Penstemon

Collection and storage of melons

Before you start harvesting your melon, you should make sure that the fruits are fully ripe. To do this, you need to check the color of the pumpkin, as well as inspect the network of cracks, which should be located on the surface of the peel. Ripe fruits, ready to be harvested, can be easily detached from the whip; a grid is located on their entire surface, while the pumpkin changes its color to yellow. But it should be borne in mind that such melons are not intended for long-term storage, as a rule, they can lie no more than 8 weeks. Fruits that will be stored for a long time have a moderately pronounced mesh that covers only ½ of the pumpkin. The same fruits that are completely yellow, and there is a grid on their entire surface, should be immediately used for food. There are also varieties that do not form a mesh on the surface of the fruit; their degree of maturity is judged by color.

Keeping quality scale:

• low - these fruits are stored for no more than 14 days;
• small varieties - they can be stored from 2 to 4 weeks;
• medium-sized varieties - the storage period for such melons is from 1 to 2 months;
• decaying varieties - such fruits are stored for about three months;
• very hardy varieties - the shelf life of these fruits is more than three months.

Late as well as mid-season varieties produce fruits that can be stored for about 6 months if they are provided with optimal conditions. And mid-early, early and some mid-season varieties cannot be stored for a long time, in this regard, it is recommended not to store them, but to eat them immediately.

The fruits of late-ripening varieties, which can be stored for a long time, are removed from the garden in a state of technical maturity selectively, only after the necessary signs appear on the pumpkins. Melons should be plucked with a stalk, which should be up to 30 mm in length; they cannot be cut off. Fruit picking is carried out early in the morning or in the evening; in the heat of the day, this cannot be done. After the pumpkin is plucked, it must be left for three to four days on the site, while it should be regularly turned over every 5-6 hours. be sure to pre-disinfect by treating with bleach. Also, smoke bombs can be used to disinfect the storage, which will exterminate pests and all viruses. When the room is processed, it should stand tightly closed for several days. After that, the store is very well ventilated, and then all structures made of wood must be whitewashed with freshly slaked lime. The fruits are placed in storage on racks, while the surface of the shelves must be covered in advance with a layer of chaff or sawdust. You can store the fruits in a suspended form, for this they are placed in individual coarse meshes, while they are hung on a rack with crossbeams. In the storage room, the humidity should be approximately 80 percent, while the optimum temperature is 2-3 degrees. Melons should not be stored next to apples and potatoes. Because of the potatoes, the fruit has a not very pleasant aftertaste, and rot forms on them. And apples release ethylene, which makes the melons ripen much faster, which leads to their overripening. Do not forget to carry out a systematic examination of the fruits, while those that have signs of spoilage must be removed.

Harvesting melons

Caring for nandina at home

This plant is not very popular with flower growers, since it is very difficult for it to create conditions suitable for growth and development.

Illumination

You need a bright, but diffused light, and all year round. The plant can be exposed to direct sunlight in the morning and evening hours. In winter, when there is not so much light, additional lighting is needed. Especially in need of it varieties with variegated leaves.

In the warm season, the tree can be moved outside (to the balcony or to the garden).However, it should be borne in mind that he requires mandatory shading from the scorching midday sun rays.

Temperature regime

In the spring and summer, it needs coolness (up to 20 degrees). Overwintering should be fairly cold (10 to 15 degrees).

Maintaining such a temperature, especially in the summer, is the main difficulty that flower growers will face.

How to water

Watering should be plentiful in the spring and summer. It should be borne in mind that watering is carried out only after the top layer of the substrate is thoroughly dry. During cold wintering, watering should be much less.

For irrigation, use settled soft water. For softening, it is recommended to use citric or acetic acid.

Humidity

Needs high humidity. It is recommended to put the tree in close proximity to the water source, or you can pour a little expanded clay into the pan and pour in the liquid. It is necessary to moisten the foliage in the morning and evening hours, using water that does not contain lime and chlorine.

