Strawberry and Mexican can be grown in almost all types of soil, except for highly acidic soils. By the way, overfertilized soils are also not the best option for growing this plant. In well-manured soil, physalis is extremely slowly forming the fruit, while the tops give powerful shoots. If the soil is fertile, then the physalis bush is able to produce about 12 kg of fruit. Even on sandy soils, the harvest is more or less worthy, but I get fruits with a much lower sugar content.
In order to develop a root system in physalis, it is necessary to produce liming with a norm of 2-3 kg per 10 square meters of the garden. The potato is a bad neighbor. In general, it is not recommended to plant physalis after pepper, blue, potatoes, tomatoes, since these crops have similar pests and the same “food” base, i.e. unilateral depletion of the soil will be observed. It is necessary to fertilize physalis with nitrogenous fertilizers, directly into the holes during planting. Seedlings are used for planting plants.
Physalis seedling preparation.
To soak the seeds, you need to prepare a formalin solution in a ratio of 1 to 100, soak for 5-10 minutes and cover with a cloth soaked in the solution. So you need to hold the seeds for about 2 hours, then immediately plant them in seedling boxes. Before planting, you can pickle the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for about 15 minutes, rinse and plant.
If the ambient temperature is 25 degrees, then in about a week you can expect seeds to grow. Make it a rule to sow seeds that have already hatched. To do this, after dressing, the seeds must be put still wet on a damp cloth for 7 days at a room temperature of at least 20.
Thickened crops need to be thinned out. In principle, care for seedlings consists in the systematic loosening of the soil and rare watering. As top dressing, a solution of bird droppings is used. It is necessary to sow the seeds of Mexican physalis in early April, strawberry physalis can be planted even earlier. For sowing seeds, use boxes with a mixture of earth and humus in a ratio of 1: 1.
Boxes with planted seeds should be covered with paper and placed in a well-ventilated room for maturation. After the appearance of 2 true leaves, the seedlings need to be transplanted into paper cups. The soil is used as soil, which is mixed with humus and 15 grams of urea per bucket of soil, as well as 15 g of potassium salt and 20 g of superphosphate.
Physalis should be planted in the ground in the garden at the end of May. Before planting, seedlings should have 3-4 true leaves. Before planting seedlings, the garden should be watered abundantly. Plants have a high survival rate.
Holes for planting seedlings must first be prepared. To do this, in a hole 15 cm deep, you need to put a teaspoon of ash, a handful of humus. After planting, the holes must be mulched with humus.
Physalis, which some summer residents are afraid to grow on the site, considering it an exotic and requiring special care plant, is actually unpretentious. And if we add amazing opportunities to this (decorative, confectionery, medicinal), then it remains to be perplexed: what prevents such a useful culture from “settlement” on the site? If you know how to grow physalis from seeds, then you can not be afraid of the death of plants and a small harvest.
Before growing physalis, it is worth determining what it is for.
To perform decorative functions, the Franchet variety is suitable, unpretentious and frost-resistant.
Vegetable varieties are close to ornamental in characteristics, but the fruits are edible. They make delicious and fragrant jam: growing Pineapple physalis seeds from seeds will allow you to get fruits with a pronounced pineapple smell, which persists after heat treatment.
Berry physalis is inferior in yield and frost resistance, however, the taste characteristics have different shades and nuances: when grown from physalis seeds Rahat Lokum, you can get early fruits with a strawberry-pineapple taste.
Sowing preparation
Growing physalis from seeds at home is done in seedlings or seedlings: the vegetative period is at least three months, and in some regions the plant does not have time to grow by the time the cold weather sets in. Before sowing, it is important to determine the timing, prepare the soil and select high-quality seeds.
Sowing dates
Vegetable and ornamental physalis are cold-resistant, so you can sow in late autumn or early winter immediately on the beds. For an early harvest, seedlings are grown first.
The grown sprouts are sent to open ground at the age of 1-1.5 months. By this time, spring frosts should have passed (as a rule, this happens by mid-May). Therefore, seeds are sown for seedlings in April.
Soil preparation
The plant belongs to the Solanaceae family, so the soil is similar to the soil for tomatoes or peppers. You can buy ready-made or make your own by mixing peat, compost, turf and sand in a ratio of 4:2:2:1. The acidity of the soil is reduced by adding dolomite flour or ash (a tablespoon for every 2.5 kg of the mixture).
