Physalis decorative planting and care in the open field

It is good both outdoors, in a vase, in a photo, and on a table. We are talking about physalis, the varieties of which are beautiful and edible. If you have not yet been involved in growing and breeding it, it is never too late to start. Learn about planting and caring for physalis from the article.

Physalis: varieties and varieties

"Strawberry tomato", "earthy cherry", "Chinese lanterns" - as soon as they do not call physalis! Growing and caring for it sometimes varies slightly, depending on the variety. In total, there are 3 large groups of these plants (the first two are edible):

• vegetable varieties (Confectionery, Large-fruited);

Physalis vegetable

• berry varieties (Peruvian, Strawberry);

Physalis berry

• decorative physalis resembling Chinese lanterns (Franchet, Longifolia) in boxes of yellow, orange and red colors.

Physalis decorative

Advice. When growing physalis in the open field, do not combine different varieties in the same area. They can interbreed and, even with proper care, produce small and misshapen fruits.

Planting physalis

First, decide on the place where the physalis will grow. Planting and leaving involves the choice, if not of a sunny site, then at least partial shade, for example, under trees. If you plant in the beds, keep in mind: good predecessors for this culture are cucumbers, cabbage, legumes. Planting scheme - 4-5 plants per 1 sq. m.

Physalis loves areas well lit by the sun

Sowing with dry seeds in late autumn is possible. Embed them in soil covered with compost or peat (2-3 cm layer). The fruits will ripen later, but the harvest will be richer. Plus, the plants will be more resilient.

Plant care

It consists in a few simple rules:

1. Regular weeding and loosening of the soil.
2. Abundant watering, but without stagnant water. It must be reduced during the ripening period of the bolls.
3. Tying tall bushes.

Physalis bushes are best tied up

Pinch the tops around mid-summer to maximize yields. You do not need to step-son and form physalis. Also, among the advantages of caring for him, it is worth noting resistance to drought and frost. Perennial winters well even at t - 30 ° C.

Fertilizing and feeding physalis

The first fertilization should be applied during the flowering period. Feed the plants a second time during fruit formation. Repeat the procedure after 15-20 days. It is good to use mineral fertilizers for physalis.

Physalis bloom

For example, you can prepare the following composition: superphosphate, ammonium nitrate and potassium salt. For 10 liters of water, 10-15 g of each component is enough. This volume is enough for 1 sq. m landing. It is better not to feed physalis with manure. Instead, take compost, humus, bird droppings or ash for fertilization.

Physalis propagation

The most common propagation of this perennial by seeds. They can be sown directly into open ground. But if you do not live in the southern region, it is better to pre-grow seedlings in the spring (in mid-March). Seedlings hatch at t from +15 ° C. When the third leaf appears on them, transplant each sprout into an insulated cup. The room temperature should not be higher than +22 ° C

Advice. For the prevention of black leg (a fungal infection in which the seedlings wither and disappear), it is better to initially practice planting seeds not in a common, but in separate containers.

Watering is plentiful, but not too frequent. The sprouts should be rooted at the age of 40-50 days. They are planted in open ground when the threat of frost has passed, in May. Before planting, it will not be superfluous to harden the seedlings, carrying them out to the balcony or street for several days.

Physalis sprout

Physalis reproduces by self-seeding very actively, without any help. Alternatively, you can grow it from shoots that emerge from overwintered roots. Physalis needs regular rejuvenation, the procedure is both a care method and a breeding option. In the spring, excavate the rhizomes, separate them and plant them.

Diseases and pests

Like other members of the nightshade family, "earth cherry" most often suffers from the following diseases:

Mosaic... The leaves are deformed, yellow and green spots appear on them. Affected plants should be destroyed, hands and garden tools should be disinfected.

Late blight. It is characterized by the appearance of brown spots on the plants. To combat this fungus, it is possible to use chemicals. If physalis is already bearing fruit, the care is as follows: remove damaged fruits and leaves and disinfect.

Advice. Most often late blight is carried by potatoes. Having dug it out, do not plan to plant physalis and other nightshades in the same place.

Fusarium. Diseased plants begin to wilt even before fruits appear on them. The infection lives in the soil for a long time. To prevent its reproduction, destroy the affected physalis along with the earthy clod, collect and dispose of the tops, disinfect the soil.

Physalis can be affected by many diseases - watch the condition of the bushes

Various rot: white, gray. The plant becomes covered with a whitish or smoky bloom, the fruits crack and rot or dry out. During the growing season, caring for physalis consists in processing with Bordeaux liquid, ridomil or copper oxychloride.For prevention, regularly remove affected leaves and plant debris.

When growing physalis, you will have to deal with such pests:

1. Medvedka: gnaws at the roots. To destroy its nests, dig deep into the soil in the spring and autumn. In summer, loosen it at least 15 cm. The aroma of marigolds planted nearby and watering the plants with bird droppings scare away insects.
2. Aphids: tolerates late blight. Treat physalis with insecticides several times throughout the season.
3. Wireworm: Damages the root system. When digging up the soil, add ash to it (the pest larvae do not like alkaline soil). Avoid the appearance and reproduction of wheatgrass in the area, which forms the basis of the wireworm's nutrition.

Wireworm

Physalis: combination with other plants

It is very difficult to find neighbors who would emphasize the beauty of a bright perennial better than he does it himself. It is often planted "for the future" to decorate winter landscapes. Orange lanterns, sprinkled with snow, enliven the half-empty gardens. In addition, growing physalis almost always involves its use in dry compositions.

Physalis on a flower bed

In them, it is good in combination with kermek, lunaria, gypsophila, immortelle, spherical homphrene. Ensembles of “strawberry tomato” and pine needles look really festive and unusual. Physalis looks harmoniously surrounded by clusters of rowan or viburnum, as well as spikelets. And even a bunch of ordinary autumn leaves will turn this bright plant into a colorful bouquet.

Ideas for decorative compositions with physalis

With the help of these tips and your own imagination, you can easily decorate your apartment, house or garden plot:

• place the physalis in an openwork vase made of wood. Place a pumpkin next to it, making a funny face out of it (gluing or cutting out eyes, mouth, etc. with a knife);

A bouquet with physalis can stand in your room all winter.

• place perennial sprigs in a beautiful flower watering can;
• you can put "lanterns" in a round aquarium without water or in another transparent container of the same shape;
• decorate walls or doors with wreaths. Sometimes ordinary photo frames are used for their basis;
• weave the twigs into a beautiful pigtail, decorating it with beads, ribbons, a small hat;
• make an original topiary (artificial "money tree");

Physalis decor

• string physalis boxes on stainless wire and braid a vase or container for cereals or seasonings with it - the kitchen will be transformed;
• for New Year's decoration at home, create a composition with candles and pine branches.

In summer, admire physalis in the open field, in winter, do floristry and feast on exotic "strawberry tomato" jam. The versatility of this wonderful plant deserves that you not only admire it in the photo, but also grow it yourself.

Physalis on a personal plot: video

Physalis: photo

 

 

Physalis (Latin Physalis) belongs to the largest genus of the Solanaceae family, which includes about 120 species. Gardeners are sometimes called physalis earthen cranberries or emerald berries, as well as bubble worms, cherries and marunka. Physalis is often compared to tomatoes - plants from the same family, and although these plants are in many ways similar, planting and caring for physalis outdoors has its own differences.

Physalis is an annual or perennial herb with branched, erect or angularly curved, geniculate stems, glabrous or with sparse pubescence in the upper part, reaching a height of 20 to 120 cm. At the base, the stems become stiff over time. Physalis leaves are opposite, and in the lower part of the stem, they are pairwise contiguous or alternate. Flowers are usually solitary, axillary, located along the entire length of the stem. The cups are bell-shaped, swollen, bright, hiding in themselves spherical two-celled orange or red berries - fragrant physalis fruits.Physalis is an ornamental plant, although in many of its species the fruits are quite edible and even tasty. Perennial physalis is called a Chinese lantern - it looks great in bouquets.

   

Physalis growing from seeds

 

In a warm area, physalis seeds are sown directly into the ground, since the plant is cold-resistant, early ripening and fruitful, and it is enough to sow Physalis once, and then it will multiply by self-seeding - you will only have to thin out the seedlings.

Since physalis seeds suddenly lose their germination after 4 years, soak them in a 5% salt solution before sowing and after a while remove the floating seeds that are not useful to you, and wash the settled ones and pickle for half an hour in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate, then rinse and dry.