Earth mixture

To prepare the soil mixture, it is necessary to combine the leaf and sod land with coarse sand, taken in equal proportions. Do not forget about a very good drainage layer, which must be thick, which will help to avoid stagnation of moisture in the soil.

Fertilizer

With the onset of spring, you should start feeding nandina, which continues until the middle of the autumn period. Top dressing is carried out 2 times a month, using organic as well as mineral fertilizers. Experienced flower growers also recommend feeding the tree with fertilizers for bonsai.

In winter, you need to feed the plant once every 4 weeks.

Transplant features

Young plants should be transplanted once a year. Adult specimens are subjected to this procedure much less often, namely, once every 3 or 4 years, while the top layer of the substrate in pots needs to be replaced annually.

Reproduction methods

Most often, root shoots are used for reproduction. It is carefully separated from the mother tree and planted in a separate container. Semi-lignified cuttings are also suitable for reproduction, but they take root very poorly.

Pruning

You should not prune the plant, because it hardly branches, even if you pinch the upper parts of the shoots. In this regard, an adult nandina will not be able to have a tree-like shape, even if the existing basal shoots are cut off.

Diseases and pests

Nematodes and aphids can settle. If harmful insects have been noticed, then the plant should be treated with special chemical agents in the near future.

Most often, the plant gets sick if it is not properly cared for. If the water stagnates in the soil, the roots will begin to rot, and if the plant is in a room with an air temperature of more than 20 degrees and with low humidity, it can discard all the foliage.

By the way, this plant can be grown as a bonsai.

Care

With due diligence, nandina can be grown in the garden. However, it is worth giving up the idea of ​​cultivating it in the open field: you will have to use only suitable tubs with soil. There is no need to cut the plant, except for the shape of the bonsai.

Experienced growers try to immediately buy a plant that has a certain shape.

At the same time, it is also important to systematically remove drying out foliage: sometimes nandina cannot get rid of it on her own. For your information: all parts of the bush are poisonous, and you can work with it only with gloves.

This culture requires extremely gentle care. If there is no significant work experience, it is better not to take risks and not start a plant.

The main attention should be paid to:

• maintaining optimal humidity;
• the required illumination intensity;
• the desired temperature: it should remain at the same level even in the warm season.

Lighting

In May, the plant is placed in partial shade.It must be kept there until the beginning of the autumn frosts. In summer, the temperature should be kept around 20 °. Indoor plantings are placed as carefully as possible. Lighting is critical for them: if its level weakens, the plant can get sick.

Remember that not all sunlight is equally beneficial. Only the comfortable rays falling on the windowsill in the morning and in the evening are perfect.

And you can also use:

• showcase windows;
• bright halls;
• glazed balconies (subject to normal heating);
• winter gardens with strict conditions.

If it is not possible to provide adequate natural light, they resort to artificial lighting. The appearance of spots on the leaves is often associated with excessive light exposure. Lack of light is expressed in the elongation of shoots and the active development of weakened branches.

Temperature

When the cold season comes, nandina should be moved to relatively cool rooms. The best air for her is between 7 and 13 °. A drop in temperature below 7 °, if it occurs for a short time, will not do harm. If the plant sheds leaves, you need to place it in a cooler place and take care of humidifying the air. Drafts, even if the temperature is generally kept at the correct level, can be fatal.

Watering

It is highly recommended to inspect the plant more often and check under what conditions it develops. Experienced growers also check the nandine substrate at the same time. As for watering, there are no particular difficulties: watering is necessary only when the surface of the substrate dries up. But even in the summer, you should not get too carried away with watering.

The settled liquid with low hardness is optimal. Its temperature should be slightly higher than the room temperature. Acidification of water is quite acceptable. In winter, it is imperative to take care of air humidification.

Instead of special expensive appliances, pallets filled with:

• moss;
• decorative stones;
• expanded clay.