Before planting, the soil is treated with steam for an hour or calcined in an oven. This will reduce the risk of developing diseases or the appearance of weeds.
Seed rejection
Physalis seeds are small. Often there are a lot of them, so those with higher germination are selected for sowing. You can check this by pouring the seeds into a saline solution (5%): the settled grains will have high germination. They are washed, dried and used for sowing.
Sowing in open ground
There are 3 ways to sow physalis immediately in open ground:
"Under the winter" : the grains are distributed over the prepared soil (fertile and non-acidic), sprinkled with a 2-3cm layer of mulch (peat, humus or compost). In the spring, seedlings resistant to weather conditions will appear. Fruit ripening with this method is slow, but the number of fruits is greater, and the sprouts are stronger.
Spring : grains are distributed into holes on prepared beds, keeping a distance between future bushes of at least 20 cm in a row and 30 cm between rows.
Self-sowing : in this case, you can not control the sowing process. The disadvantage of this method is the removal of plants that grow where it is not needed.
Growing through seedlings
Before sowing, physalis seeds are processed.
Disinfection: seeds wrapped in gauze are dipped in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for a third of an hour. Potassium permanganate can be replaced with a fungicide solution.
Soaking, to speed up germination, in a growth stimulator for 12 hours (1-2 drops per 100 ml of water).
The next steps are as follows:
1. The containers are filled with soil mixture, slightly compacted.
2. At a short distance, spread the processed grains.
3. Sprinkle with earth (layer - 1 cm), compact.
4. Gently moisturize.
5. Cover with polyethylene or glass.
Boxes with plantings are removed on a lighted window sill, providing the necessary temperature conditions (15-20 ° C) and constant humidity. How many physalis seeds germinate:
- subject to the necessary conditions - about a week;
- if the temperature regime is violated, sprouts appear later.
When sprouts appear, the polyethylene is removed.
First transplant
When 2-3 true leaves are formed on the seedlings, they begin to dive. The soil is similar to the composition for sowing, but half the sand is added and a complex mineral fertilizer is applied (2 tablespoons per 10 kg of soil).
Each plant is planted in a separate bowl as follows:
- Soil is poured into the cups so that there is free space for the roots.
- Install a bush.
- Carefully sprinkle the roots, compact the soil near the stem.
- Gently moisturize.
- Top up the soil if necessary.
Transplanting to the garden
Before planting in open ground, the sprouts are first hardened: the containers are taken out into the street, gradually increasing the time spent in the fresh air. When favorable weather is established, they begin to transplant.
This process takes place in stages:
- Choosing a place: it is advisable to choose a lighted area where cabbage or cucumbers used to grow.
- Soil preparation: the earth is fed with fertilizers (40-50g of nitroammophoska per 1m 2), deoxidized, if necessary, with ash and dug deep.
- Preparation of the beds: on the site they dig holes 0.5-0.7 m apart.
- Transplantation of sprouts: seedlings are carefully removed from the container with the ground and deepened to the first leaf in the holes. The soil is tamped, watered and mulched.
plant care
The basic steps for caring for seedlings are standard:
- maintaining the temperature regime (15-20 ° C);
- ensuring optimal illumination;
- regular watering;
- feeding strengthened seedlings twice a month with Fertik, Agricola or Mortar.
Care of adult bushes also includes the removal of weeds, periodic loosening and triple feeding: during flowering, fruit formation and after 3 weeks. After precipitation, the soil must be spudded.
Disease Prevention
Shoots on which symptoms of diseases appear are removed. Seed dressing will help reduce the risk of developing the disease, as well as:
- compliance with crop rotation and crop care rules;
- correct collection of seed material (only from healthy plants!);
- constant pest and disease control;
- careful preparation of the soil, removal of plant residues on which pathogens could remain.
Harvested when ripe fruits begin to fall to the ground. Unripe physalis is laid out in a box and removed for ripening in a cool place. The pulp - a vegetable "cover" - should not be removed: the fruits will last longer.
Seed harvesting
Seeds for subsequent sowing can be prepared independently at home. For this:
- Ripe fruits with no signs of disease are selected.
- Leave for a couple of weeks in a warm place (20-25 ° C).