Physalis is sown in April or early May sparsely in grooves, keeping an interval of about 30 cm between rows.When seedlings appear, they are thinned out so that the distance between seedlings is about 25 cm. Those seedlings that had to be pulled out can be transplanted to another place - they will take root perfectly, although they will begin to bear fruit a little later. Physalis can be sown before winter, in October.

 

 

Physalis seedling care

In the middle lane, physalis is grown in seedlings, especially since it allows you to get fruits earlier than when sowing seeds in the ground. Physalis seeds are sown for seedlings about a month and a half before planting in the ground in separate containers with a volume of 0.5 liters, if there is no desire to tinker with a pick, or in seedling boxes according to the 6x8 scheme - before planting in the ground, it remains only to divide the seedlings into bushes.

As a pre-sowing treatment, the seeds are kept for 30 minutes in a strong solution of potassium permanganate. Physalis is germinated at a temperature of about 20 ºC, and then sprouts can appear in a week. At a lower germination temperature, you will have to wait a month. Make sure that the humidity of the soil and air is not too high, since under such conditions there is a risk of disease of seedlings with a black leg, therefore caring for a physalis flower at this stage includes regular ventilation of the room, provided that they are reliably protected from drafts.

If, with proper care and normal lighting (physalis seedlings need a bright diffused light), the seedlings grow slowly or painfully stretch out, it is necessary to add a solution of bird droppings to the soil - 1 part of fertilizer to 20 parts of water at the rate of half a bucket per 1 m², and then shed the soil water to avoid burns.

 

Physalis pick

Those who have sown physalis in a seedling box densely will have to dive into separate cups when the seedlings have two true leaves, so that when planting, as little as possible, injure the root system of the physalis, which grows very quickly. If you sowed the seeds immediately in separate cups, then you do not have to dive the seedlings - you can plant them directly in the open ground within the time period for growing seedlings.

 

 

Physalis planting in open ground

 

When to plant physalis in the ground

Planting physalis in open ground is carried out on a cloudy day or in the afternoon at the stage of development in seedlings of 5-6 leaves. For physalis, a sunny area with soil of a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction is suitable, on which cucumbers or cabbage grew before it. But after crops such as physalis itself (peppers, potatoes, eggplants and tomatoes), the plant is not planted for four years, since all these plants suffer from the same diseases, the pathogens of which often remain in the soil for a long time. Planting a physalis flower is preceded by digging up a site with the addition of humus and ash no later than two weeks before the scheduled date. Do not fertilize the soil with fresh manure.
 

How to plant physalis

Since most of the species and varieties of physalis are highly branching, the seedlings are planted in a checkerboard pattern with a step of about half a meter.Tall varieties need tying - consider this when planting. The physalis hole should be so deep that the seedlings are immersed in it to the first true leaf.

When planting overgrown seedlings, one and a half liters of water is poured into the hole and the seedling is planted with a slope directly into the water so that the roots in it straighten out by themselves, after which the hole is covered with earth and compacted. Seedlings planted in a timely manner do not need such tricks: they are planted in the usual way, but after planting they are watered abundantly. To facilitate the care of physalis, the site can be mulched with peat.

 

 

Physalis outdoor care

 

Growing and caring for physalis is simple and not laborious. During the growing season, the plant needs regular watering, followed by weeding and loosening of the soil, as well as fertilizing with organic fertilizers - solutions of mullein (1:10) or chicken droppings (1:15), carried out also after watering the site. Growing physalis also provides for hilling bushes in a cold and damp summer, but you do not need to pinch or cut them: since the fruits develop in the branches of the stems, the more the bush branches, the higher the yield will be.

 

Physalis reproduction

 

In addition to the seed reproduction method of physalis, which we have already described, the plant reproduces by lateral shoots and cuttings. Physalis decorative forms many shoots from a creeping rhizome located shallow underground, therefore, in spring or autumn, part of the rhizome, together with regrown shoots, is dug out from the mother bush and transplanted. For cuttings in physalis, in July, the tops of the stems with 2-3 well-developed internodes are cut off and planted, burying them halfway into loose soil and covering for the first time with a perforated film. When the leaves on the cuttings restore turgor, the film can be removed. Physalis care during the rooting period of cuttings consists in timely watering and shading from direct sunlight.

 

 

Physalis care after flowering

 

How and When to Collect Physalis Seeds

Physalis fruits are harvested together with dried bright cups in dry weather 45-60 days after planting seedlings in the ground - in August or September. The fruits do not ripen at the same time: the lower berries ripen earlier and fall to the ground. If you pick them up right away, you can eat them or send them for recycling. Or you can get seeds from them. To do this, ripe fruits are cut in half and poured with rainwater for a day, and then the swollen pulp is rubbed through a sieve, the seeds are washed and dried.

Physalis preparation for winter

 

In the fall, the ground part is cut off from the decorative perennial physalis - beautiful dry bouquets will be obtained from it. The leaves are removed, and the stems with fruits in bright covers are hung to dry. The site is mulched with peat for the winter. Annual (vegetable and berry) species are disposed of after harvest, and the site is deeply dug.

 

 

Physalis diseases and pests

 

Physalis is much less affected by diseases than tomatoes, however, a disease such as mosaic, sometimes persistent physalis is also affected, and specimens weakened by poor care are the first to fall prey. Symptoms of the disease: the leaves acquire a mottled contrasting color from dark green and light green areas. As a result of the disease, the fruit yield may be reduced by half. There is no cure for the mosaic virus, so it is necessary to immediately destroy the diseased plants with fire before the disease spreads throughout the site. The place where sick physalis grew should be shed with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

In the seedling stage under conditions of too high humidity, physalis affects blackleg, as a result of which the seedlings turn black at the base of the stem and die.You can avoid the disease by strictly observing the rules for caring for seedlings: loosening the soil, thinning the seedlings in time, watering the seedlings abundantly, but not often in the morning.

The scourge of all nightshades is phytosporosis, which is especially dangerous in wet weather during the ripening period of the crop. Brown subcutaneous spots appear on the fruits, which make the berries unsuitable for eating. You can fight phytosporosis by spraying physalis with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid, and this must be done in advance, even before the ovary appears on the bushes.

 

 

Of insects, physalis can be harmful beargnawing at the roots of seedlings, and wireworm... You can fight the bear by planting seedlings in a plastic ring: a narrow neck part is cut off from plastic two-liter bottles and the bottom is cut off, then what is left is cut into two parts (rings); a plastic ring is placed in the hole for a physalis seedling, in the center of which seedlings are planted. After burying the seedling, the ring should rise above the surface of the site by about 5 cm. In this way, you will protect the roots of the young plant from the attack of the bear.

They fight the wireworm with the help of baits: they dig several holes around the site, fill them with semi-rotten grass or hay and cover them with boards. After a day or two, check the bait, and you will see that many wireworm larvae have moved into it in search of heat and food. Collect the contents of the bait and burn at the stake with the pests. Good results in the fight against wireworms are given by autumn plowing or deep digging of the site - in winter, the larvae, once on the surface, die from the cold.

In general, physalis is a very healthy and resistant plant to negative influences. Follow the rules for the care and cultivation of physalis, and pests, as well as pathogens, will bypass your site.

 

Physalis species and varieties

 

Physalis decorative

Chinese lanterns of decorative physalis represent a species of herbaceous perennials. All of its parts are not only inedible, but also poisonous, but it enjoys continued success with landscape designers. This physalis reaches its greatest decorative effect in late summer or early autumn, when its capsules acquire a bright orange color. Popular varieties:
• Franchet - this plant is often cultivated as an annual. In height, the bushes of physalis Franchet reach 90 cm, its leaves are oval, extended towards the base, up to 15 cm long. Up to 15 "lanterns" can form on one shoot, which are the fruits of physalis, dressed in bright cups.
• Alkekengi - also a kind of decorative physalis with yellow, red or orange "lanterns".

 

Physalis edible is divided into physalis berry and physalis vegetable. Physalis berry is represented by such species as raisin physalis, or pubescent, or strawberry, Peruvian physalis, which recently began to be grown in the middle lane, and Florida physalis, as well as their variety

 

Physalis Florida (Physalis floridana)

The variety has sweet, palatable fruits without any fruity flavor and almost no acidity. Jam from berries of this type resembles jam from cherries, therefore, when cooking, the leaves of odorous geranium are added to it.

