Propagation of Schisandra chinensis at Supersadovnik.ru

Freshly harvested seeds during autumn sowing, in late September - early October, in the spring give 25% germination. Since lemongrass seeds often have an underdeveloped embryo, it is better to stratify them at variable temperatures in wet sand in three stages: a month at 18–20°C, a month at 3–5°C, and a month at 8–10°C. After such fractional stratification, germination increases to 80–90%. You need to sow seeds in the ground at the end of April. Otherwise, they may fall into a secondary dormancy, “fall asleep” and not ascend this year. Seeding rate - 2.5 g per square meter with a embedment depth of 1.5–2 cm.

After the seedlings appear, you need to carefully monitor the humidity of the soil and air and keep the plants in partial shade so that direct sunlight does not fall on them. Under such conditions, the seedlings grow powerful and already in the second year of life they branch and have a fibrous root system. By the third year, curly shoots begin to form. And then the plant needs a support along which it will strive upwards. In a year, lemongrass can grow up to 2 m.

The easiest way of vegetative propagation is to divide the bush or separate the rhizomatous growth in the fall, which is then planted on ridges for growing.

Good results can be obtained by rooting summer cuttings taken from two-year-old seedlings. To do this, cuttings with three leaves are cut from the shoots (preferably from the middle part of the shoot), the bottom leaf is removed along with the petiole. Before planting, they are kept in a solution of heteroauxin (150 mg per 1 liter of water) for 6–24 hours. It is best to root the cuttings in cold greenhouses with leafy soil.

In order for lemongrass to grow well and give more shoots, it is best to cultivate it on trellises.

Breeding Schisandra chinensis

It’s good if there is a nursery nearby where lemongrass seedlings are sold. And if not? After all, this culture is rare, one might say, exotic. In this case, lemongrass is grown from seeds. And already growing vines are easier to propagate. To do this, you can use both root offspring and cuttings.

Sometimes Schisandra chinensis seedlings are sold, brought from Far East. As a rule, this is a shoot of wild-growing vines. buy this planting material it does not follow. Since with it you can bring pests and pathogens into your garden that live in those places where the mother liana grows.

Reproduction of lemongrass seeds

Schisandra grown from seedlings begins to bear fruit in the 4-5th year. For sowing use only freshly harvested seeds. You can sow them in the fall, but it is better to do this in the spring after stratification. With this preparation, which lasts 3 months, the germination of seeds is 60-70%. Sowing in autumn best case gives a germination of about 20%.

After harvesting, seeds are isolated from the berries, washed, dried, poured into paper bags and stored at room temperature. In early December, they begin to prepare for sowing. First, they are placed in water for 4 days, changing it daily. Then they are wrapped in a cloth, preferably nylon from tights, and buried in a wooden box with sand. The sand is pre-washed, calcined and moistened.

A box with seeds is kept in a room for about 1 month at an air temperature of + 18 ... + 20 ° C. The sand is regularly moistened, preventing it from drying out. Once a week, a bundle of seeds is removed from the sand, washed with running tap water. Then unfold and ventilate the seeds for 5 minutes. Again wrapped in a cloth, washed with running water, the bundle is slightly squeezed and buried in the sand.

In early January, a bundle of seeds is placed in a bowl of wet sand and kept for a month in the refrigerator at a temperature close to 00C. Or you can wrap a box of seeds with a cloth and bury it in the snow. It is desirable that the snow cover was at least 1 m.

In early February, the bowl with seeds is transferred to the fruit compartment of the refrigerator. If the box was buried in the snow. It is dug up and transferred to a room where the temperature is not higher than + 80C. Gradually the sand thaws.

Once a week, the seeds are inspected and aired. The sand is regularly moistened. After about 40 days, when the seeds begin to crack, you can start sowing.

sown in wooden boxes filled with a soil mixture consisting of fertile soil, peat and river sand in the ratio 1:2:1. Grooves are made every 5 cm with a depth of 0.5 cm and seeds are laid in them at a distance of 0.5-1 cm from each other. Sprinkle with soil, water from a spray bottle and cover with paper or newspaper.

Before germination, the soil is moistened daily, preventing the surface layer from drying out. Seedlings come out after about 2 weeks and not at the same time. In this case, the hypocotyl knee is first shown in the form of a loop. It takes a long time before it straightens, and 2 cotyledon leaves bloom.

With the advent of seedlings, the shelter is removed, and the seed box is placed on the windowsill. At the same time, the window glass is sealed so that direct sunlight does not fall on the plants. In diffused light and with daily watering, the seedlings will begin to grow rapidly. With the advent of the 3-5th true leaf, they are transplanted into a garden bed or into a cold greenhouse for growing. Transplanting is best timed to the end of the first week of June, when the threat of late frost disappears.