- Knead in a glass container and leave for 3-5 days.
- Remove the top layer.
- Wash the seeds several times.
- Those that have sunk to the bottom are taken out, laid out on paper and dried.
Growing physalis from seeds is not as difficult as it seems. The main thing is to follow the rules and recommendations, and then the plant will delight not only with a decorative look, but also with fragrant fruits.
Physalis seedlings in the photo
When growing physalis from seeds, keep in mind that they only remain viable for 3 years. Before planting physalis for seedlings, the seeds are treated with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. Feeding area for seedlings - 48 m2 according to the layout - 8x6 cm.
So, we plant physalis with seeds, and for this we strictly observe the sowing depth - no more than 2-3 cm. At a temperature of + 20-22 ° C, seedlings appear 7-8 days after sowing. Seeds sown directly into the ground give a higher yield, plants are less susceptible, but ripen later.
The soil mixture for sowing seeds should be loose and contain the necessary nutrients. The most common mixture, consisting of 75% peat, 25% sod land and 5% mullein. For 1 m3 it is added 6 kg of ash or lime, 0.7 - superphosphate, 0.4 - potash fertilizers and 0.2 kg of ammonium nitrate. A mixture of peat, humus, sod land and horse manure, taken in equal proportions, is also effective.
In the process of growing physalis from seeds, keep in mind that the crops should not be thickened, otherwise the plants are very stretched, lie down, and in wet weather they are affected by the black leg. With the advent of seedlings, the temperature is maintained within 15-17 ° C, removing shelters in the absence of frost, so that the root system develops better and the seedlings quickly switch to independent soil nutrition.
In the phase of 1-2 true leaves, the plants are thinned out or swooped into pots or, leaving a distance of 5-6 cm between them, and 8-10 cm between rows. Before picking, the seedlings are watered abundantly. When picking, in order to better preserve the roots on the plants, the seedlings dig in and choose along with the ground. dive with a pointed peg 10-15 cm long and 2 cm thick. They make a small hole and plant a plant in it. Then, with a peg, the earth is pressed against the root of the seedling, and the seedling is supported with the fingers of the other hand so as not to fall asleep at the top (growth point). By the time the seedlings are planted outdoors, the plants should be strong, not stretched out, with a well-developed root system and large buds.
Therefore, at an outdoor temperature of 10-12 ° C, frames or film are removed from greenhouses and ridges. If physalis seedlings are grown in boxes, they can be taken out into the open air. However, plants are accustomed to full coverage gradually, otherwise they may have burns from the sun's rays. First, the plants are taken out into the open air towards the end of the day, then in the morning and evening hours. Only after 4 days on sunny days (on cloudy days - earlier) the seedlings are left open for the whole day, and if there is no threat of frost, then at night.
Physalis in the photo
Water the seedlings in the first half of the day, so that by the evening the greenhouses or ridges are ventilated. In the process of growing physalis seedlings, remember that watering is not carried out often, but plentifully. In cold weather, water is heated to a temperature of 16-20 ° C. The soil under the seedlings is maintained in a loose and weed-free state. Seedlings are fertilized every 2 weeks. At the first feeding, if the leaves of the plants are pale green and the stems are thin, ammonium nitrate is added (15-20 g of fertilizer per 10 liters of water).
More effective is feeding with bird droppings or mullein, diluted with water in a ratio of 1:15 and 1:10, respectively. At the same time, 10 liters of a solution of mineral or organic fertilizers are spent on 3 m of plantings.
In subsequent top dressing, it is better to use a mixture of mineral fertilizers (for 10 liters of water, 10 g of saltpeter and 10-15 g of potassium salt) at the rate of 10 liters of solution per 1.5 m2. After 10-12 days, the seedlings are fed with superphosphate (25-30 g of fertilizer per 10 liters of water). Consumption rate - 10 liters of solution per 1 m2 of plantings. After top dressing, fertilizer residues are washed off the plants with clean water to prevent leaf burns.
Before planting, when the seedlings are growing rapidly, the number of waterings is reduced, however, preventing the plants from wilting.
Physalis seedlings are planted in open ground in late May - early June. On the morning of planting, it is watered abundantly so that the root system suffers less from mechanical damage. The site is marked in such a way that there are 3-4 Mexican physalis plants and 5-6 strawberry plants per 1 m2. For better use of the plot area, the ridges are compacted with lettuce, radish, the harvest of which is harvested even before the formation of physalis fruits.