 

Physalis raisin (Physalis pubescens)

has a more refined taste - sweet, with a barely perceptible sourness and a pronounced aftertaste and smell of pineapple. Fruit juice resembles mandarin juice. The fruits of this physalis can be stored for up to 3-4 months, or even up to six months, acquiring a slightly withered appearance over time. The dried fruits really resemble raisins.

 

Physalis peruvian (Physalis peruviana)

Not as sweet as raisin, but the fruit taste and aroma of its fruits is stronger, and in terms of the amount of acids and sugar in them, they are close to garden strawberries. Physalis berries of this species are too tender for long-term storage.

 

The best varieties of berry physalis include:

 

• Pineapple - early ripe physalis with miniature and sweet-tasting fruits with pineapple aroma, used both fresh and in the form of jam and candied fruits.
• Strawberry - bushes up to 70 cm high, on which amber sweet fruits with strawberry aroma ripen, used fresh and dried, as well as used for making desserts, compotes and jams.
• Physalis raisin Surprise - undersized, early maturing and unpretentious annual with strong pubescence; fruits of the Surprise are good both for fresh food and as raw materials for desserts.
• Columbus - a tall, thermophilic and late-ripening variety, the berries of which are rich in vitamins, pectin and microelements. They are eaten fresh and made into desserts and drinks.
• Sorcerer - a variety with large, flattened brown-orange sweet and sour fruits with a light grapefruit bitterness and a strong strawberry aroma. Berry juice tastes like orange, but has a brighter bouquet;

 

Physalis Mexican (Physalis ixocarpa)

Physalis vegetable is represented by the species Mexican physalis (or gluten-fruited) and its varieties. The fruits of the vegetable physalis resemble tomatoes more than the fruits of other species. Among the vegetable physalis there are tall varieties, and there are also low, stretching ones. The fruits are yellow, green, purple in color, they differ in shape and size. Physalis vegetables are less heat demanding and more productive, but fresh they are not as tasty as berry ones. But marinades, pickles, caviar and salads are excellent. The most famous varieties in the culture of the middle strip:
• Ground Gribovsky - cold-resistant medium-early fruitful variety with a bush height of up to 80 cm and semi-erect branches. Light green, sweet and sour in taste, the fruits reach 60 g in weight.
• Confectionery - a large-fruited mid-season variety with sour round fruits of light green or dark green color, which can not only be pickled, salted and made into caviar, but also used for making homemade desserts.
• Kinglet - an early ripe variety, which is used, like the Confectionery variety, for processing into desserts and canned vegetables.
• Moscow early - early ripening variety with almost lying branches and sweet light yellow fruits weighing up to 80 g.

 

The healing properties of physalis

 

Useful properties of physalis
The edible physalis fruit contains such substances as dietary fiber, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, structured water, vitamins A and C, trace elements iron and zinc and macronutrients potassium, calcium, sodium, phosphorus and magnesium. Physalis berries are used as an antiseptic, diuretic, analgesic, hemostatic, anti-inflammatory and choleretic agent. Decoctions and infusions are made of them for the treatment of bronchitis, urolithiasis, rheumatism, edema, hepatitis, gout, cystitis. Eating fresh berries relieves the symptoms of dermatoses, dysentery and hypertension.

Physalis - contraindications Do not eat the fruits of decorative physalis - they are poisonous. And be careful with the cups that contain the fruits of the plant, as they contain physaline and alkaloids - toxic substances that, once in your body, can cause serious harm.

 

Where to buy physalis seeds

 

The Scientific and Production Association "Sady Rossii" has been introducing the latest achievements in the selection of vegetable, fruit, berry and ornamental crops into the wide practice of amateur gardening for 30 years. In the work of the association, the most modern technologies are used, a unique laboratory for microclonal reproduction of plants has been created. The main tasks of NPO Sady Rossii is to provide gardeners with high-quality planting material for popular varieties of various garden plants and novelties of world selection. Delivery of planting material (seeds, onions, seedlings) is carried out by Russian post. We are waiting for you for shopping: NGO "Gardens of Russia"

 

Physalis is a plant of the Solanaceae family, which includes 120 items. The main habitat of plants of this family is the countries of South and North America, Asia and Europe.

A distinctive feature of this plant is a flower cup, shaped like a Chinese paper lantern. Inside the case is a fruit, which in some varieties is edible. Most often, in gardens you can find decorative physalis, the cultivation and care of which does not cause much trouble for the owners.

Popular types and varieties of physalis with photos

In nature, there are about a hundred varieties of physalis, but three of them are known on the territory of our country:

• Decorative... A perennial species characterized by unpretentious cultivation. It has a very attractive appearance, therefore it is often grown outdoors in flower beds or garden pots. The plant is frost-resistant, and retains its decorative effect even in the first frosty days. Bright lanterns look spectacular against the background of the first snow cover. Decorative physalis is distinguished by a wide variety of varieties of different heights and cup sizes. The Franchet cultivar reaches a height of 90 cm, the miniature Patio cultivar does not exceed 40 centimeters.
• Vegetable... An annual with a high yield. Physalis vegetable produces fruits weighing up to 50 grams, used for the preparation of seasonings, salads. The most popular varieties are Korolek and Moskovsky early, with a sweetish taste. Physalis vegetable is resistant to cold.
• Berry (strawberry)... The plant is more thermophilic than the ornamental and vegetable species. The fruits of this species are small, red, thanks to them in Russia they call physalis ground cranberries. The fruits are suitable for making marmalade, jam, preserves.

Photo of decorative physalis

Physalis is popularly called Peruvian gooseberry, earthen cherry, strawberry tomato. Berry species include Peruvian and Strawberry Physalis.

Growing physalis from seed in a seedling and non-seedling way

Sowing physalis in open ground is possible only in countries with a warm climate. Although the decorative species often reproduces by self-sowing, from those fallen in the previous year, and it even has to be thinned out.

In Russia, physalis is grown through seedlings, like tomatoes and peppers. Before sowing, the seeds are tested in a saline solution (5%). The seeds are immersed in the solution and only those that have settled to the bottom are taken.

After sorting, the seeds should be disinfected in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate. Then the seeds are dried and planted in prepared containers. The soil for sowing should be as loose and fertile as possible. A ready-made potting mix for tomatoes and peppers is suitable as a soil.

Seeds are sown in rows, embedded in the soil by 2-2.5 centimeters. After sowing, the soil is lightly tamped and moistened with a spray bottle. The container is covered with foil or glass and placed in a warm, bright place. Do not place a container with crops on a window in direct sunlight. Otherwise, a greenhouse effect will be created and the seeds will simply cook.

Physalis is most often grown in seedlings.

Physalis seed germination temperature is 19-20 degrees. Under optimal conditions, seeds germinate within a week. After the appearance of the first sprouts, the glass is removed from the container and the temperature is lowered to 16-17 degrees for 2-3 days. Then the container is put back in a warm place.

In the phase of 4 true leaves, the seedlings dive into separate cups. It is convenient to use special peat pots, which can then be planted in open ground without removing the plants or injuring the roots. If a pick is made into a common box, a 10x10 centimeters landing pattern is observed. When picking, the sprouts are sorted, choosing only the strongest and most well-developed, with a good root system.

Seedlings are kept on a lighted windowsill, but protected from direct sunlight. It is optimal to place physalis seedlings on the western or eastern windows.On the southern ones, the plants will burn, and on the northern ones they will stretch out from a lack of light. If there are no suitable windows in the apartment, the seedlings are illuminated with special phytolamps.

Physalis is watered regularly, keeping the soil slightly moist. Once every 14 days, seedlings must be fed with special formulations.

Physalis seedlings feel good on the windowsills of the western and eastern windows

Physalis seedlings need to be hardened so that when transplanted into open ground, the plants do not get sick and immediately start growing. In April, after the onset of rather warm days, the plants are taken out into the open air and placed in a shaded place. The first "walk" should not exceed 2 hours. The time is gradually increased.

Important. For hardening, you need to choose calm days so that the plants do not break.

Outdoor growing rules

Physalis can be grown outdoors without any cover. You can plant it immediately after the onset of heat.

Open ground planting rules

Physalis seedlings are planted in open ground at the age of 40-55 days. Decorative physalis is unpretentious and can be grown both in the open sun and in the shade. It can be planted even under trees and shrubs, but physalis will have the greatest decorative effect with sufficient illumination. In the open sun, the cups will form large, and their color will be bright and saturated.

Physalis capsules get brighter color in the sun.