On the ridge, transverse furrows are marked with a distance of 15 cm between them. Seedlings are planted together with a clod of earth 5 cm apart. Water immediately and cover with a light non-woven material.

It is even better to grow seedlings in a cold greenhouse. Do it in the following way. They knock down the frame from the boards, put it on the ground. The soil inside is dug up, a mixture of equal parts of humus and fertile soil is poured with the addition of complex mineral fertilizer (100 g per 1 m2). Plant it in the same way as in open field. Then the non-woven material is watered and stretched so that it does not touch the seedlings.

Every morning and evening, the plants are sprayed with water directly through the covering material. Under such conditions, the seedlings receive enough moisture and at the same time are in light shade.

Seedling care consists of regular watering and shallow loosening of row spacings, weeding from emerging weeds. No special plant treatments are required. In the first year of life, seedlings develop very slowly, by autumn their height is only 5-6 cm.

In early August, the shelter is removed. At this time, the seedlings begin to prepare for winter and by September they finish growing, form the apical bud, the stem gradually becomes woody. With the end of leaf fall, in October, the plantings are covered with dry fallen leaves with a layer of about 10 cm. In this form, the seedlings hibernate. Shelter is removed in early spring.

When growing seedlings, after the appearance of the first true leaves, Fusarium damage (black leg) occurs. The stalk turns black, thins out, and the seedling dies. This fungal disease often affects vegetable crops. Therefore, for sowing lemongrass, you can not take the soil from the garden where vegetables grew. Another cause of the disease is the thickening of the crop. So that all seedlings do not die from the black leg, the sick are removed, and the soil is shed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Of course, at seed propagation a lot of trouble. However, this is the only way to grow lemongrass in places where seedlings are difficult to obtain, since seeds can be ordered and received by mail. At the same time, it is very important to contact only reputable horticultural organizations that guarantee the delivery of seeds of the current year, because last year's ones are not suitable for sowing.

Reproduction by cuttings

Lemongrass is bred only with green (summer) cuttings. The vines grown from them bear fruit for 3-4 years.

Young, thin, semi-lignified shoots of a greenish-brown color are cut into cuttings in mid-June. Cut them so that each cutting has 3-4 buds. An oblique cut is made under the lower kidney, and a straight cut above the upper one, stepping back 5 cm. The lower leaves, together with the petioles, are removed. At the top leaf, cut off half of the leaf blade.

Immediately after this, the cuttings are placed in water and kept in it until planting. They are planted in a cold greenhouse with loose and moist soil, covered on top with a layer of sand 3-4 cm thick. They are planted at a distance of 5 cm from each other, obliquely, deepening the lower kidney into the soil, and leaving the middle one at ground level.

After planting, they are watered and covered with non-woven material stretched over rivers. In the future, watering is carried out 2-3 times a day. At the same time, the covering material is not removed, but water is poured directly onto it. After a month, roots begin to form, and the percentage of rooting is small. This is the peculiarity of lemongrass. Even the use of growth stimulants does not significantly affect the result. At best, about 50% of the cuttings take root.

In mid-August, the covering material is removed. In autumn, rooted cuttings are dug up together with a clod of earth and up to spring planting hryant in a cold basement, placing in wet sawdust. You can’t leave them in a greenhouse, because even with shelter they completely freeze out in winter.

Reproduction of lemongrass shoots

This is the simplest and effective method lemongrass breeding. A liana growing in a garden is literally surrounded by many shoots bearing a large number of dormant buds. Waking up, they give abundant shoots already in the 2-3 year of the plant's life. The offspring are simply separated from the mother vine and used as planting material. In the northern regions, it is better to do this in the spring, before bud break, in the south - both in spring and autumn.

Reproduction of lemongrass by root cuttings

Carefully cut off from the rhizome segments of roots 5-10 cm long with 1-2 dormant buds. So that the small overgrown roots do not dry out, immediately after cutting, the cuttings are covered damp cloth or sprinkled with damp soil. They are planted in a cold greenhouse or in a garden bed according to a 10x10 cm scheme, covered with a layer of fertile soil 2-3 cm thick. In order for the cuttings to take root better, the soil is moistened daily. Planted in a permanent place in the spring of next year.

At vegetative reproduction, that is, cuttings or rhizome shoots, seedlings retain all the properties of the mother liana. Including her gender. We remind you that lemongrass plants have 4 sexual forms:

1 - monoecious, both female and male flowers are formed annually

2 - dioecious female, on the vine there are only female flowers

3 - dioecious male, infertile liana with only male flowers

4 - plants with alternating sex over the years, one year they form only male flowers, the other - only female.