It is best to plant plants in the ground in the afternoon, and in cloudy weather it is possible throughout the day.
The physalis plant belongs to the Solanaceae family. Its name is translated from Greek as "bubble" - it is the red-orange calyx of the plant that resembles it in its shape. More popular among gardeners is the comparison of these cups with orange lanterns. Among gardeners, such names of this plant as “earthen cranberry”, “emerald berry”, “dog cherry”, “bubble”, “marunka” are also popular.
Beginning gardeners often ask the question: is this plant edible or not? There are two large groups of species of physalis:
- physalis edible;
- physalis decorative.
Varieties of edible physalis are divided into vegetable (Large-fruited, Confectionery) and berry (Strawberry, Peruvian). Vegetable is an annual cold-resistant plant, unpretentious and fast-growing. Its fruits can be prepared in a variety of ways: dried, prepared for winter salads, marinated, made with them spicy seasonings. Vegetable physalis sprouts well, gives an excellent harvest, is perfectly stored. Physalis berry is more thermophilic, this species can be eaten fresh. The fruits look like small berries. In dried form, strawberry physalis resembles dried apricots; marmalade, jams, and preserves are prepared from it.
Ornamental species include Franchet and Longifolia varieties. These are perennial plants that bloom bright red lanterns in autumn. Decorative species are often added to winter bouquets.
Growing from seed
The first thing you need to decide when growing physalis is the place where you plant it. It is better to choose a sunny area or partial shade. This plant does not favor lowlands and shade. If you plan to grow it in the beds, it is better to do it where legumes, cabbage, cucumbers grew. After potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers, physalis should not be planted, because. these plants have the same diseases. Plant no more than four or five plants per square meter.
Growing physalis from seeds includes the following steps:
- soil preparation;
- seed preparation;
- sowing;
- growing seedlings;
- planting seedlings in open ground and further plant care;
- plant maturation and harvesting.
Physalis seeds lose their germination after 4 years, therefore, before planting, it is first necessary to select good seeds so that the work is not wasted. To do this, dilute a five percent salt solution in a glass and pour the seeds there. Those that have surfaced are no longer worth planting. The seeds that have settled to the bottom are good, they need to be washed, dried and prepared for sowing. Immediately before sowing, it is better to hold them a little in a pink solution of potassium permanganate.
Choose a site for seedlings with light, fertile soil. Two weeks before planting seedlings, it must be dug up, adding ash and humus. There is no need to add manure to this site.
Physalis sowing
I must say that physalis self-sowing reproduces quite well. Therefore, you can sow it in open ground in early spring or before winter. Seedlings obtained in this way will be more hardened, strong and healthy than homemade, but it will begin to bear fruit later. If you want to get a harvest earlier, this method should not be used.
If you are sowing seeds outdoors, this is best done in early May or April. Seeds are sown in furrows, the interval between rows should be approximately 30 centimeters. Subsequently, the seedlings will need to be thinned out, the actual distance between the seedlings should be about 25 cm. The seedlings that you pulled out are not necessary to throw away: you can plant them in another place and they will take root well there, except that they will begin to bear fruit a little later.
Physalis seedlings sprout quickly enough, it can be planted in the ground after 30 days. Therefore, it is better to plan the sowing of seeds for seedlings at the beginning of April, in order to plant physalis on the site in May. These temporary recommendations are relevant for the climatic zone of Central Russia and the Southern Urals, but if you live to the south or north, adjust the planting dates depending on the weather. Another landmark - vegetable physalis can be planted in the ground two weeks earlier than tomatoes. And more heat-loving strawberry - at the same time as tomatoes.
The process of growing physalis seedlings is somewhat similar to growing tomatoes. Seeds are sown in a small container or immediately in separate cups, with the second option, the root system is less damaged. If you have sown the seeds in a seedling box densely enough, then when the seedlings have two leaves, they will need to dive. At this stage, they need plentiful, but infrequent watering. Seedlings must be gradually accustomed to the sun, hardened, periodically taking them out into the street. When the air temperature reaches thirteen degrees, you can begin to leave the seedlings on the street for the night.
