The fruits of cultivated plants, of course, are a very valuable food product. Eating them for food brings a huge benefit to the human body. In addition to all kinds of vitamins and minerals, the fruits of horticultural crops contain organic acids, carbohydrates, proteins, etc. They are of great nutritional value not only fresh apples, pears and plums. Winter preparations made of fruits are no less useful for health. It can be, for example, compotes, juices, jams, preserves.
What fruit plants are grown in gardens: classification and names
There are only three main groups of similar cultures:
- Pomegranate. This variety includes, for example, apples, pears, quinces.
- Stone fruit - cherries, cherries, plums, peaches, apricots, etc.
- Oreous. This group includes, for example, almonds and walnuts.
Also, a rare group of fruit crops is usually isolated. These include, for example, dogrose, lemongrass, sea buckthorn, etc.
general description
Almost all fruit plants are perennials. They reproduce mainly in the vegetative way. That is - by cuttings, layering, root offspring. Of course, some fruit crops can also be propagated with seeds or seeds. However, with this method of planting, plants of this group usually do not retain good varietal qualities.
In most cases, fruit trees require periodic pruning. The main purpose of this procedure is to increase productivity by eliminating the possibility of thickening the crown, as well as rejuvenating plants.
Most of these crops begin to bear fruit only a few years after planting. Harvest from plants of this group most often can only be obtained in August - September.
There are both early and late or mid-ripe varieties of fruit plants. The fruits of the crops of the first variety are most often eaten fresh. Compotes and preserves are usually made from varieties of cherries, apples, pears, etc. mid-season. Late fruits are often stored fresh or frozen all winter.
Selection work
Man has been growing fruit crops for a very long time. And for all this time, of course, just a huge number of very different varieties of them were obtained. Breeding work is underway with such crops today.
In our country, the main task of specialists involved in obtaining new varieties, see the increase in plant productivity and their winter hardiness. Also, breeders pay maximum attention to improving the taste of the fruits themselves. Another priority when developing new varieties of garden trees and shrubs, experts consider increasing their resistance to various diseases. This is especially true of the most common bacterial infection of fruit crops - scab.
How to plant
Distribute fruit and berry plants in the garden so that they in no way obscure each other. When choosing a place for planting a particular crop, one should take into account, including its biological features. Some fruit trees grow very tall. Other representatives of this group may have a wide spreading crown.
When planting fruit crops, the technology prescribed in this particular case should be strictly observed. Pits for such garden plants are usually prepared in advance. Before planting, a certain amount of nutrient soil is poured into them. Most often it is oily garden soil mixed in certain proportions with mineral or organic fertilizers, peat, dolomite flour or lime, etc. Such a nutritious soil is prepared taking into account not only the characteristics of this particular crop, but also the soil composition on the site.
Actually, the seedling itself is fixed in the pit with a peg. Then he falls asleep to a certain level with the same soil prepared in advance, mixed thoroughly and watered.
What to consider
When choosing a place for fruit plants on a site, among other things, you should pay attention to the level of groundwater. The roots of such crops can penetrate the soil very deeply. And therefore, it is desirable that the groundwater be at the landing site as far as possible from ground level. Large fruit trees are usually planted where it is located at a depth of at least 2-3 meters, small ones - 1.5-2 m.
Pome plants: names and description
The most common cultures of this subgroup in our country are, of course, pear and apple tree. Pome fruit plants usually have a rather spreading crown and a long trunk of medium thickness. The flowers of these garden trees are often bisexual. They do not grow on branches individually, but collected in inflorescences of 4-8 pieces. The color of the petals may be white or pink.
Quite complex care requires pome fruit crops. There are usually not too many plants of this variety planted by summer residents. After all, even 3-4 such trees can occupy a significant part of the suburban area. But at the same time, and the harvest from one such fruit plant, in comparison with vegetable and berry crops, can be truly enormous.
At first, pome crops bear fruit evenly and regularly. However, in the future, during the formation of already large yields, the crops of this group begin to manifest periodicity (after a year). The features of fruit pome crops also include the fact that for the most part they are self-infertile. That is, in order to get a crop of apples, pears or quinces, you need to plant at the same time not one, but two or three of these trees.
The fruits of pome crops are most often used fresh. Late ripe apples and pears can often lie in a cool, dry place even until spring. Also, compotes are often made from the fruits of pome crops. Apples and pears are rarely used for preserves.
Names and description of stone fruits
A feature of plants of this group is earlier fruiting in comparison with pome crops. Not observed in stone fruit and crop yields. There are two varieties of such garden plants: treelike and shrubby. Plants of the first group can reach a height of up to 7 meters, the second - 3-4 m.
The most common stone fruit culture in Russia is, of course, cherry. The fruits of this plant usually ripen in late July - early August. To taste, they are often sour. Use them to make compotes, jams, preserves, tinctures.
Also a common stone fruit culture in Russia is plum. The fruits of this plant are considered a good laxative. For the winter, only compotes and jam are usually prepared from them.
Description of nut crops
The south of Russia is the area in which such fruit plants are most often grown. The names of many of them are known to almost everyone. But in the middle zone of the Russian Federation, of course, nut-bearing crops can be found quite rarely. The most striking representative of this group is walnut. Also hazel crops include hazel, peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews, etc.
The fruit of such plants is the core. The latter is usually enclosed in a hard shell. By structure, all nut-bearing plants are divided into three main varieties: drupes, real and mixed. All types of crops can be grown in Russia (for example, in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories). In the first case, the fruit of the plant consists of a fleshy outer pericarp, endocarp (shell) and the core itself. A subset of such crops include, for example, almonds and walnuts.
The fruits of the second variety usually also consist of shell and kernel. However, in this case, they are always enclosed in a plus (sheet wrapper). Actually the kernel of real nuts consists of two halves. This group includes hazel and hazelnuts.
Less common crops: sea buckthorn and rose hips (description)
Some fruit plants are grown quite rarely by summer residents of our country. This is usually associated with the high climatic demands of such crops. Also, some plants of this group have been simply undeservedly forgotten by gardeners in the past few decades. The most well-known rare cultures in our country are rose hips and sea buckthorn. Of course, they do not grow in every garden. However, sometimes in summer cottages they can still be seen.
The fruits of both of these crops are used mainly for medicinal purposes. Rosehip can be used, for example, to relieve inflammation, improve gastrointestinal function, and also as a good diuretic. The fruits of sea buckthorn are used as a means of supporting the reproductive system, restoring bowel function, lowering blood cholesterol.