This feature must be taken into account when breeding lemongrass. For example, if you take cuttings only from a dioecious male plant, then you will not wait for fruiting. The creepers will bloom, but the berries will not be tied. Such a problem is often encountered when breeding lemongrass taken from places of natural growth. The shoot is separated in early spring or autumn, when the mother plant does not bloom, so it is impossible to determine the sex of it, and, accordingly, of the young shoot.

Long-term observations have established that lemongrass plants grown from seeds are usually monoecious. They produce both male and female flowers. Yes, they bear fruit every year. Therefore, lemongrass is best planted by seeds.

The material was published in the Library of the newspaper "Gardener's World" "Garden. Garden. Flower Garden, №12, 2010

http://www.mirnov.ru/ms.html

Photo: Lyubov Polyakova, Rita Brilliantova

All methods of reproduction of Chinese lemongrass, we study the nuances

Chinese lemongrass in vivo lives in China, Korea, Japan, in the north of Russia. This plant grows in almost any area: plains, mountains, near rivers and streams.

Chinese lemongrass is a non-capricious plant and takes root well in summer cottages.

Cheap and cheerful, lemongrass propagation by seeds

This plant is extremely resistant to cold and temperature extremes, so lemongrass reproduction is also possible in the northern regions with harsh winters. However, you should know that lemongrass is not accustomed to drought, therefore, with low rates of natural precipitation, watering should be increased.

Most of all, young shoots suffer from a lack of moisture. For planting lemongrass, you need drained, loose and humus-fertilized soil. The reaction of the soil is better neutral. In heavy clay soil you need to add sand, dilute acidic soil with lime, peaty or sandstone with organic matter.

If in the area close to the surface lie ground water, it is better to plant lemongrass on a raised platform.

How to plant seeds

Consider how to plant lemongrass from seeds. Plant seeds are harvested from harvested ripe berries. They need to be washed several times and dried well.

It can be sown in autumn on beds to a depth of about 3 cm. After wintering, shoots appear at the end of spring.

For sowing in the spring, the seeds need to be prepared. To begin with, the seeds are kept in wet sand at 20°C for a month. Once a week, the seeds are taken out, washed and aired for five minutes. Then the seeds are cold stratified for about a month at 0°C, also in wet sand.

When the seeds begin to crack, they are sown in boxes with prepared soil: earth, peat and sand (1:2:1). Seeds are sown to a depth of half a centimeter at the same distance from each other. Fall asleep with soil and water, then cover with paper.

Before the shoots appear, the soil should not dry out. After about two weeks, sprouts appear, but not at the same time. As soon as the seedlings have appeared, the box is placed on the window (it is desirable to close the window from the sun's rays).

When three to five leaves appear on the sprouts, you can transplant to open soil. The time should be chosen when there is no danger of frost, more northern regions it's the beginning of June.

How to care for seedlings

Knowing how to propagate lemongrass by seeds is not enough. It is necessary to determine the place of planting crops and care for them. For good growth crops are watered and covered with non-woven material.

Lemongrass loves partial shade, the eastern or western wall of the house or garden building. In the first half of summer, water every evening, but moderately. Shoots need to be weeded and loosen the soil around them.

In the first days of August, the cover is removed from the shoots, covered already in October with dry leaves. The first year the plant grows very slowly and does not require special treatments. Lemongrass is planted in a permanent place in the garden only after reaching two years.

Important! When ordering seeds by mail, for example, check the details and reputation of the nursery.

Cuttings of Chinese magnolia vine

The procedure for cutting Chinese magnolia vine is carried out only summer cuttings. A plant obtained in this way bears fruit in the third year.

How to cut and plant cuttings

In mid-June, young green-brown, slightly lignified shoots are pruned. Each of them should have three or four kidneys. Cut with an oblique cut under the lower kidney. Then they keep it in water for a couple of days.

It is better to plant in a greenhouse in loose and moist soil. From above, they cover with a layer of sand about 4 cm. The distance between the cuttings is 5 cm. At the same time, the lower kidney is in the soil, and the upper one is 5 cm above it.

Care rules

After the knowledge gained, how to propagate lemongrass with cuttings, we will consider the rules for caring for them. After planting, it is necessary to water and cover with non-woven material. Further watering goes on top of the fabric. After thirty days, roots form.

With this method, the percentage of rooting is small - half of the planted cuttings. Such is the sad feature of planting lemongrass with a cutting.

In August, the shelter is removed, and in early autumn, cuttings are dug out along with a clod of soil. Store until planting in the cellar, placing in moistened sawdust.

Attention! Do not leave the cuttings in the greenhouse for the winter: even with shelter, they freeze.