Physalis does not tolerate waterlogged soil, therefore, in areas that are flooded with melt water in spring, it cannot be planted. The soil for planting plants is prepared in advance. Humus, peat, compost and ash are added to the fertile soil. If acidity is increased in the prepared area, liming is additionally required.

Attention. Do not apply fresh manure under the physalis: this will burn the roots and the plant will die.

Physalis decorative - a fairly large plant with abundant branching. No more than 4-5 bushes can be planted on one square meter. On the eve of planting in open ground, seedlings are watered abundantly in order to completely soften the soil. When planting, the plant is buried in the hole to the first true leaves. This technique stimulates the growth of roots on the stem and makes the plant hardy.

Physalis care in the garden

Physalis is not picky about care

Physalis does not require any special attention. Caring for him consists of watering, hilling and loosening the soil. Physalis is poured with settled, warm water. Once every 2-3 weeks, the bushes are fed with mullein solution or mineral fertilizers for flowers.

The plant does not require pinching, like its relatives, tomatoes. The advantage of physalis is precisely the abundant formation of twigs, on which many weightless lanterns are then formed. Stepping even harms the physalis, since the lanterns are formed precisely in the sinuses of the lateral branches. To stimulate the growth of lateral shoots in June, the tops of the stems are pinched.

Frequent and deep loosening is the main agrotechnical technique for caring for physalis. Its roots need a constant supply of oxygen. Weeds are not allowed to grow around the plant.

During the growing season, physalis needs several dressings:

• The first is during flowering.
• The second is during the period of fruit formation.
• The third - 3 weeks after the second.

The composition of the fertilizer for physalis is as follows:

• Water - 10 liters.
• Potassium salt - 15 gr.
• Superphosphate - 15 gr.
• Ammonium nitrate - 10 gr.

This solution is sufficient for plantings located on 1 square meter. The first feeding can be done with a solution of bird droppings (1:20) or mullein (1:10). For each root, half a liter of such a solution is used. The second feeding with such fertilizer is not recommended, since an excess of nitrogen will lead to inhibition of fruit formation.

Reproduction and transplantation of physalis

Ornamental physalis is a perennial prone to degeneration. The division and transplantation of overgrown rhizomes is carried out every 6-7 years. For reproduction, physalis is carefully removed from the soil, decayed and dried parts will be removed. The rhizome is divided into several parts, depending on the number of formed main shoots.

For reproduction of physalis, you can use the method of dividing the mother bush

Physalis also propagates by cuttings and lateral shoots. The plant sprouts directly from the soil. They are carefully dug in, separated from the mother bush and planted in a prepared place.

When propagating by cuttings, the tops of the stems are cut off from the plant. Each should have 2-3 internodes. The harvested cuttings are planted in the soil, buried in half. In the first 2 weeks, cuttings should be covered with foil or plastic bottles. When the leaves on the cuttings are straightened, the shelters are removed. Physalis propagation by cuttings is carried out in July.

Physalis pests and diseases

Physalis rarely gets sick, but can be affected by aphids and slugs

Physalis is resistant to diseases and pests, so usually there are no problems with growing it. But some diseases can develop if the rules for caring for the plant are not followed. With excessive watering and insufficient loosening, stem rot can develop. Prevention of this disease is compliance with crop rotation, compliance with watering norms, treatment of the plant with copper-containing preparations (HOM, Oxyhom, Bordeaux liquid).

Copper preparations also help protect physalis from late blight. It can attack the plant in damp, cold weather. Late blight manifests itself as brown spots on the leaves and stems of plants.

The main pest that infects physalis is aphid. If the leaves are covered with small black specks, become sticky and begin to curl, physalis should be sprayed with an insecticide (Iskra, Aktara, Aktellik, etc.)

In wet weather, physalis can attack slugs that eat fruits and stems. You can scare away slugs from physalis by sprinkling the soil around them with tobacco dust or wood ash. The preparation in the Groza granules also helps.

Post-flowering care

As soon as the physalis lanterns acquire a bright orange color, you can cut the stems for later use in flower arrangements. Physalis vegetable is ready to harvest 90 days after germination. Unripe fruits are stored in a cold place, where they are brought to a ripe state.

Physalis can be picked unripe and left to ripen

At the end of flowering, the watering of the plant is sharply reduced. The soil around the physalis continues to loosen so that the roots breathe and continue to develop. During the period of fruit formation, physalis does not need excess moisture. It is only necessary to water the plants if the weather is very hot and excessively dry.

Terms and rules for collecting physalis seeds

The lower fruits of the physalis ripen first. Sometimes they fall off the branches on their own and fall to the ground. These fruits are quite suitable for harvesting seeds. If not harvested, the seeds can sprout on their own in early spring.

But experts advise for the reproduction of physalis by a seed method to collect the most ripe fruits and release seeds from them onto a piece of tissue. Then they are dried and stored in paper bags until planting. The strongest and healthiest specimens of physalis grow when grown in seedlings.

Preparing for winter

Decorative physalis winters well in the open field, with proper pre-winter preparation. In late autumn, the bush is cut to the root and the soil is mulched with humus or peat. You can cover the planting with small straw or well-dried foliage. The cut shoots must be collected in bunches and dried while hanging.

Use in design for decorative compositions

Physalis is one of the most joyful plants in the garden, capable of creating a positive mood from mid-summer to late autumn. It looks great in any corner of the garden, as well as when planted in flowerpots.

Physalis boxes look very unusual

To extend the summer, many gardeners cut the physalis stems for use in winter flower arrangements. The stems can be dried upright and drooping. Hanging branches are woven into beautiful Christmas wreaths, and erect ones are used in bouquets. Physalis looks good in combination with flowers of soft colors and in bouquets of autumn leaves.

Bright boxes-lanterns that have fallen off from the branches can be used to make garlands, fastening them with a thin wire. These garlands, attached to a chandelier or lamp, complemented by beads and silk ribbons, are a true design masterpiece.

Physalis is a wonderful decoration of both the garden in the summer-autumn period and the interior on cold winter days. Flower lovers should definitely pay attention to this bush, effectively decorated with bright, weightless lanterns, and settle it on their site.

It will be interesting to watch video material on physalis. We wish you a pleasant viewing.

Physalis decorative attracts attention with its bright orange color and unusual shape. It is also popularly called the Chinese lantern. By the way, the name of the plant comes from the Greek (Physalis), which means "bubble". What is decorative physalis, the features of its cultivation, care, reproduction and use in interior design will be described in this article.

Physalis decorative - description

Physalis decorative is a herbaceous perennial crop belonging to the Solanaceae family (Solanoideae). The stem can be up to 90 cm long. The leaves are oval, pointed at the ends, unsaturated green. Blooms in summer. Flowers are white, expressionless. The plant is decorated with orange swollen bubbles with a diameter of 6 cm with fruits ripening by autumn inside. Each branch is decorated with 10-15 lanterns.

The fruits of ornamental varieties are not suitable for food, since they are poisonous.

For the purpose of decoration, physalis Alkekengi or physalis ordinary (Physalis alkekengi) and physalis Francheti (Physalis francheti) are planted. It got its name in honor of the French botanist Adrien Rene Franchet, who first researched this physalis species that came to us from Japan. It began to be planted as a decorative culture in 1894.

Preparing for planting physalis

Physalis is very unpretentious. Drafts and winds are not afraid of him. It withstands lower temperatures well. Best of all, of course, the crop will bloom on the open, sunny side of your garden.

When choosing soil for physalis, pay attention to its acidity. Sour soil is not suitable for cultivation. Also, swampy places, areas where groundwater is high, are not suitable. Lime or neutral soil will be suitable for cultivation.

It is also worth paying attention to the fact that physalis is not grown where nightshade crops previously grew. However, he will feel great in the area where cabbage, cucumbers, root vegetables and legumes were grown.

The land for the plant must be prepared: add humus, compost, lying manure, peat and ash. Instead of organic matter, you can add a complex mineral substrate.

Breeding and planting methods

Growing seedlings

For 30 minutes for disinfection, the seeds are kept in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, having covered them with gauze. Heat treatment of the soil is carried out using hot steam or an oven.

Seeds are pressed into a container filled with soil, observing equal intervals between them. Sprinkle 1 cm of earth on top and watered. Next, cover with a transparent film or glass and put in a well-lit place.At the same time, the room temperature should be 15-20 C. When seedlings are formed, remove the film and water it regularly. Sowing time is mid-April.