Physalis seedlings are susceptible to a fungal infection - a black leg, due to which it can wither and disappear. For prevention, plants are best grown in separate containers.
To feed plants, use a solution of mullein in a ratio of 1/10 or bird droppings - 1/20. Fertilizers diluted in water must be poured directly under the root so as not to burn the leaves.
After about a month, when the plants have five or six leaves, they will be ready for planting already in open ground. The distance between plants depends on how the physalis grows. The fact is that in the process of growth it grows strongly and branches, so seedlings must be planted in a checkerboard pattern, the distance between plants must be at least 50 centimeters. For tall varieties, it is also necessary to organize a support, to which then it will be necessary to tie the plants.
Physalis is watered abundantly when disembarking and then in dry weather. If the plantings are mulched, then in the future you will be much less likely to perform such routine work as weeding, watering, loosening. After pouring the fruits, it is better to stop watering, otherwise they may crack.
Growing physalis and caring for it necessarily include fertilization. Top dressing should be carried out three times: during flowering, during the formation of fruits, and then again, after 15-20 days. It is better to choose mineral fertilizers. Optimal composition: potassium salt, ammonium nitrate and superphosphate. Each of these components is enough for 10-15 grams per liter of water. It is better not to use manure as a top dressing, but to use ash, bird droppings, humus or compost instead.
The fruits of this plant are usually formed in the axils of the branches, so it is not required to stepchild. The more the plant branches, the more harvest you can harvest from it. At the end of June, you can pinch the crown.
Pests and diseases
Most often, physalis suffers from the following diseases:
- Mosaic - with it, the leaves of the plant are deformed, yellow and green spots appear on them. In this case, the affected plants are destroyed, after which it is necessary to disinfect the garden tools and hands.
- With late blight, brown spots appear on plants. This fungus is fought with the help of chemicals. If the plant already has fruits, then the damaged fruits and leaves are removed and disinfected. Late blight is most often carried by potatoes, so after it, neither physalis nor other nightshades should be planted in the same place.
- With Fusarium, plants begin to wither even before the appearance of fruits. This infection can live in the soil for a long time. In this case, the affected plant must be destroyed along with the earthen clod, the tops must be collected and disposed of, and the soil must be disinfected.
- With white or gray rot, the plants are covered with a whitish or smoky coating, respectively, the fruits can dry out or crack and rot. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to treat physalis with the following means: copper oxychloride, ridomil, Bordeaux liquid. Affected leaves and plant debris must be regularly removed.
In addition, physalis is susceptible to attacks by garden pests such as aphids, wireworms, and bears. You need to know the basics of dealing with them. The wireworm will be scared away by the ash added to the soil during digging, and wheatgrass, which this pest feeds on, should not be allowed to appear on the site. Treatment of plants with insecticides helps against aphids. You can fight the bear by deep digging the soil in spring and autumn to destroy its nests. You can also plant marigolds on the site, the aroma of which she does not like, or water the plants with bird droppings diluted in water.
The lower fruits ripen first and may fall to the ground. No need to be afraid of this, they can be easily collected and processed. You can also remove them for long-term storage - for up to 4-5 months. To do this, they are placed in the cellar, laid out in two or three layers in boxes. The temperature there should not be higher than +2 - +3 degrees.
For storage, the fruits are harvested before frost, in dry weather, without removing the cover ("flashlight"). In this case, an intact wax coating will remain on the fruits, which will help them to be stored for a long time. Different varieties sing differently. They can change color to yellow or lilac, in some the cap is torn when growing. If it has become lighter and drier, then the fruit is ripe.
As a rule, in September there are still many fruits on the plant bush that are not ripe enough. So that they do not suffer from frost, the bush can be dug up with a root, cleaned from the ground and hung in a barn for ripening.
Today, a huge number of various plants are grown in garden plots, with the help of which you can not only diversify our menu, but also form a unique landscape design. One of these crops is physalis. Its fruits are canned and dried, salted and boiled, used for treatment and rehabilitation, as well as for decorating flower beds and making winter bouquets. It is not difficult to grow physalis: it does not make high demands on heat and light, soil fertility. But a truly plentiful harvest and beautiful bright lantern boxes of this plant can only be obtained if the crop is cultivated in accordance with certain rules and requirements.