How to propagate lemongrass by root shoots (shoots)

Most reliable way to propagate lemongrass is to propagate it by shoots. Adult creepers have many shoots with buds. Young shoots are separated from the mother branch and used as planting material.

Plants give results already in the second year of life. Plant in the northern regions better in spring, before the buds open, in the more southern ones it is possible in the fall.

Reproduction of lemongrass by dividing the bush

To propagate lemongrass, by dividing the bush from the rhizome, root segments of 5-10 cm each with two buds are separated. After dividing, the shoots are covered with a damp cloth so that the roots do not dry out.

You need to plant in a greenhouse or in a garden bed in fertile soil, covering it with 2-3 cm of earth. For better rooting, the soil is moistened every day. Shoots are planted in a permanent place next year in the spring.

How to propagate Chinese lemongrass by layering

Chinese magnolia vine is a fast growing vine. In a plant at proper care bright leaves and fragrant flowers in spring, and red berries in autumn. Such a plant will decorate any garden, and since it is a liana, and gazebos, house walls, arches. It is not difficult to do this if you propagate lemongrass with layering.

Schisandra chinensis is a liana up to 15 m long. This is one of 14 types of lemongrass, which naturally grows in the Far East of Russia.

Did you know? Even ancient Chinese and Tibetan doctors knew all about the healing properties of Schisandra chinensis and used it along with ginseng.

All parts of this plant contain biologically active substances, have tonic, stimulating qualities and are used to prepare healing drinks, decoctions, tinctures with a pleasant lemon flavor. Thanks to useful properties and decorative Chinese magnolia vine, many are interested in the rules for growing and caring for it.

How to properly care for Chinese lemongrass, the rules for watering a plant

Let's talk about how to grow Chinese lemongrass in your country house. The basis for success in growing Schisandra chinensis is the choice of a site for planting. Lemongrass does not tolerate drafts, is shade-tolerant, but bears fruit well in good light. Therefore, it is necessary to plant a vine from the east or west side of the building, but the lower part of the plant must be shaded with low shrubs or flowers.

This plant needs nutritious and permeable soil. It does not tolerate stagnant water, but is picky about humidity, so on hot days it is necessary to spray the plant and water it regularly, mulching the soil with dry earth or foliage after each watering. About 60 liters are used for one watering of an adult plant. warm water. Also, the soil under lemongrass should be fluffed to a depth of 2-3 cm.

Important!Schisandra chinensis can be either dioecious or monoecious. In dioecious plants, the ratio of female and male flowers may vary depending on natural conditions, therefore, for a guaranteed harvest, it is necessary to plant heterosexual monoecious plants nearby.

How to feed Schisandra chinensis

Care Chinese lemongrass also lies in proper nutrition. Fertilizers should be applied in the form of mulch, while watering and weeding the soil.

When do you need plant nutrition?

In the first years of life, lemongrass can be fertilized with leaf compost or humus. Mineral fertilizers can only be applied in the third year after planting.

How to feed a plant

From mineral fertilizers for lemongrass are suitable saltpeter, nitrophoska, potassium sulfate, superphosphate. From organic humus, dry bird droppings, compost, wood ash.

Feeding scheme

fertilize lemongrass mineral fertilizers can be three times during the growing season. The first time should be fertilized in April before bud break at the rate of 40 g of potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen per 1 sq.m. The second time - during the growth of the ovary, 15 g of potassium and phosphorus and 20 g of nitrogen. AND last time- in the fall after harvesting with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, 30 g each. But it is better to apply organic fertilizers every 3 weeks during the growing season.

How to prune lemongrass

Pruning lemongrass is necessary not only to form a crown, but also to increase the yield. In the summer, during the period of strong branching, lemongrass should be thinned out, cutting off the shoots by 10-12 buds. In the fall, when the foliage falls, you must also remove excess shoots, cut off all dried branches and old unproductive vines. It is optimal if 5-6 young vines remain in the bush. In the spring, it is not recommended to prune lemongrass, so as not to cause excessive loss of juice. It is also necessary to remove up to half of the root offspring located the most distant from the plant. Root offspring are cut below ground level, and this can be done both in autumn and spring.

Important!In order to avoid a strong violation of the root system and the death of lemongrass, you can not remove all root offspring

Lemongrass transplant

Let's talk now about how to transplant lemongrass. If lemongrass is grown from seeds and has been sown densely, then the seedlings must be planted when the third leaf appears. At the place of sowing, seedlings can grow for 2-3 years, then transplant them to a permanent place. Plants grown from cuttings are optimally ready for transplanting also in the third year, when the root system becomes well developed. It is better to transplant lemongrass seedlings in the fall - from mid-September to October, when the heat subsides. Before winter, the seedlings will take root and begin to grow intensively in early spring. But in early spring, in April, lemongrass can also be transplanted.