Picking seedlings into individual containers

Produced when the first two true leaves appear. The soil is enriched with mineral fertilizers. Planting is completed with moderate watering. Care requirements: a sunny place, maintaining the temperature of 15-20 C, regular watering, fertilizing the soil once every 14 days.

Planting seedlings in open ground in 45-50 days towards the end of May. While the plant is adapting, it is necessary to provide constant watering and shelter from the midday sun. During planting, we observe a distance of 50 cm between shoots and 70 cm between rows.

Sowing seeds in the ground

Before sowing, it is also recommended to hold the seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate. Seeds are sown when the weather settles, and the air warms up to 20 C. After 7-10 days, shoots should sprout.

Rhizome division

The most effective method for propagating a culture is division. Physalis root system tolerates adaptation to a new place well. The division is carried out in the spring or autumn.

Cuttings

Another way of propagation is by cuttings. They are cut in July. The tops of the shoots with 2 to 3 buds are chosen. Cuttings are rooted under standard conditions. They are planted in loose soil, deepening to the floor of the length, irrigated and covered with polyethylene with a hole for ventilation. In clear weather, the cuttings are provided with shade, preventing drying out. After rooting, the coating is removed, and the plant is provided with the necessary care.

Physalis care

Ornamental physalis is quite drought tolerant. It should be watered only during prolonged dry weather.

All physalis, including decorative varieties, do not like to coexist with weeds. At least once every 1-1.5 months it is necessary to weed and loosen the soil. Weeding can be skipped if you use the mulching technique.

Fertilizing the crop is optimal twice a year:

1. in the early stages of development, when the plant begins to grow rapidly. They are fed with humus, compost or wood ash, or a complex mineral fertilizer;
2. the second feeding is done as soon as the physalis blooms using similar means.

In order for the physalis branches to remain even for their subsequent use for decorative purposes, tying is necessary.

In the last days of August, in order for the "bubbles" to ripen before the onset of cold weather, pinch the tops of the plant.

Physalis needs to be rejuvenated quite often, as it grows rapidly and spreads to neighbors in the garden. Therefore, with a frequency of 5-7 years, the bushes rejuvenate, dividing and moving to a new place.

Disease and pest control

Diseases and pests will not be scary to your pet at all, if you take proper care of it, correctly select the conditions for its cultivation.

Physalis is prone to rot on the stem due to too wet soil. Aphids may appear if this perennial is adjacent to the affected plant or if proper watering was not provided for a long time on dry days. You can get rid of insects with the help of insecticides, and in case of diseases, it is better to transplant the culture to a place suitable for it or provide proper care.

Physalis, like any other nightshade crop, can also be affected by late blight. Signs of the disease are subcutaneous brown spots on the leaves and fruits. This is facilitated by prolonged rainy weather and a tight landing. In order to prevent late blight, it is necessary to spray the bushes with Bordeaux liquid before the formation of fruit ovaries.

At the stage of growing seedlings, physalis can suffer from black leg. The stem at the base turns black and the sprout dies.Among the causes of the disease, one can single out excessive moisture in the soil, followed by acidification, cold and humid air. Seedlings affected by the disease must be removed, and the soil must be treated with fungicides. In order to prevent the disease, it is necessary to regularly loosen the soil, timely thinning the seedlings.

The dangerous viral disease of the mosaic is less common. The color of the leaves changes its color: some part of them brightens, while the other darkens. The causative agent of plant disease is bacteria. Among the main reasons for the development of mosaic is the wrong crop rotation of the plant. Diseased specimens are uprooted and burned, a solution of potassium permanganate is introduced into the soil.

Physalis decorative in the interior

Physalis is applicable not only in landscape design. It is often used to create decorative elements.

Bouquets of dried physalis flowers will look great. Keeping their appearance for a long time, they will create a summer mood on a winter evening. How to dry physalis?

It's very simple. In the fall, when the lanterns acquire their carrot color, the branches are cut off along with the bubbles, the leaves are removed. If you plan to use physalis branches for prefabricated compositions, you need to dry them separately. If you want to create a bouquet, then you need to make it up in advance, before drying. Physalis is dried in the open air. The plant is suspended in a cool room with the stems up. In two to three weeks, it is ready to create decorative compositions.

Don't limit your imagination. In addition to bouquets, using bright physalis boxes, you can create a variety of options for decorating your home. For example, make hanging garlands in the likeness of real Chinese lanterns. To do this, orange lanterns are connected to each other with wire or fishing line. They can be supplemented with beaded threads, ribbons.

Physalis compositions look best in a monochromatic interior, bringing a bright cheerful accent.

Door and wall wreaths made with physalis will delight you with their splendor. They can be supplemented with various leaves, flowers, fruits.

For New Year and Christmas, a composition with candles and pine twigs will look good.

Another option for using physalis in the interior is glass vases with bright "spots" inside. Physalis in such compositions can be combined with berries and dried flowers.

The easiest way to decorate your home is to spread physalis where, in your opinion, color volume is lacking. These can be shelves, countertops, or something else.

Video "Physalis decorative in the interior - a wreath of physalis"

So, physalis ornamental is an unusually colorful plant. It will be a good decoration for your garden area. Lanterns, noticeable with their bright colors, will delight you in autumn. And if you did not cut them, then in winter orange bubbles will peep out from under the snow, as a reminder of the warm summer.

Physalis - planting and care in the open field

Physalis belongs to the largest genus of the Solanaceae family, which includes about 120 species growing in Asia, Europe, as well as in South and North America. Translated from Greek, physalis means a bubble - the name is given because of the shape of the growing red-orange calyx of the plant. Gardeners are sometimes called physalis earthen cranberries or emerald berries, as well as bubble worms, cherries and marunka. Physalis is often compared to tomatoes - plants from the same family, and although these plants are in many ways similar, planting and caring for physalis outdoors has its own differences.

Physalis flower is an annual or perennial herb with sometimes branched, erect or angularly curved, geniculate stems, glabrous or with sparse pubescence in the upper part, reaching a height of 20 to 120 cm. At the base, the stems become stiff over time. Physalis leaves are opposite, and in the lower part of the stem, they are pairwise contiguous or alternate.Flowers are usually solitary, axillary, located along the entire length of the stem. The cups are bell-shaped, swollen, bright, hiding in themselves spherical two-celled orange or red berries - fragrant physalis fruits. Physalis is an ornamental plant, although in many of its species the fruits are quite edible and even tasty. Perennial physalis is called a Chinese lantern - it looks great in a winter bouquet.

Growing physalis from seeds

Sowing physalis

In a warm area, physalis seeds are sown directly into the ground, since the plant is cold-resistant, early ripening and fruitful, and it is enough to sow Physalis once, and then it will multiply by self-sowing - you will only have to thin out the seedlings. Since physalis seeds suddenly lose their germination after 4 years, soak them in a 5% salt solution before sowing and after a while remove the floating seeds that are not useful to you, and wash the settled ones and pickle for half an hour in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate, then rinse and dry. Physalis is sown in April or early May sparsely in the grooves, keeping an interval of about 30 cm between rows.When seedlings appear, they are thinned out so that the distance between the seedlings is about 25 cm. Those seedlings that had to be pulled out can be transplanted to another place - they will take root perfectly, although they will begin to bear fruit a little later. Physalis can be sown before winter, in October.

Physalis seedling care

In the middle lane, physalis is grown in seedlings, especially since it allows you to get fruits earlier than when sowing seeds in the ground. Physalis seeds are sown for seedlings about a month and a half before planting in the ground in separate containers with a volume of 0.5 liters, if there is no desire to tinker with a pick, or in seedling boxes according to the 6x8 scheme - before planting in the ground, it will only be necessary to divide the seedlings into bushes. As a pre-sowing treatment, the seeds are kept for 30 minutes in a strong solution of potassium permanganate. Physalis is germinated at a temperature of about 20 ºC, and then sprouts can appear in a week. At a lower germination temperature, you will have to wait a month. Make sure that the moisture content of the soil and air is not too high, since under such conditions there is a risk of disease of seedlings with a black leg, therefore, caring for a physalis flower at this stage includes regular ventilation of the room, provided that they are reliably protected from drafts. If, with proper care and normal lighting (physalis seedlings need a bright diffused light), the seedlings grow slowly or painfully stretch out, it is necessary to add a solution of bird droppings to the soil - 1 part of fertilizer to 20 parts of water at the rate of half a bucket per 1 m2, and then spill the soil with water in avoid burns.