Planting physalis seeds immediately in open ground
Physalis, with the exception of ornamental, does not easily tolerate spring frosts, so it can be sown with seeds in open ground only in regions with a warm climate. It is enough to sow decorative physalis once, and then its seeds spread by self-sowing, the culture grows rapidly, so you have to thin out seedlings and set limits. Unlike ornamental, vegetable and strawberry physalis require annual sowing.
Variety Kinglet - an early ripe vegetable physalis that can be used for canning and making homemade wine
We are preparing the site
When choosing a site for growing physalis, you can stop in an open, sunny place, the culture gives a good harvest in partial shade. The plant does not impose special requirements on the soil, but it grows worse in acidic, overly moist areas. Good predecessors for Physalis are:
- cucumbers;
- cabbage;
- legume crops.
After potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, that is, plants from the nightshade family, physalis can be planted no earlier than 3 years later, since these related plants can be affected by the same diseases.
It is better to prepare the site in the fall, fertilizing it with peat or humus, but in no case with fresh manure. In the spring, a week before sowing, the site is dug up, the rhizomes of weeds, larvae of harmful beetles are removed, and they are harrowed with a rake.
When to plant physalis when growing from seeds: optimal timing
Ornamental physalis can be sown before winter. Do this in late autumn with dry seeds. The seeds planted in autumn will undergo winter hardening, and the physalis grown from them will show resistance to drought and a high degree of resistance to various diseases.
Decorative physalis is cold-resistant, therefore it retains an attractive appearance even in the first frosty days
Spring planting of vegetable and ornamental physalis is carried out early, when the soil warms up to +5 degrees, and berry varieties are planted later, after the soil warms up to +12 degrees. In the middle lane, the period from mid-April to the end of the first decade of May will be favorable sowing time.
Seed preparation
The harvest of any garden crop, including physalis, largely depends on the planting material, its quality and ability to ensure the friendliness and viability of seedlings. The preparation of seed material begins with the selection of large, leveled and conditioned seeds:
Good protection against fungal and viral infections is provided by seed dressing in a slightly pink (1%) solution of potassium permanganate. First, the seeds are heated for 2 hours in a thermos with warm (+40–45 degrees) water, and then kept in a manganese solution for half an hour. After the procedure, the seed must be washed again. Next, the seeds are placed between layers of moistened gauze, cotton pads, toilet paper and left in a warm place. They will hatch in 3-5 days.
When germinating, it is important to ensure that the material on which the seeds are placed does not dry out.
The emergence of seedlings from seeds prepared in this way will occur 2-3 days after sowing, provided that the soil is sufficiently warmed up.
When sown with dry seeds in warm soil, seedlings will appear no earlier than in a week. If the soil temperature is below comfortable, then the seeds may not sprout at all.
If you want the seeds to germinate quickly, and the seedlings to be friendly and strong, you can carry out additional processing of the seed in the following compositions:
- 1 teaspoon of wood ash per 100 ml of water. Soaking time - 24 hours;
- 2 drops of Epin per 100 ml of water. Soaking time - 18 hours;
- 25 drops of potassium humate per 100 ml of water. Soaking time - 12 hours.
Helpful information! Physalis seeds remain viable for 3 years.
The process of sowing physalis seeds in open ground
The planting process is completely standard and practically no different from sowing any other garden crop. Particular attention should be paid only to the sowing scheme and the depth of seed placement:
For more friendly seedlings, it is recommended to warm the bed with any covering material and monitor its moisture content, watering as needed. After germination, seedlings are thinned out so that there is an interval of at least 25 cm between plants. Removed shoots can be used as seedlings and planted in any suitable place.
Outdoor seedlings grow stronger, hardened than home seedlings, but will bear fruit later.
Planting seeds for seedlings at home
Terms of planting physalis for seedlings
When growing physalis from seeds, the optimal sowing time for seedlings in central Russia will be the period from the second half of March to mid-April. Seedlings are planted in open ground at the age of 40–50 days. To determine a more accurate date, you need to count this period from the expected day of planting seedlings in open ground and add 9 days to it - the maximum time required for germination. When determining the date of transfer of physalis to open ground, you can focus on the timing of planting tomatoes: strawberry physalis is planted with them, but vegetable and decorative ones - about 2 weeks earlier.