To plant lemongrass, first prepare a hole 40 cm deep and 50-60 cm wide, on the bottom of which be sure to lay drainage - expanded clay, crushed stone or broken brick. fill the hole better with a mixture sod land, leaf compost and humus, taken in equal parts. To make the soil more nutritious, you can add a little wood ash and superphosphate.

When planting, make sure that the root neck of the seedling remains at ground level. Young seedlings take root easily, and before transplanting an adult lemongrass, weigh the pros and cons and, in addition to preparing a new place, try to dig it out with a clod of earth, because lemongrass cannot stand drying roots. After transplantation, the plants are watered abundantly and shaded for 2-3 weeks.

How to build supports for lemongrass

Support for Schisandra chinensis is necessary condition for a good harvest and a beautiful view. Without support, such a liana will grow as a bush, branches will be deprived good lighting, and female flowers will not form on them.

Important!The best support for lemongrass is a trellis, which must be installed immediately after planting.

The trellis must be deepened into the ground at least 0.5 m so that it can support the weight of the plant. It is recommended to install a trellis 2.5 m high and 3 m wide, the wire is stretched at a distance of about 30 cm, the first level is 0.5 m from the ground. In the first two years after planting, lemongrass must be tied up, then it will curl around the support itself. Schisandra can very beautifully wrap around a gazebo or building wall, for this, instead of a trellis, install inclined ladders with an emphasis on the building. Lemongrass is also used as a hedge.

Schisandra chinensis: how to harvest and store the crop

Harvest lemongrass in the fall at the end of September - October, cutting off whole clusters sharp knife so as not to damage the vines. Do not pick berries in metal or galvanized dishes, because they will oxidize in it - it is better to use baskets, boxes or enameled containers. harvested must be processed within a day, because the berries deteriorate very quickly.

For storage, lemongrass berries are recommended to be dried. For drying, the berries can be dried under a canopy for 3 days, then sorted and dried in an oven at a temperature of 50-60 ° C. Dried berries are stored in a dry, ventilated area for several years.

On the edges of forests in the regions of the Far East, a woody liana grows, wrapping around tree trunks, using them as a support, it climbs to a height of up to 15 meters. Externally, the liana is a branching stem 2 cm thick, with a yellowish bark in young plants. schisandra chinensis, and dark brown in adults. The leaves are green, wedge-shaped, oval. The flowers are white or pale pink, as if made of wax, bloom in early June, emitting a wonderful aroma. Red berries, sour with a slightly noticeable bitterness, form a bunch. Due to the fact that all parts of the vine (flowers, berries, bark) smell like lemon, this plant got its name. In lemongrass, everything is considered healing: leaves, bark, stems, berries.

Often summer residents are grown only as an element of decor, decorating the arches of arbors, canopies, fences, and do not even know about its beneficial properties.

1. Medicinal properties of Schisandra chinensis

It was in China that they first discovered medicinal properties schisandra chinensis and began to use this plant in medicinal purposes. The pharmacological composition is striking in its diversity.

The fruits contain more than ten acids:

Lemon

Apple

Ascorbic, etc.

As well as a host of other useful items:

Manganese

Due to the very rich composition, medicines, which includes lemongrass chinese, tone up, improve the functioning of the central nervous system, increase the working capacity of a person, both physical and mental, improve vision, in addition, they are successfully used in the treatment of diseases of the stomach and respiratory tract.

It should be noted: since lemongrass has a stimulating effect, it is not recommended to use it before bedtime.

Fig. 1 Schisandra chinensis

2. Recipes for Schisandra chinensis

From Chinese magnolia vine, or rather, from its fruits, you can prepare tincture, syrup, fruit drink, compote, jam. Here are just a few Schisandra chinensis recipes:

1. Take one kilogram of berries and sugar, mix them together, leave for a day, stir the mass from time to time, the sugar should completely dissolve. Pour into pre-sterilized jars.

2. Squeeze juice from 1 kg of berries, mix it with one and a half kilograms of sugar, put the mixture on the stove, bring to a boil and pour into jars, store in a cool place, use as syrup by adding 1 teaspoon to tea. Meat is not used in this recipe.

3. Dried leaves, bark and stems, about 10-15 grams, grind, pour boiling water, let it brew for five minutes, use as a tea, dilute with boiled water if desired.

4. Pre-dried fruits of Schisandra chinensis can be used as a flavoring additive for compotes.

Fig. 2 Preparation of Chinese lemongrass jam

3. How to propagate Schisandra chinensis

This vine, so unique, fragrant with the scent of lemon, can become a real decoration of the garden or personal plot, for her there is always a place at the porch, fence or next to the openwork gazebo. The plant is unpretentious, it is absolutely not afraid of the shade.