It is necessary to carefully avoid the slightest contact of the bottom of the pot or plant with water. Stagnation of water in the humidifier is also categorically unacceptable. In spring and summer, the humidifier is no longer enough, and therefore regular spraying is necessary. They are carried out strictly through finely dispersed nebulizers.

Top dressing

After planting, nandina is fertilized from early spring to early autumn. The interval between dressings is 14 days. In autumn and winter, they are guided by the recommendations of the breeders. It is advisable to use complex universal formulations. The main thing is that they do not have a long-term effect.

Realistic Disembarkation Tips

As a rule, tuberose is not planted directly in open ground due to the excessively cool climate in our latitudes. First of all, tuberose tubers are germinated at home, in a warm environment. And only later they are transplanted into street conditions.

Below is an overview of the main questions: how to provide care and when to plant tuberose? In the photo - planting in open ground.

Flowers planted in prepared peat are placed in a warm room and the soil is regularly watered. It must be borne in mind that it is advisable to germinate tubers in the dark. After the first shoots are noticed, the seed is transplanted into pots with an earth substrate. The ideal time for transplanting polyanthes in open ground is not earlier than late spring, somewhere in April or May. In the photo - tuberose in the open field during the flowering period.

The last months of spring are the time when most of the territories of our country are warmed up by the sun's rays, the possibility of frost is excluded and warm weather stabilizes. One of the best periods for disembarkation is from 20 April to 10 May. This period of time is suitable for most of the regions of Russia, with the exception of the Far North and Siberia.

To successfully plant tuberose in open ground, care must be started with soil cultivation in the garden

It is fundamentally important that the tuber is planted in a “cushion” of sand, which will provide future roots with excellent drainage, because the plant suffers and dies from stagnant water. Before laying the bulb in open ground, be sure to treat the soil with fertilizer.

Such an action will save the plant from potential diseases, as well as rotting of the root system.

When transplanting tuberose into open ground from home conditions, the roots are immersed approximately 1-2 cm. Usually, polyantes transfers the transplant positively, therefore difficulties should not arise at this stage. Placing tubers in the soil, it is allowed not to cover them with soil from above: tuberose will take root even without special deepening.

Cultivars suitable for growing in Russia

For landscaping terraces and lawns in Europe, several types of dichondra have long been used: Micrantha (ground cover plant), Brachypoda (characterized by strongly curved leaves), Microcalyx, Carolinensis, Occidentalis, and so on. But Russian flower growers, for certain reasons, prefer to grow annual decorative varieties of dichondra - "silvery waterfall" and "emerald waterfall". They are recognized as the best for ampel design. Among themselves, they differ in the color of the leaves and the length of the stem. In addition, they have different requirements for growing conditions. Here's a short description:

1. Dichondra "emerald waterfall" is a plant with rounded small leaves of rich green color and a branched stem. Most often grown in pots. Grows well in partial shade. Can be used as lawn grass or to cover half-empty areas between trees in the garden.
2. Dichondra "silvery waterfall" is a liana with silvery leaves and long shoots. Grows well in the sun, does not require frequent watering, quickly recovers after the soil in a pot dries out. With a lack of light, it does not look very attractive. Does not grow in partial shade and shade.

In order for the ampelous plant to always look beautiful, it must be constantly looked after.

It is especially important to provide him with sufficient watering and frequent spraying. Without this, it can die

2.Nandina home care

2.1 Temperature conditions

During the growing period, the air temperature should be about 20 ° C, during the dormant period it is kept at a temperature of 14 - 16 ° C. It is not advisable to expose the plant to temperatures below 7 ° C.

2.2 nandine plant - lighting

Proper lighting will help maintain an attractive, vibrant leaf color. The plant can receive direct sunlight in the morning and evening for several hours a day, but it should be shaded on hot summer days.