Physalis pick

Those who have sown physalis in a seedling box densely will have to dive into separate cups when the seedlings have two true leaves, so that when planting, as little as possible, injure the root system of the physalis, which grows very quickly. If you sowed the seeds immediately in separate cups, then you do not have to dive the seedlings - you can plant them directly in the open ground within the time period established for the growing of seedlings.

When to plant physalis in the ground

Planting physalis in open ground is carried out on a cloudy day or in the afternoon at the stage of development in seedlings of 5-6 leaves. For physalis, a sunny area with soil of a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction is suitable, on which cucumbers or cabbage grew before it. but after crops such as physalis itself, pepper. potatoes, eggplant and tomatoes. physalis is not planted for four years, since all these plants suffer from the same diseases, the pathogens of which often remain in the ground for a long time. Planting a physalis flower is preceded by digging up a site with the addition of humus and ash no later than two weeks before the scheduled date.Do not fertilize the soil with fresh manure.

How to plant physalis

Since most of the species and varieties of physalis are highly branching, the seedlings are planted in a checkerboard pattern with a step of about half a meter. Tall varieties need tying - consider this when planting. The physalis hole should be so deep that the seedlings are immersed in it to the first true leaf. When planting overgrown seedlings, one and a half liters of water is poured into the hole and the seedling is planted with a slope directly into the water so that the roots in it straighten out by themselves, after which the hole is covered with earth and compacted. Seedlings planted in a timely manner do not need such tricks: they are planted in the usual way, but after planting they are watered abundantly. To facilitate the care of physalis, the site can be covered with peat.

Physalis care in the garden

Growing and caring for physalis is simple and not laborious. During the growing season, the plant needs regular watering, followed by weeding and loosening of the soil, as well as fertilizing with organic fertilizers - solutions of mullein (1:10) or chicken droppings (1:15), carried out also after watering the site. Growing physalis also provides for hilling bushes in a cold and damp summer, but you do not need to pinch or cut them: since the fruits develop in the branches of the stems, the more the bush branches, the higher the yield will be.

Physalis propagation

In addition to the seed reproduction method of physalis, which we have already described, the plant reproduces by lateral shoots and cuttings. Physalis decorative forms many shoots from a creeping rhizome located shallow underground, therefore, in spring or autumn, part of the rhizome, together with regrown shoots, is dug out from the mother bush and transplanted. For cuttings in physalis, in July, the tops of the stems with 2-3 well-developed internodes are cut off and planted, half buried in loose soil and covered for the first time with a perforated film. When the leaves on the cuttings restore turgor, the film can be removed. Physalis care during the rooting period of cuttings consists in timely watering and shading from direct sunlight.

Physalis pests and diseases

Physalis is much less affected by diseases than tomatoes, however, a disease such as mosaic sometimes affects persistent physalis, and first of all, specimens weakened by poor care become victims. Symptoms of the disease: the leaves acquire a mottled contrasting color from dark green and light green areas. As a result of the disease, the fruit yield may be reduced by half. There is no cure for the mosaic virus, so it is necessary to immediately destroy the diseased plants with fire before the disease spreads throughout the site. The place where sick physalis grew should be shed with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

In the seedling stage under conditions of too high humidity, Physalis affects the black leg, as a result of which the seedlings turn black at the base of the stem and die. You can avoid the disease by strictly observing the rules for caring for seedlings: loosening the soil, thinning the seedlings in time, watering the seedlings abundantly, but not often in the morning.

The scourge of all nightshades is phytosporosis, which is especially dangerous in wet weather during the ripening period of the crop. Brown subcutaneous spots appear on the fruits, which make the berries unsuitable for eating. You can fight phytosporosis by spraying physalis with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid, and this must be done in advance, even before the ovary appears on the bushes.

Of insects, bears, gnawing the roots of seedlings, and wireworms can harm physalis. You can fight the bear by planting seedlings in a plastic ring: cut off the narrow neck part of plastic two-liter bottles and cut off the bottom, then cut what is left,into two parts (rings); a plastic ring is placed in the hole for a physalis seedling, in the center of which seedlings are planted. After burying the seedling, the ring should rise above the surface of the site by about 5 cm. In this way, you will protect the roots of the young plant from the attack of the bear.

They fight the wireworm with the help of baits: they dig several holes around the site, fill them with semi-rotten grass or hay and cover them with boards. After a day or two, check the bait, and you will see that a lot of wireworm larvae have moved into it in search of heat and food. Collect the contents of the bait and burn at the stake with the pests. Good results in the fight against wireworms are given by autumn plowing or deep digging of the site - in winter, the larvae, once on the surface, die from the cold.

In general, physalis is a very healthy and resistant plant to negative influences. Follow the rules for the care and cultivation of physalis, and pests, as well as pathogens, will bypass your site.

How and When to Collect Physalis Seeds

Physalis fruits are harvested together with dried bright cups in dry weather 45-60 days after planting seedlings in the ground - in August or September. The fruits do not ripen at the same time: the lower berries ripen earlier and fall to the ground. If you pick them up right away, you can eat them or send them for recycling. Or you can get seeds from them. To do this, ripe fruits are cut in half and poured with rainwater for a day, and then the swollen pulp is rubbed through a sieve, the seeds are washed and dried.

Physalis preparation for winter

In the fall, the ground part is cut off from the decorative perennial physalis - beautiful dry bouquets will be obtained from it. The leaves are removed, and the stems with fruits in bright covers are hung to dry. The site is mulched for the winter with peat. Annual (vegetable and berry) species are disposed of after harvest, and the site is deeply dug.

Types and varieties of physalis

Physalis edible is divided into physalis berry and physalis vegetable. Physalis berry is represented by such species as raisin physalis, or pubescent, or strawberry, Peruvian physalis, which has recently begun to be grown in the middle lane, and Florida physalis, as well as their varieties.

Physalis Florida (Physalis floridana)

has a sweet, palatable fruit without any fruity flavor and almost no acid. Berry jam of this type resembles cherry jam. therefore, when cooking, the leaves of odorous geranium are added to it.

Physalis raisin (Physalis pubescens)

Physalis raisin has a more refined taste - sweet, with a barely perceptible sourness and a pronounced aftertaste and smell of pineapple. Fruit juice resembles mandarin juice. The fruits of this physalis can be stored for up to 3-4 months, or even up to six months, acquiring a slightly withered appearance over time. The dried fruits really resemble raisins.

Physalis peruvian (Physalis peruviana)

not as sweet as raisin, but the fruit taste and aroma of its fruits is stronger, and in terms of the amount of acids and sugar in them, they are close to garden strawberries. Physalis berries of this species are too tender for long-term storage.

The best varieties of berry physalis include:

• – Pineapple - early ripe physalis with miniature and sweet-tasting fruits with pineapple aroma, used both fresh and in the form of jam and candied fruits;
• – Strawberry - bushes up to 70 cm high, on which amber sweet fruits with strawberry aroma ripen, used fresh and dried, as well as used for making desserts, compotes and jams;
• – Physalis raisin Surprise - undersized, early maturing and unpretentious annual with strong pubescence; the fruits of the Surprise are good both for fresh food and as raw materials for desserts;
• – Columbus - a tall, thermophilic and late-ripening variety, the berries of which are rich in vitamins, pectin and microelements.They are eaten fresh and made into desserts and drinks;
• – Sorcerer - a variety with very large, flattened brown-orange sweet and sour fruits with a light grapefruit bitterness and a strong strawberry aroma. Berry juice tastes like orange, but has a brighter bouquet;

Physalis Mexican (Physalis ixocarpa)

Physalis vegetable is represented by the species Mexican physalis, or glukoplodny, and its varieties. The fruits of the vegetable physalis resemble tomatoes more than the fruits of other species. Among the vegetable physalis there are tall varieties, and there are also low, stretching ones. The fruits are yellow, green, purple in color, they differ in shape and size. Physalis vegetables are less heat demanding and more productive, but fresh they are not as tasty as berry ones. But marinades, pickles, caviar and salads are excellent. The most famous varieties in the culture of the middle strip:

• – Ground Gribovsky - cold-resistant medium-early fruitful variety with a bush height of up to 80 cm and semi-erect branches. Light green, sweet and sour in taste, the fruits reach 60 g in weight;
• – Confectionery - a large-fruited mid-season variety with sour round fruits of light green or dark green color, which can not only be pickled, salted and made into caviar, but also used for making homemade desserts;
• – Kinglet - an early ripe variety, which is used, like the Confectionery variety, for processing into desserts and canned vegetables;
• – Moscow early - early ripening variety with almost lying branches and sweet light yellow fruits weighing up to 80 g.

