and bark are used for diseases of the genitourinary system. The extract from the bark is used for tanning leather, and is also used as a brown dye. Wood is used to make furniture, turning products, boxes, souvenirs, watch cases and much more.

Arbutus is prized as an ornamental crop. Due to its unpretentiousness to growing conditions and attractiveness, it is an ideal plant for planting in garden plots and in city parks.

The strawberry is a good honey plant, but the honey obtained from its nectar has a bitter taste.

Growing a strawberry tree from seeds at home

A strawberry tree at home can be grown from fully ripe seeds taken in the fall. Sowing is carried out all year round. Before sowing, the seeds are stratified for 60 days in a planting mixture consisting of high-moor peat (70%) and sand (30%), after which they are soaked in warm water for 6-7 days. Sowing is carried out in drained soil to a depth of 1.5 cm. The container with the plant is placed in a warm, shaded place. As the soil dries up, watering is carried out. The first shoots will appear in 2-3 months.

To grow a strawberry tree, you will need an earthy mixture taken from under woody plants. In the summer, Arbutus is exposed to the open air; in winter, it is kept in a cool room.

An adult plant, a strawberry tree, does not need special care. Regular watering is necessary during the growing season and fruiting. During the growth period, composting is required 2 times a month. In winter, feeding is carried out once a month, but only if the tree is in a heated room. At temperatures less than 10 - 11 ° C, feeding is not needed.

A strawberry tree grown from seeds in indoor conditions reaches a height of no more than 1 m. Its flowering occurs in the second year after sowing, lasts from September to December.

Strawberries are also propagated by apical cuttings taken in August-September from young individuals. In the first winter, they are placed in a greenhouse, and in the spring, after the end of the frost, they are planted in open ground.

The pest of culture is a spider mite.

Interesting Facts

Among the people, arbutus, which sheds its bark every year, was called "shameless". This characteristic feature is explained by the fact that trees growing in hot, humid tropical climates are attacked by plants - parasites (epiphytes), which try to settle in cracks in the bark. Therefore, the strawberry tree is freed from the bark and does not allow epiphytes to take root.

It is noteworthy that the first mention of strawberries was found in the works of the ancient Greek philosopher Theofast. Even then, people were familiar with the features and properties of this tree.

This plant serves as food for the largest Israeli butterfly Charaxes jasius. She lays eggs on it, and after a while caterpillars hatch there.

The image of the arbutus can be seen on the coat of arms of Madrid. The bronze bear by the strawberry tree is the symbol of the city. This image is present in various urban objects. According to old residents of Madrid, a whole grove of these beautiful trees was once laid out here, where one could often meet bears.

Photos of a strawberry tree, presented in the photo gallery below, convey the amazing beauty of this unusual plant.

Photo gallery: strawberry tree (click on the picture to enlarge):

Strawberry tree or Strawberry - Arbutus (Arbutus) comes from the Heather family, the main habitat of which is located on the American continent and in the western regions of Europe.

It is a small plant, in the form of a bush or small tree - a maximum of 10 meters in height.Its crown of curved branches covered with wide green leaves diverges from a trunk covered with brown bark with a reddish or orange tint. The plant annually replaces the bark with a new one, while making a special sound, reminiscent of a human whisper. Therefore, the Strawberry tree is sometimes called a whisper.

Arbutus.

As a rule, the plant does not exceed 3 meters in height, its foliage, alternately located on the stems, has a dense, leathery surface, smooth edges and a dark green tint. The plant blooms in spring - in the month of May, covering the crown with white or yellowish inflorescences such as erect panicles.

The tree bears fruit, producing fruits in the form of almost round drupes. At the same time, small growths are formed on the surface - peas, which make the fruit look like strawberries or strawberries. The fruit of the tree also tastes like strawberries.

Species diversity

About 14 species of Strawberry are well known, but the most popular are the following two:

• Arbutus unedo - Common strawberry tree. Has great fruits;
• Arbutus andrachne - Red strawberry tree, small-fruited.

For amateur breeding, the first type of plant is often chosen - large-fruited Arbutus. This species is quite thermophilic and does not tolerate frost, therefore, in our latitudes, it can be grown only under the shelter of premises heated in winter. Best of all, the plant feels in large conservatories and greenhouses, but it is quite acceptable to breed it in an apartment or a residential building.

In the latter case, the unusual beauty of Strawberries is especially appreciated. Its branches create an intricate structure, bizarre crowns covered with foliage with a noticeable emerald tint, and at the moment of flowering, the Arbutus of the Rubra species is especially beautiful.