2.3 Care

Nandina is unpretentious and relatively easy to adapt to various conditions of detention. To maintain a neat shape, thorough pruning is carried out in late winter or early spring, while up to 1/3 of the shoots can be removed. Old and weak shoots are cut at ground level.

2.4 Substrate

Does not tolerate standing water, so the soil must have good drainage. A nutrient mixture based on peat with the addition of leaf humus and sand, with an acidic pH of 3.8 to 6.5, is suitable.

During the growing season, they are fed with complex fertilizers every month. Loves organic feeding.

2.8 Air humidity

To increase humidity during the warmer months, you can use a room humidifier or place the plant on a tray of water, covered with a grate. Spraying is carried out preferably in the morning with water at room temperature.

2.9 Soil moisture

The soil is kept evenly moist, but not waterlogged in the warm season, especially when growing young plants. Nandina adults can tolerate short-term drought. In the fall, the frequency of watering is reduced and the soil is allowed to dry out between waterings. Softened water is used for irrigation.

2.10 Transfer

Nandina is transplanted before the start of new growth, while maintaining the planting depth. Since the plant develops slowly, the transplant is carried out every 2 years, while cutting the root system a little. Every year, the top layer of soil is changed to a fresh one in large tub plants.

2.11 Reproduction

Nandina can be propagated by seed, but it will take a long time, so propagation using stem cuttings is usually preferred.

2.12 Pests and diseases

Plants can be annoyed by insects such as spider mites and aphids.

Insects are pests

• Spider mite

• Aphid

2.13 Note

All parts of the plant are poisonous, keep it away from children and pets. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling nandina.

Hydroponics.

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Care features

Nandina is grown in large tubs and, if possible, is taken out into the garden for the summer period. For the winter, the plant is brought into the house, where it is kept in a cool room.

It is quite difficult to keep the plant indoors. Nandina needs high humidity and does not tolerate heat well.

An important point - the plant is poisonous

When caring for nandina, care should be taken and all work should be carried out with gloves.

Site selection and temperature conditions

Nandina prefers bright, diffused light. From May until the first frost, it is advisable to place it in the partial shade of a garden or veranda. Indoors, it is best to place the plant next to an east or south window.

Nandina leaves acquire a rich red color only in bright light. In addition, in a bright room, the plant is less sick.

The optimum temperature for a plant in summer is around 20 ° C. In winter, nandine needs the coolest room, with temperatures ranging from 10 to 12 ° C. This wintering is very important for plant health.

It is recommended to grow nandina only to those flower growers who have the opportunity to provide her with cool conditions in the winter season.

Watering and humidity

In the summer, nandina is watered abundantly as the top layer of the soil dries up. In winter, watering decreases as temperatures drop. In this case, complete drying out of the soil should be avoided.

Water should be used soft and well settled. A little citric acid can be added to soften the water.

High humidity is essential for the well-being of nandine. The tub with the plant can be placed on a pallet with damp filler or placed next to a water source.

In addition, it is advisable to spray the nandine leaves with soft water, free of chlorine and lime, twice a day. During wintering, spraying is canceled.

Soil composition and replanting

The plant requires a loose and permeable soil with an acidity of pH 3.7 - 6.4. It is advisable to compose the soil yourself from the following components:

• 1 part humus or peat;
• 1 part of sod land;
• 0.5 parts of perlite or coarse sand;
• 1 piece of leafy land.

Young Nandines are transplanted into a container 2 or 3 cm larger every spring. In this case, the root collar is not deepened, and part of the roots is cut off. Three-year-old and older nandina bushes need replanting every 2 or 3 years

It is important to provide a new tub with a thick layer of drainage.

Top dressing

From spring to mid-autumn, nandina is fed twice a month with alternating organic and mineral fertilizers through watering. You can also use bonsai fertilizer.

Pruning

Nandina shoots do not branch and pinching is not able to stimulate the growth of lateral branches. Therefore, with all the desire to nandina, it is impossible to give the shape of a tree.