Physalis decorative

Chinese lanterns - represent a species of herbaceous perennials. All of its parts are not only inedible, but also poisonous, but it enjoys continued success with landscape designers. This physalis reaches its greatest decorative effect in late summer or early autumn, when its capsules acquire a bright orange color.

• – Franchet - this plant is often cultivated as an annual. In height, the bushes of physalis Franchet reach 90 cm, its leaves are oval, extended towards the base, up to 15 cm long. Up to 15 "lanterns" can form on one shoot, which are the fruits of physalis, dressed in bright cups;
• – Alkekengi - also a kind of decorative physalis with yellow, red or orange "lanterns".

Useful properties of physalis

The edible physalis fruit contains such substances as dietary fiber, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, structured water, vitamins A and C, trace elements iron and zinc and macronutrients potassium, calcium, sodium, phosphorus and magnesium. Physalis berries are used as an antiseptic, diuretic, analgesic, hemostatic, anti-inflammatory and choleretic agent. Decoctions and infusions are made of them for the treatment of bronchitis, urolithiasis, rheumatism, edema, hepatitis, gout, cystitis. Eating fresh berries relieves the symptoms of dermatoses, dysentery and hypertension.

Physalis - contraindications

Do not eat the fruits of decorative physalis - they are poisonous. And be careful with the cups that contain the fruits of the plant, as they contain physaline and alkaloids - toxic substances that, once in your body, can cause serious harm.

Growing edible and decorative physalis species

Physalis is not an ordinary and common plant. But he also found connoisseurs. "Bubble grass", as it is also called, conquered with the appearance of its flowers. Its scientific name is completely related to interesting flowering and stands for "blowing a bubble"

General description of perennial and annual physalis

The plant belongs to the Solanaceae family,has about 120 subspecies, among which more than 20 are edible. It is most widespread in South and North America, where it comes from.

Three types of physalis

In countries with warm climates, physalia grows in the wild, multiplies by self-sowing, sometimes turning into a real weed in the garden. Distinguish between annual and perennial plants.

Outwardly, it is thin stems, the length of which ranges from 0.2 m to 1.5 m. The appearance also has contradictions: there are straight and curved stems, naked and with hairs, the number of branches can be large or practically equal to zero. The leaves grow in pairs opposite, and in the lower part of the branches their alternate arrangement prevails.

Flowers grow one at a time, rarely in pairs... along the entire length of the stem. They have a bell-shaped, swollen calyx with 5 to 10 ribs, with teeth that converge at the apex. It tends to grow strongly and resemble externally a bubble, inside which the fetus is located.

Fruit - orange berry... less often red, the size of a cherry (up to 2 cm in diameter), inside which there are seeds. The berries have excellent taste and healing properties. One bush can yield 3-5 kg.

Physalis is a relative of tomato, but if you compare them, it is more resistant to cold and drought, ripens faster and is not susceptible to attacks by pests and diseases. Despite all its properties, it is better to grow it in warmth and in the sun, then growth will not be inhibited.

Physalis is a relative of tomato, but when compared, it is more resistant to cold and drought.

Physalis decorative in landscape design

Physalis decorative has the name "Chinese lanterns", is a perennial plant. Care must be taken when breeding this species, because all parts of it contain poison that is dangerous to humans. That's whyan ornamental plant is in demand only among landscape designers... The decorative value is provided by bright boxes during the ripening period in August - September.

In autumn, the branches of the plant are cut off together in bolls, dried by removing the leaves. The plant looks great in a winter bouquet of dried flowers, creating a bright mood with its appearance.

The most famous are two subspecies of "Chinese lanterns"

1. Franchet. Often cultivated as an annual plant. Its height reaches 0.9 m, the leaves are oval, expand closer to the base and reach a length of up to 15 cm. One shoot can bear 10-15 fruits, framed with bright cups.
2. Alkekengi. Its cups can have a variety of bright colors: yellow, orange, red.

Description of edible physalis species

There are two types of physalis suitable for human consumption: vegetable and berry.Many useful elements can be found in the composition of the fruit.... carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins A and C, various microelements and macronutrients, structured water and dietary fiber.

Thanks to such a rich composition, berries are widely used in folk medicine. They are used as antiseptics, diuretics, anti-inflammatory, choleretic, hemostatic drugs, as well as pain relievers.

Vegetable physalis

Physalis vegetable variety is called "Mexican", its subspecies are also distinguished. A vegetable plant can be long-stemmed or undersized. The fruits resemble tomatoes and are larger in size compared to other varieties.

The color of the berries is very diverse: yellow, green, purple. The shape and size of the fruits of this species vary greatly.

It is possible to grow vegetable physalis even in cool climatic conditions, while the harvest will not suffer at all.Taste qualities of fruits are significantly inferior to berry varieties... but they make delicious marinades, salads and pickles.

Known subspecies of vegetable varieties:

• Kinglet. It is a fruit used for making desserts and canned food. Differs in early maturation;
• Confectionery. Outwardly, these are green berries of different shades, they are used to prepare various pickles, as well as homemade desserts;
• Ground Gribovsky. Resistant to cold weather, bears good fruit. Fruits are light green with a sweet and sour taste. Their mass reaches 60g;
• Moscow early. Ripens quickly, has light yellow berries, which are much larger than the previous species (up to 80g). Differs in strongly inclined branches.

Before eating a vegetable variety, you need to rinse it thoroughly under warm running water. This procedure helps to wash off the gum that covers the berry. It is worth noting that this type of physalis has jelly properties that are not inherent in vegetables.

Differs in good preservation of its properties and nutrients during storage, which can last a fairly long period of time.

Fezalis variety Korolek is a fruit used for making desserts and canned food

Berry Physalis varieties

On berry physalis, the fruits do not grow large, therefore, in comparison with a vegetable plant, the berries are much smaller. This is fully compensated by the taste and unforgettable aroma.

This dessert variety can be eaten raw and not doused with hot water. Sweet dishes, jams and preserves are prepared from it.

Subspecies of berry physalis

1. Raisin... It is characterized by a sweet taste with a slight sourness. Remembered for the aftertaste and the smell of pineapple. The juice is similar to tangerine juice, and the dried fruit is reminiscent of raisins. Storage can be carried out up to six months.
2. Peruvian. It can be compared to strawberries in terms of the amount of sugar and acids. It has a non-sugary taste with pronounced fruity notes, which the aroma also has. Does not lie for a long time due to the delicate structure of the fruit.
3. Strawberry. Bushes of medium height. The berries are distinguished by their amber color and strawberry aroma.
4. Jam. "Plum Jam" has interesting purple fruits. It is eaten fresh or canned.
5. Pineapple. Small fruits ripen early, have a sweet taste and pineapple smell. They make not only jam, but also candied fruits.

This annual plant is capable of multiplying with the help of berries that have fallen in the fall.

Physalis breeding methods in the open field

Physalis is very similar in properties to tomato. It must be planted in the soil on which cucumbers, cabbage, and onions have grown before. In the open field, the plant hibernates only in a warm mild climate, for this it is enough to create an air millet for it

a lance made of brushwood.In all other conditions, it is required to reseed Physalis annually. or transplant before the cold weather in a pot, which is brought into the house for storage.

Reproduction in favorable conditions in the open field occurs by dividing the bush, by cuttings, for this they take the young parts of the stem at the top, and seeds that fall into the soil from fallen berries.Perennial physalis tend to grow strongly... it is necessary to restrain this process by rejuvenating the plant every 6-7 years.

Planting and features of caring for physalis in the garden

To successfully grow physalis, you need to know the rules for planting it. In Russia, especially in the Urals, a plant grows well if the soil is suitable for it, which should not be acidic and not too wet.

In spring, seeds are sown in pots with special fertilized soil for growing seedlings... It does not require a dive during the entire cultivation. It is necessary to maintain a comfortable temperature and moderate moisture in the earth. Care also consists in feeding the soil with fertilizer prepared from poultry manure.

Since the plant is resistant to cold weather, you can plant it already in May, covering it with frost.

The design of the beds is as follows: about 0.5 m should be between

in rows, and in the rows between the plants they stand 0.3-0.4 m.With such a planting, it is convenient to care for the physalis, and also comfortable conditions for it are observed.You need to deepen the seedlings into the ground to the first leaf.