3.1 Propagation of Schisandra chinensis by seeds

Sowing material is prepared from ripe berries. The extracted seeds are first washed and then dried in a warm, shaded place. They are sown in autumn on ridges, in furrows 3 cm deep, the distance between seeds is 12 cm. After watering, the sowing site is mulched with humus, the minimum layer of mulch is 3 cm.

3.2 Propagation of Schisandra chinensis by cuttings

The procedure is carried out in April (that is, at the beginning of spring) and at the end of summer. Cuttings are prepared from a mature, adult branch, its thickness should be in the range of 4–7 mm. With a secateurs or a very sharp knife, the branch is cut into cuttings of 10-13 cm, while it is important that there are at least 4 buds on each seedling. lower part seedlings must be dug to a depth of 7 cm and shed abundantly warm water. On average, after 3 weeks, the cuttings will release the callus, and after another week and a half, roots will appear above this growth.

3.3 Propagation of Chinese magnolia vine by dividing the bush

Division is carried out in early spring, in the period before the swelling of the kidneys, or in autumn, about a month before the arrival of frost. The bush is dug up, diseased, old and weak branches are removed from it. With a secateurs, it is divided into several parts, each of which must have at least 2 branches and well-developed young roots (the old ones are cut off).

3.4 Propagation of Schisandra chinensis by bush shoots or layering

In early spring immediately, as soon as the soil thaws and becomes loose, grooves are made to the sides from the base of the bush, into which young branches are bent and pinned. After young branches grow out of them and reach a length of 12 cm, they should be covered up to half with soil. When the branches grow another 12 cm, the vine can be divided and seated.

Fig.3 Flowering Schisandra chinensis

Front planting Schisandra chinensis it is necessary to prepare the ground, for this, to the usual garden soil you can add sod land, compost and wood ash. All components are pre-mixed, and then poured out to the place of the intended landing, later the soil must be dug up.

Chinese lemongrass care comes down to timely weeding, watering and spraying. This plant is moisture-loving, so you need to water and spray it as often as possible, but do not fill it.

Schisandra chinensis begins to bear fruit in the fourth, fifth year of life. With age, you need to prune, as the vine grows strongly and quickly.

Schisandra chinensis (schizandra) is a deciduous vine with long curly stems. Its leaves have a delicate lemon aroma, flowers - lemon-lily of the valley, roots - the aroma of valerian. The miraculous properties of lemongrass have been known since ancient times.

Its fruits have five tastes: the skin is sweet, the pulp is sour, the seeds are bitter and tart with a taste of needles, and the whole berry is salty and bitter. Medications Lemongrass seeds acquire a salty taste during storage.

The fruits contain organic acids, tannin, pectins, vitamins E, C, P, essential oils. Leaves, stems and roots contain trace elements: silver, copper, zinc, manganese, titanium, molybdenum.

Lemongrass has several generative forms: monoecious plants, on which both male and female flowers are formed; dioecious - with purely male or purely female flowers.
In adult plants, a tiered arrangement of flowers is often manifested: in the lower part, only male, in the middle - male and female, in the upper - only female.

For reliable and constant fruiting, it is necessary to plant a minimum of
2 bushes at a distance of 1m. When creating a green wall, the distance between plants can be 0.5-0.75 m.

Reproduction and planting

Schisandra propagates by seeds and vegetatively: shoots, cuttings, dividing the bush.
Seeds are sown in spring or autumn. Use only freshly harvested seeds.
Before spring sowing, the seeds are kept in wet sand for 30-40 days at a temperature of 15-20°C, and then for the same amount of time in a refrigerator at a temperature of 1-5°C.
After that, they are planted in grooves in open ground to a depth of 1-2 cm.
Cracking of seeds during processing indicates the need for their sowing.
Dry seeds are sown in autumn.

Seedlings grown from seeds in the third year have a good root system and can be transplanted to a permanent place.

The easiest way to propagate lemongrass shoots (root shoots). Such seedlings take root best. At the same time, the generative feature of lemongrass is taken into account: shoots or cuttings from a dioecious male plant can be planted. In this case, the vines will only bloom, not setting fruit.

Lemongrass seedlings are planted in spring or autumn in pits 60x60x50 cm in size, at the bottom of which drainage is laid in the form of broken brick or gravel with a layer of 8-10 cm.
The pits are filled with fertile soil, mixed with humus and compost in equal proportions, with the addition of 500 g of ash and 200 g of superphosphate. Plants are well watered and mulch the soil.
When planting, the root neck is not deepened.

