Gumi is a berry, little known in our country, but widespread in the south of Sakhalin, in Korea, Japan and China.
Description of Gumi Berry
This ornamental and medicinal plant, which is the closest relative of sea buckthorn and shepherdia, is incredibly beautiful. Green leathery leaves are elliptical in shape, characterized by a shiny smooth surface and resemble laurel; painted silver below. Bright red berries hanging on long stalks are strewn with silver dots, in appearance they look like dogwood, and in a slightly astringent taste - like ripe persimmons.
An excellent honey plant that attracts bees with the scent of flowers. The shape of the fruit is cylindrical or spherical. The plant is compact, medium height, about 3 meters with a crown diameter of 2.5 meters. Has sparsely spaced spikes. The root system of the branched type is shallow: about 40 cm. There are nodules on the roots in which nitrogen-fixing bacteria live.
Gumi berry: growth features
The first fruiting of gumi (otherwise the goof is multiflorous) enters the third year of planting. Flowering occurs in June, the fruits ripen in mid-summer. They are firmly attached to the branches, do not crumble, do not fall off when frost sets in, and come off with effort. Ripening occurs at the same time, so the harvest takes place in several stages (in July). From one adult bush you can get about 10 kg of tasty and very juicy fruits, characterized by high transportability: they do not give juice when transporting berries.
Gumi berries (photo can be seen above) are tasty fresh and dried, used in jams, preserves, compotes, fully reveal their taste in sweet and sour meat sauces. During storage, they do not dry out, but seem to dry out, frozen for about 8 months.
By the way, gumi meets winter in full dress, with a chic green crown. Possessing the signs of an evergreen plant (young and old leaves have been together for 3 years), the bush is still considered deciduous: it can drop foliage at the height of summer and plunge into a dormant state.
Gumi berries: benefits and harms
Gumi in its composition contains a lot of useful amino acids, sugars, carotene, phenolic compounds, tannins and pectin, salts of phosphorus, potassium and calcium, for which it is very much appreciated in folk medicine. The amount of vitamin C in the leaves and fruits of the plant is several times greater than in blackcurrant and citrus.
Gumi berries, the beneficial properties of which are appreciated by traditional medicine, have restorative, anti-inflammatory, tonic properties, prevent the development of sclerosis, have a beneficial effect on blood circulation, and are used for cardiovascular diseases and stomach problems.
The use of gumi berries is not recommended only in case of individual intolerance. In diabetes mellitus, their number should be limited. There are no other contraindications regarding the eastern berry.
Gumi's decorative properties
The gumi bush is outwardly very decorative and for any site is a real decoration, one might say, a business card. In winter, the plant stands out with light olive branches with rounded, like linden, buds. In spring it pleases with light cream-colored tubular flowers that produce an incredibly pleasant aroma, and beautiful leaves: bright green in the summer and yellow-orange in the winter. Thanks to the golden brown sparkles, which are strewn with fruits, leaves and shoots, the plant stands out clearly against the surrounding background.
Care Features
In the care, the gumi berry, the cultivation of which is not particularly difficult, is completely capricious, the plant is frost-resistant (can withstand temperatures up to -30 ° C), is not afraid of pests and diseases. In case of frostbite, it is able to quickly recover and start new shoots. Nevertheless, gumi is a berry whose young shoots in the first years of cultivation are recommended to be covered: bend to the ground, and then cover with brushwood and leaves.
The plant responds positively to dressing and regular watering, practically does not form root shoots. Feeding activities should be carried out annually, introducing 8 kg of compost, 150 grams of wood ash and 30 grams of double superphosphate under each bush . It is recommended to water plentifully young plants, adult specimens are patient for drought.
Due to the close location of the root system, it is not recommended to loosen the soil near the bush, it is better to use mulching. The bush does not need pruning, except in the sanitary. 13-15 years after planting, it is recommended to rejuvenate the plant.
Propagation of Oriental Berry
Gum berry propagates in several ways: dividing the bush, seeds and layering. The seed method is the simplest and consists in collecting fruits, peeling them from the pulp and placing them in paper bags before stratification. Then the seeds should be mixed with sawdust and buried in the soil at a 30-cm depth (for winter time). A month before planting, remove, place in a plastic bag with a substrate and periodically moisten. Next, landing in boxes and keeping in greenhouse conditions.
With quality care, young seedlings will reach half a meter over the summer. In winter, they need to be sheltered, you can determine in a warm room for growing. Landing in open ground is carried out after the appearance of at least three shoots and reaching the root system of 20 cm length.