After about 2 months, the fruits of the plant begin to ripen. This can be determined visually: the box becomes lighter, then gradually dries up, and the inside of the berries looks according to their variety.

If by the time of the autumn frost there are unripe fruits left, then they can be removed along with the branches under the canopy, where they will ripen.

Physalis is resistant to cold weather, you can plant it already in May, covering it with frost

Growing physalis at home from seeds

The easiest way to breed physalis is to plant it with seeds. It is easy to collect them on your own: wash and crush the early fruits thoroughly. Leave the gruel from juice, pulp and seeds for a couple of days for easy fermentation at a temperature of about 26 degrees. It is not recommended to add water, because the seeds will germinate.

Remove the seeds from the pulp and rinse in water, then place on paper or a towel to absorb excess liquid. Then dry quickly so that the seeds do not lose their qualities.

In climatic conditions that do not allow growing the plant outdoors, indoor physalis can be grown from seeds. To do this, you need to free up space on the windowsill in order to put a box with one of the plant species there.

Physalis is an interesting plant that is gradually gaining popularity along with its relatives from the family

Prepare the soil fertilized and saturated with useful elements, which will subsequently need to be fed with a special mixture of trace elements for the soil every 4 weeks.The mixture can be purchased in stores of the relevant topic. Plant the seeds in the ground so that the distance between the stems is about ¼ meter. If you plant it thicker, you can then thin out the rows.

Before the first shoots appear, watering should be done carefully so as not to wash the seeds.So that the moisture does not evaporate quickly, you can cover the crops. After the formation of the plant, care is carried out as usual: not very frequent watering, periodic fertilization of the soil.

The ideal conditions would be an abundance of light and heat, a comfortable temperature regime for physalis from 18 to 25 degrees. In winter, the plant feels good on the window of the sunny side of the house, and in summer it is advisable to take it to the balcony or yard, where it can fully spread the stems and bring a rich harvest.

Chinese Lantern of Physalis: Summer Lights in Frosty Winter

Physalis - the most valuable dietary, medicinal and ornamental crop Tomatoes and tobacco belonging to the Solanaceae family have an amazing perennial relative. This is a decorative physalis that adorns some summer cottages from autumn to spring. Its white flowers blooming in June are modest and invisible among the summer riot of colors. But bright orange fruit pods, similar to Chinese lanterns, are striking from a distance against the backdrop of an empty snow-covered garden. They are used to create incredibly beautiful decorative compositions.

Physalis, which means "bubble" in Greek, has over a hundred species of plants common in southern Europe, Asia (up to Japan), in the tropics and subtropics of Central and southern North America. Among them are the so-called strawberry and vegetable species of physalis with edible fruits. The first of these are low-growing bushes, studded with fragrant small boxes of bright yellow color. Their vegetable-type relatives have rather large tasty fruits of yellow, green or purple color.

As a rule, they do not tolerate wintering, because these are heat-loving plants. They were known in their homeland long before Columbus.

This wonderful plant brings joy and decorates the house with its exquisite and bright boxes, reminiscent of warm and sunny summer days.

Among the ancient Indians, who called delicious berries small tomatoes (tomatillo), they were much more popular in food than tomatoes.

The decorative type of physalis - physalis Franchet - differs from other varieties of similar plants in picturesque clusters of bright bubbles. Their berries are unsuitable for eating because of their bitter taste and unpleasant odor. In frosty winter, the bitterness of the fruit is significantly reduced, however, it is still not recommended to use them for food. Since these fruits are harmless, they can be successfully used as a food coloring.

Bouquets of bright fruit boxes of this type are irreplaceable when creating design projects, they look great in photographs.

In the New Year, bright wreaths of physalis are very appropriate in combination with candles of the same color, placed in low containers

We are constantly writing letters in which gardeners are worried about what will happen to their harvest in the fall. For many, plants die and wither, or they simply do not have time to give a crop. Can plant growth biostimulants help. And how to choose the right one, suitable for the climatic conditions and soil type of the site?

Growing and caring for physalis

Decorative physalis is the most unpretentious type of plant. It tolerates even severe frost, feels great both in the sun and in a shaded area. But when planted in a well-lit place, you can get especially large and bright specimens of plants.

• Physalis seeds are sown at the height of winter in small containers, like tomatoes, providing them with lighting and feeding.
• Prevention of the appearance of a fungus in the soil is carried out by dusting it with ash and sand.
• Physalis seedlings are planted on open ground towards the end of spring.
• These plants do not like areas where nightshade crops grew before them. They are very supportive of soils, where previously there were legumes, cabbage, potatoes, cucumbers.
• Although physalis grows almost everywhere, its harvest is especially good on pre-fertilized soil. In order to choose the right type and dose of top dressing, we recommend that you read the article fertilizers: effects on plants, soil, humans. However, the "acidic" soil needs liming before planting this crop in it.
• In addition, physalis must be watered frequently, while avoiding stagnation of water in the ground. Only at the end of summer, due to the ripening of the bolls, watering the culture should be reduced.
• It is better to tie tall bushes in order to preserve the beauty and slenderness of the stem, which is necessary when creating various bouquets of them.
• To accelerate the ripening of the ornamental part of the plants at the end of summer, pinch off their tops.

Dry bright decorative lanterns beforehand. It's not difficult at all. And then you can create a wide variety of compositions from them.

Reproduction of the orange "Chinese lantern"

• The ground part of the plants dies off with the onset of cold weather. But the roots tolerate frosts well, even up to thirty degrees. At the onset of spring, shoots appear from them. They should be seated.
• Culture propagation by cuttings is also practiced.
  In addition, physalis bushes need rejuvenation every five years. In the spring, the overgrown creeping rhizomes, having dug out, are divided into parts and transplanted to another bed.
• It is no secret that often these plants grow too much, conquering more and more new territories. You even have to protect them with decorative fences, plastic tapes or slate.

Compositions from decorative physalis

Dry bright decorative lanterns beforehand. It's not difficult at all.

1. Bouquets of physalis look great in an openwork wooden vase. Next to it, you can place a pumpkin of a similar color, "animating" it with glued eyes, a smiling mouth, etc.
2. The bouquet can also be placed in a watering can of the same color without water.
3. Bright lanterns can be poured into a large, round, transparent container.
4. Hanging several branches “upside down” on the wall and throwing a hat of a similar color on top of them, you can get a picture with a kind of long red braid.
5. This decoration is very suitable for creating a variety of round and rectangular wreaths. You can even use different frames for this. The resulting compositions look good on the wall and on the door.
6. In the New Year, bright physalis wreaths are very appropriate in combination with candles of the same color, placed in low containers. You can also illuminate them with bulbs.
7. Physalis twigs look harmonious in combination with needles, rowan bunches, ears. You can add various beads, multi-colored braided wire circles to them. All this goes well with curtains of autumn colors, draperies and other various decorative elements.
8. Physalis can also be used to create a do-it-yourself topiary.

The benefits and harms of using physalis

Physalis is rich in vitamins and various trace elements. Physalis properties and its influence on the human body are multifaceted.

• Saturating the body with useful substances, it is able to remove harmful components from it. For example, due to the potassium contained in fruits, the body is cleared of excess sodium, leading to edema.
• Physalis is widely known as a medicinal plant that promotes the outflow of bile, has diuretic, hemostatic, analgesic properties. It is also used in the treatment of colds and coughs.
• Physalis berries are an invaluable remedy used for many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, for cardiovascular problems, female diseases, they help get rid of stones, serve as prevention of their formation.
• However, with increased acidity of gastric juice, berries should be eaten with caution. The shells of the fruits and leaves of the plant are poisonous, they can be used only as an external remedy, applying to wounds and bruises.
• Berries can in some cases cause allergies. They should not be consumed by pregnant and lactating women. Due to its strong diuretic properties, this drug should be taken under the supervision of a specialist.

Bright orange fruit pods, similar to Chinese lanterns, are striking from a distance against the backdrop of an empty snow-covered garden

Physalis is the most valuable dietary, medicinal and decorative culture. It is difficult to list all of its beneficial properties. No wonder he was so popular among the ancient peoples of the Maya, Aztecs and Incas. It is easy to plant in the garden. It's easy to take care of him. This wonderful plant brings joy and decorates the house with its exquisite and bright boxes, reminiscent of warm and sunny summer days.