After spring planting, the seedling is shaded from the south side for 20-25 days. By the autumn of the second year, lemongrass shoots grow up to 2-2.5 m.

Best of all take root 2-3-year-old plants.

Seedlings grown in containers can be transplanted at any time of the year.

The division of the bush for reproduction is carried out in the fall. spring division can lead to the death of the mother bush.

Lemongrass grows on fertile and evenly moist soils. Does not withstand waterlogging and drought.

Lemongrass liana needs support.

Plants are planted in the shade of fences, and after 1-2 years, the tops of lemongrass shoots themselves find the sun. In very shaded places, lemongrass almost does not bear fruit, in sunny places its growth is delayed. Therefore, it is necessary that the base of the plant is in the shade, and the tops of the shoots are in the sun.

top dressing

Plants are fed from the third year of life.
In the spring, 20-30 g of ammonium nitrate are added to the trunk circle and the soil is mulched with humus or compost.
In the summer, after 2-3 weeks, organic fertilizers are applied (fermented mullein or bird droppings).
In autumn, 20 g of superphosphate and 100 g of ash are added under each plant and dug up to a depth of no more than 8-10 cm.

Lemongrass begins to bear fruit after 5-6 years.
Fruiting plants are fed:

• in spring - nitrophoska (40-50g / m²),
• in summer - liquid organic fertilizers,
• in autumn - superphosphate (50-60g / m²) and potassium sulfate (30-40g / m²).

After 2-3 years, 4-6 kg of compost is introduced with the obligatory digging of the soil to a depth of 6-8 cm.

Watering

Lemongrass is very moisture-loving plant. In hot weather, it is abundantly watered with warm water and sprayed with leaves, spending up to 6 buckets of water per adult plant.
The soil is covered with mulch with a layer of 20 cm to retain moisture. Even a slight drying of the roots can lead to the death of the plant.

pruning

Pruning of lemongrass is done in the fall.
The formation of the bush begins at the age of 3. Leave 3-6 most developed shoots. The rest are cut at ground level. Remove broken, weak and dried branches, all side shoots thickening the bush.
In the future, old branches are cut out, replacing them with young shoots. Shorten side shoots to 10-12 buds.
Permanently removed root growth, cutting it below the soil level.

Schisandra chinensis is not afraid of frost and is resistant to diseases and pests.

Knots for memory

• The sooner the vine is tied to a support, the faster it will begin to bear fruit. Therefore, plant a seedling next to the trellis in a permanent place.
• The less often the plants are located, the fewer berries in the bunch. This is due to cross pollination.
• Lemongrass is best propagated by seeds. they produce monoecious plants that bear fruit annually.

27.07.2016 32 295

Schisandra chinensis, cultivation and care

Schisandra chinensis, the cultivation and care of which, requires compliance with certain conditions, is gaining great popularity among gardeners. Favor and healing properties plants can hardly be overestimated for human body. It is quite easy to breed wonderful vines in the country, you only need a little knowledge and a desire to have beautiful garden, and an example can be seen in the photo.

How to choose seedlings?

It is possible to grow a shrub in open ground and achieve fruiting only after a successful purchase of seedlings and proper fit. To do this, select healthy bushes of two or three years of age, with roots of at least 20-25 centimeters. The roots of the plant at the time of purchase should be moist, without visible damage.

If the seedlings are sold with a clod of earth, this is even better. So the plant will be less stressed when transplanted to a permanent place. The bark of young vines should be smooth, a wrinkled cover may indicate a lack of moisture and improper storage.

During transportation, the roots are wrapped with a damp cloth, plastic bag and in this state they are transported, especially if they are transported to long distance. If the roots were dry at the time of sale, but in general, after visual inspection, they look strong and vigorous, place them in water for 10-12 hours. Rooting stimulants (, etc.) can be added to the water, lemongrass will quickly move away from stress and restore vital processes.

Planting seedlings - we take into account the nuances and prepare the place

Planting a vine is a quick and easy process. It is necessary to properly prepare the soil and planting pit. Seedlings are located on the south side of the site, they do not grow well in drafts and in the shade. It is not recommended to plant bushes near buildings, outbuildings that create a shadow. If necessary, 1.5-2 meters retreat from the structures.

in the photo - chinensis schisandra seedlings
in the photo - a planted seedling of Chinese magnolia vine

Planting dates for seedlings are September and October. In early spring, you can also plant a liana (preferably for the northern regions, in the Urals, Siberia, Moscow region, where frequent early frosts in autumn can kill the plant).