Do not rush to plant physalis seeds too early. So that the seedlings do not outgrow, do not stretch out, it is necessary to observe the optimal sowing dates.
Soil and planting containers
For sowing physalis seeds, you can use purchased soil recommended by the manufacturer for planting peppers, tomatoes or eggplants.
Most often, purchased soils are made from a mixture of high-quality high-moor peat of various degrees of decomposition with the addition of natural structuring components (purified river sand) and complex mineral fertilizer
If you have the necessary components, you can prepare the soil mixture yourself. For this you need:
- peat;
- humus or rotted compost;
- garden land;
- river sand.
The components are taken in a ratio of 4:2:2:1, thoroughly mixed. To reduce the acidity that physalis does not like, it is recommended to add 4 tbsp for every 10 liters of soil mixture. spoons of dolomite flour or a half-liter jar of ash.
Both the purchased and self-prepared soil mixture is recommended to be heated in the oven at a temperature of + 70–90 degrees for half an hour. A higher heating temperature for the soil is dangerous: nitrogen is mineralized, useful microorganisms die.
For sowing physalis for seedlings, you can use individual containers - peat tablets and pots, trays and cassettes for seedlings, plastic cups, packages of sour cream and yogurt, which allow you to do without picking seedlings, significantly reduce the risk of damage to the root system of the plant during transplantation, reduce to minimize the risk of damage to seedlings by root rot. A significant disadvantage of such a landing container is that it takes up a lot of space on the windowsills.
In this case, massive wooden and plastic boxes come to the rescue. They save comfortable space, they, if necessary, are easy to move from place to place, planting in spacious containers is easy to care for. A significant disadvantage of large containers is that it is quite difficult to extract seedlings from them without injuring the roots of plants.
In specialized stores, you can purchase sets of seedling cassettes, equipped with a common tray and a transparent lid to create greenhouse conditions for sprouts
The process of sowing physalis seeds at home
After the sowing dates have been determined, the soil and planting containers have been prepared, the seed should be prepared. The process of preparing seeds for planting seedlings includes the same procedures as for sowing in open ground. The disembarkation process itself consists of the following steps:
- The planting container is filled with the prepared soil mixture, slightly compacting it.
- Physalis seeds are poured onto a piece of paper, and then they are slowly thrown off from the corner into the ground, evenly distributing them over the soil surface. When choosing a large planting capacity, sowing can be carried out in shallow furrows.
Seeds are sown densely, after germination they are thinned out and swooped down.
- About 1 cm of soil mixture is poured on top.
Since physalis seeds are small, they should not be buried more than 1 cm into the soil.
- The earth is slightly compacted so that the seeds do not wash out to the surface when watering.
- Watering is carried out carefully, in small doses of water, waiting until the next portion is absorbed into the ground.
Watering is carried out from a watering can or using a spray gun
- Landing containers are covered with glass or other transparent material and placed in a warm, bright room with an air temperature of at least +16 degrees.
You can not put a container with crops on the window under the direct rays of the sun, because the seeds under the shelter can simply boil
- It is necessary to monitor the soil moisture in the planting containers, not to allow it to dry out, taking into account that excessive moisture of the soil and air can lead to disease of seedlings with a black leg.
- In about a week, the first shoots will appear. Immediately after this, the covering material is removed.
The optimum temperature for the maintenance of physalis seedlings is + 18–20 ° С
Video: the timing and process of sowing physalis seeds for seedlings
Seedling Care
Caring for ascended physalis sprouts is also simple and standard:
- they are watered as needed;
- every 2 weeks, top dressing is carried out with any easily soluble seedling complex: Agricola, Mortar, Fertika, etc .;
- for the uniform development of seedlings, they are periodically turned on the windowsill so that each side of the plant receives its portion of heat and light;
- protect from direct sunlight, which can cause leaf burns. For shading, they use fabric blinds, various blinds, reflective paper, just a newspaper, or rearrange seedling containers for the time of the most active sun in the back of the room.
Seedlings are kept on a lighted windowsill, but protected from direct sunlight.
If you listen to our advice, you will get high-quality shoots of physalis, which will serve as the basis for a future excellent harvest and a beautiful view of a useful, unusual, joyful culture that can create a positive mood from mid-summer to late autumn.