However, in the spring, it is recommended to prune old stems that have reached more than 180 cm in height in order to get good growth of young shoots.

Part of the trunks can be cut along the perimeter of the nandine. This will help form a compact shrub from the plant. Also, for the decorativeness of nandina, it is necessary to promptly remove the leaves drying up in the lower part of the bush, which it discards as it develops.

Description

This crop is considered one of the most graceful and attractive shrubs to be grown in the garden. The attractive properties of the species are associated with its foliage and crown. The plant looks especially impressive in cold weather. An evergreen bush whose foliage looks like carved, and the plant itself is painted in multi-colored tones.

Nandina is rightfully listed in the list of elite indoor crops. It is not for nothing that many colorful epithets are addressed to her. And in the descriptions in the east traditionally sounds like "sacred bamboo". However, you should not take this name seriously: neither biologically, nor in appearance, nandina has nothing to do with true bamboo. It is believed that such a definition is associated with its features:

• rapid development of roots;
• the fineness of the stems;
• specific geometry of foliage.

Under natural conditions, nandina cannot be found outside of China and Japan. The whole genus Barberry includes a single species. But thanks to the success of breeders, you can buy planting material of a wide variety of varieties. The differences between them are manifested in the color of the leaf, and in the nature of flowering, and in the form of berries, and even the most ordinary shrubs look amazing. The highest height of nandina is 4-5 m. But in a room it rarely rises to 1 m. Shoots are relatively thin and do not branch. The crown is elegant. The bark is light brown.

Caring for Arabis in the garden

Razuha must be cared for in the same way as most common garden plants. It is required to water, weed, feed, cut in a timely manner, and also to loosen the surface of the site and monitor health. Such a flower is drought tolerant, and it is better to underfill than to overflow. This means that watering should be arranged only when there is a prolonged dry period. Remember to water in moderation.

Arabis at the beginning of his life needs to ensure freedom from weeds, this requires frequent weeding. However, over time, the flower will get stronger, and will itself "crush" the weeds. Fast-growing stems need to be pruned systematically to keep the shape of the plant neat. Timely removal of the flowers that have begun to fade promotes longer flowering.

Reproduction of Arabis

Razuha can be propagated by seeds, and also by such vegetative methods as: layering, cuttings and dividing the bush. The cultivation of this flower from seeds is described in great detail above. Cuttings can be used to propagate terry or rather rare varieties of rezuhi.In this case, the stalk is a leaf plate with a heel, which is part of the cambial layer. Roots will grow from this layer. To get the "correct" cutting, you should tear off the leaf plate from the bush with a guy so that part of the shoot bark with the subcortex pulp is separated with it. Cuttings are harvested at the end of flowering. If desired, you can take the upper part of the stem as a cutting, its length should be 10 centimeters, while all the leaf plates located below should be cut off from it. The cuttings are planted in a loose soil mixture at an angle, then the container must be covered with a cap, which should be transparent. The resulting mini-greenhouse should be placed in a well-lit place, which should be protected from direct sunlight. The soil should be slightly damp at all times. Cuttings also need systematic ventilation, and condensation must also be removed from the surface of the shelter. After the turgor of the upper leaf plates is restored, it will be possible to start transplanting cuttings into the garden.

To obtain a layering, you should choose a strong stem and bend it to the surface of the site. Fix this stem in this position in the area of ​​the leaf node and do not forget to pinch the top. After young roots grow from the leaf node, the cuttings can be cut off from the mother bush and planted in a permanent place.

If you grow a terry or the rarest variety of Arabis, then in this case it is recommended to propagate it by dividing the bush. Remove the bush from the soil, divide it into several parts, which you plant in new permanent places. To propagate the flower in this way is recommended only at the end of flowering.