Land for planting should be loose and preferably with drainage. They dig a hole 0.4-0.5 meters deep and 50-60 centimeters wide, pebbles, broken bricks or slate are laid on the bottom. Then a fertile mixture is poured (turf land, compost or humus). They put the seedling upright and fall asleep with the remaining fertile soil mixture. The root neck during planting should be 5-4 centimeters above ground level. Then the plant is thoroughly watered (2-3 buckets of water per bush will be enough).

When planting, the plants are placed every 1.3-1.5 m, leaving a row spacing of 2.2-2.5 meters. It is advisable to plant at least two vines with different varietal features. This technique allows you to increase the yield several times.

Planting a crop with seeds

Reproduction by seeds is carried out in April and May. Seeds must be stratified before sowing. In autumn, the seed material is mixed with moistened sand and stored at a temperature of 5-7 ° C above zero (a refrigerator can be used at home). Once every 14 days, the seeds with sand are taken out and aired, not forgetting to mix.

60 days before sowing seeds (in February, March), the container with them is transferred to a warm room (t + 20 ° C) for one month. Then for 30 days the temperature is reduced to +8°C. Sand throughout the entire time of stratification should remain in a moist state.

in the photo - seeds of Schisandra chinensis

Sowing of seeds is carried out in pre-prepared grooves 20 mm deep in moistened soil, diluted with sand (1: 1). After sowing, the furrows are covered, slightly compacting the soil, mulched with peat chips and sand (1: 1) in a small layer (2-2.5 cm), then watered. It is desirable to equip the bed in a greenhouse. Watering is required rare, only on hot days in the morning.

It is advisable to shake off the grown seedlings after each watering. excess water, running your palm over the leaves of lemongrass, allowing it to dry completely. This approach allows you to protect young sprouts from rot. high humidity and heat air are detrimental to young seedlings. It is recommended to keep the leaves dry. For better ventilation of the sprouts, do not sow the seeds too densely.

For the winter, grown plants in the greenhouse do not require shelter. The next year, the seedlings dive to a permanent place. Usually, seedlings grown from seeds in this way are equivalent to four-year-old vines.

How to take care of the culture?

In order for the vine to quickly and get stronger and grow, take care of top dressing. Young lemongrass is fertilized according to the following scheme, in the spring 4 tsp are added to the near-trunk circle. ammonium nitrate and mulch with compost (humus).

in the photo - Chinese lemongrass in the photo - the harvest of Schisandra chinensis

Until August, in the summer every 7-10 days they are applied in liquid form organic fertilizer. Liquid top dressing, according to experienced agronomists, is most effective for young vines. A solution of mullein is prepared at the rate of 1:30, chicken manure is diluted in the same way.

When the culture begins to bear fruit, such frequent top dressing is stopped and fertilized only as needed (usually once a year in the fall). Lemongrass is not afraid of withering. All fertilizers of an adult plant come down to mulching with compost (5-7 cm) or fallen leaves (15-20 cm). Having created just such conditions, the future harvest is laid, and not the growth of shoots.

In a state of slight stress, the plant intensively begins to lay more female inflorescences, prepare to reproduce by seeds, and not by root offspring, that's the whole secret of productivity. If an adult liana is often fed, new shoots with male flowers will actively grow.

Young vines require fairly frequent watering; the soil should not be allowed to dry out completely. The lack of moisture leads to the fact that the leaves turn yellow and fade. Light green or brown spots also appear on the leaves, sometimes the edges become brown. mature plant, which has come into fruition, is watered only when the foliage wilts in the summer.

When caring for vines, you need to know how to properly cut them. Dense thickets lead to the absence of flowers, therefore, the plant does not bear fruit. There is no nectar in the flowers, pollination mainly occurs due to the wind in dry weather. Male flowers are located at the bottom of the vines, female ones at the top. Pollen needs to rise up to set fruit. It is impossible to meet these conditions without pruning. Through dense foliage, pollination occurs weakly or not at all, as a result, fruits are not formed.

in the photo - caring for Chinese lemongrass

In early spring, thinning pruning must be carried out for the proper formation of the crown, removing all intertwined tops and shoots, dry and frozen branches. Creepers of the second order (those that grow from the main central stems) are recommended to be shortened by 25-30 centimeters.

When growing, be sure to take care of the support; without a trellis, fruiting will be poor. Do not let the vine grow, dig out any excess layering, keep the plant within the perimeter of the trellis. Limiting root nutrition within the trellis will force the crop to propagate by seed. This is how we create conditions for education more flowers.

When caring for a wonderful plant, it is important to remember that trunk circle the ground is not loosened, the roots are damaged, which are located at a shallow depth. It is recommended to mulch with humus or compost. To make the vine bear fruit as early as possible and collect good harvest fruit, you must follow the basic golden rules.