Plant care rules

At home, this plant is grown mainly in flowerpots or pots. At the same time, it is especially carefully protected from frost. It is best to grow a tree from a ready-made seedling, but you can use a cuttings and even plant and germinate the seed of a ripe fruit.

Landing

Planting a strawberry tree from seeds provides for a certain sequence of actions:

• A nutrient substrate is prepared. It should include 70% of peat, preferably high-moor and 30% of washed river sand. In this composition, after slightly moistening it for 2 months, the seeds are stratified. They must be harvested from a ripe fruit;
• After stratification, the seeds are soaked in water at room temperature for 7 days and planted in the ground to a depth of about one and a half centimeters;
• A pot with planted seeds is placed in a shaded, warm place and wait for the sowing to germinate;
• When seedlings appear, as a rule, this happens around the third month, they are regularly watered with settled water, and upon reaching sufficient growth, the seedlings can be separated and planted in separate flowerpots.

If the surrounding air is dry, it is worth spraying regularly during the growth of the seedlings. At the same time, you need to ensure that excess moisture does not get into the ground. It is best to cover it with polyethylene or in any other way during spraying.

A feature of the plant can be called its unpretentiousness to the quality of the soil. The strawberry tree grows well in both acidic and alkaline environments, loose or dense, but it is still better to provide adequate drainage. The soil from the store is perfect, with characteristics - universal.

Care

Due to the unpretentiousness of the plant, caring for it is also simple. For normal health, the tree is enough:

• Monitor regular watering;
• Feed the plant as it grows;
• Provide favorable conditions for the Sheptun's wintering.

The first two points are especially important for young, growing plants, as well as for the active growing season. Watering the strawberry tree is necessary only with settled water, at room temperature, and the best top dressing is high-moor peat.

This plant is quite light-requiring, so it is worth providing it with good lighting. In the summer, it will be better to take the strawberry out into the open air and place it in a place where the sun's rays will fall on it, preferably slightly scattered. At the same time, the optimal summer temperature for a plant is 22 - 26 ° С. It is also advisable to limit the plant from strong winds, and especially from cold drafts. In the conditions of an apartment, the best summer accommodation will be a glazed balcony facing the southwest side.

For the winter months, after the plant has stopped bearing fruit, it should create calm conditions:

• Trim the crown. Remove damaged, weak and diseased branches and foliage;
• Transfer to a cool but bright place. The desired wintering temperature is 5-8 degrees plus, but nothing will happen to the plant even at temperatures ranging from +2 to +10 degrees;
• Limit watering to the full minimum. In this case, you need to ensure that the soil is not completely dry - it is worth maintaining its low moisture content.

If the temperature is not lowered for the winter, the plant will be depleted and will not give color, and therefore fruit, in the warm season.

Nutrient feeding

As a rule, a strawberry tree growing in a greenhouse is fertilized with manure or compost, 2 times in the spring and summer seasons, and for a plant contained in a flowerpot, a ready-made complex fertilizer from a store is better suited.

With insufficient growth activity, flowering and in the case of weak fruiting, stimulating preparations based on nitrogen and potassium can be used.

Important! A strawberry tree cannot be fertilized for the winter, much less stimulating procedures. The effect will be the opposite - instead of dormancy, the tree will actively develop and by spring it will be severely depleted, it may even die.

Reproduction

At home, two options are possible - seed propagation and cuttings. In the first case, seeds collected from a ripe fruit are germinated, planting them in a nutritious substrate, in the second, cuttings are harvested.

From the tops of the branches of the plant at the end of summer - in August, cut off small areas with leaves and germinate in a greenhouse. At the end of winter, cuttings can be planted in the soil of a flowerpot or grown in a greenhouse, summer garden.

Problems

The strawberry tree is unpretentious to the conditions and is not very susceptible to diseases, but sometimes they still appear:

• Regular overflow can lead to the formation of fungus on the foliage - it becomes covered with brown or brown spots;
• Of the pests, the spider mite is most often detected, affecting the bark of the plant.

For the most part, the Strawberry tree suffers from frost in the early spring when it is taken out into the open air, and frosts occur at night. The tree is very thermophilic, this must be taken into account.

Properties of Arbutus fruits

The fruits of the plant are widely used not only in cooking, but also in medicine:

• The flowers of the plant have a diaphoretic effect;
• From the root system, drugs are prepared for the treatment of the genitourinary sphere;
• All parts of the plant are widely used in "folk" recipes.

In addition, arbutus also supplies components for the production of natural dyes, and the beauty of its wood allows it to be used for the manufacture of decorative elements of furniture and various handicrafts.