Transfer

It is possible to propagate rezuha by dividing the bush without removing it from the soil. To do this, it is necessary to pin its shoots to the surface of the site and wait for the roots to grow from the leaf nodes. Then the cuttings are separated from the parent bush. They will need to be divided into segments according to the number of root bundles. Then they are seated in their permanent places.

Diseases and pests

Rezuha is highly resistant to various diseases and pests. However, very rarely, she can get sick with a viral mosaic or a cruciferous flea can settle on it. If small specks of brown color appear on the surface of the leaf plates, which increase over time until they merge with each other, this indicates that the plant is infected with a viral mosaic. This specimen cannot be cured, so it must be removed from the ground and destroyed. The area where the infected flower grew must be shed with a strong solution of potassium manganese. Nothing can be grown on this site for at least 1 year.

If a cruciferous flea has settled on the bushes, then dusting them with wood ash will be an ineffective and rather laborious procedure. In such cases, it is recommended to spray the bushes with Aktara, Karbofos, Aktellik, Biotlin or Iskra.

Healing properties

For a long time, kupena has been classified as a plant with healing properties that can help with various diseases. In folk medicine, this flower is widely used today, but it should be remembered that it has a number of contraindications.

All parts of such a flower contain poison. Its stems, fruits, roots, foliage and flowers are emetic. In case of an overdose, a person may feel severe malaise, which often leads to sad consequences. Remember that this plant should never be used to treat pregnant women.

Kupena has a powerful analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect, and it also helps to eliminate even a very strong cough and has a hemostatic effect.However, often those who self-medicate, without having certain knowledge, instead of benefit, only harm themselves. In this regard, before you start drinking infusions and decoctions prepared on the basis of the purchase, seek the advice of a qualified specialist. Such a plant is also used externally, for this you need fresh juice. It is used to treat abscesses and also as a wound healing agent.

This flower has a powerful wound healing effect, therefore it is used to treat bleeding abrasions and wounds. It can also eliminate bruises and bruises very quickly. For this, traditional healers recommend using a decoction of the kupena rhizome. For its preparation, two to three tablespoons of the rhizome of this plant are poured into half a liter of water, which should be crushed in advance. After the mixture boils, it is boiled over low heat for a third of an hour. The resulting broth is used to make lotions and compresses. It is forbidden to take such a remedy inside, since it has a high concentration. If you drink it, you will immediately vomit. For oral administration, a completely different broth of a weaker concentration is being prepared.

COUPENA MEDICINAL || Useful properties and application

Volatile nandina

Nandina or Nandina in Latin is an evergreen tree belonging to the barberry family.

Nandina is the only member of the genus and is referred to as Nandina domestica or Nandina domestica. Under natural conditions, this plant can be found on the mountain slopes of China and Japan.

Outdoors, nandina can only grow in subtropical climates. In temperate latitudes, it is grown as a tub plant that adorns summer gardens and home greenhouses.

Due to its numerous basal growth, nandina grows as a dense bush. The color of its straight, low-branching shoots is changeable. In young plants, it is brownish-purple in color, and in adults it acquires a gray-brown hue.

Large leaves up to 40 cm long are located on the upper parts of the stems.

Nandina is most appreciated for the fact that the color of its leaves changes depending on the season. In summer, the foliage is painted pure green, and by autumn it acquires rich red-green hues. In spring, the leaves turn brown, and by summer they return to their original green color.

Small white-pink flowers of nandina are collected in large racemose inflorescences.

Flowering begins in June, after which clusters of small bright red fruits are tied on the bush, which are another decoration of the plant.

Nandina berries are not edible!

Through the efforts of breeders, varieties of homemade nandina with pink and red leaves have been bred. You can also find small-leaved, variegated and dwarf plant forms.

The most famous:

• Nana Purpurea is a bush with vibrant purple foliage
• Firepower and Compacta are dwarf varieties;
• Alba - a variety with white berries;
• Harbor Dwarf is a form with bright red leaves.