Japanese medlar is a subtropical plant that came to us from North India and China. And more recently, they began to engage in its active cultivation in Japan, which is why it acquired such a name. If you want to learn all about growing medlar Japanese at home, then our article is for you. Today we will tell you about what this exotic fruit is and what useful properties it has.
Description
Another name for Japanese medlar is lokva. Despite the fact that the countries of Southeast Asia are considered to be the birthplace of this fruit, today it can be found in our country, in regions with a warm climate. For example, Japanese medlar grows well in the Crimea and the Caucasus.
Its fruits are oval, close to pear-shaped and collected in dense brushes, consisting of 8-12 fruits each. The size of the fruit is quite small - from three to five centimeters in length. The dense skin of yellow or orange color, as seen in the photo of the medlar Japanese, hides a juicy pulp underneath and is easily removed if the fruit is finally ripe. Her taste can be different - from sour to very sweet, the same goes for the color of her pulp - from white to bright orange. Its taste resembles the combination of the taste of apple, pear and strawberry.
Plant species
The climate of our country allows you to grow two types of this exotic fruit.
The German medlar (it is also called Caucasian) is a tall, almost ten-meter tree, covered with elongated, non-pubescent leaves that fall with the advent of cold weather. The plant is frost-resistant, grows in the Caucasus and Crimea. In autumn, during the ripening period, the tree is covered with brownish fruits with a dense flesh of sour taste.
Japanese medlar is a subtropical plant, reaching a height of no more than seven meters. This variety of fruit does not tolerate long-term frosts. Therefore, it is considered optimal to grow medlar Japanese at home. But the inhabitants of the Black Sea coast can be planted in their own land - a warm climate is needed to get the crop. The leaves of this fruit tree are large - up to 25 centimeters in length and 10 centimeters in width. Young leaves are pubescent on two sides, more mature - only from the bottom. The fruits of this medlar resemble small apricots in appearance and have a sweet and sour taste.
Cooking use
Japanese medlar can be consumed not only fresh, but also processed. Soaked fruits, juices and compotes are the most used options for its use. And from this exotic fruit make an excellent wine with an original taste and aroma. Jam and preserves are also boiled from medlar, they are prepared with pastille and used as a filling for sweets and other confectionery products. With her prepare fruit salads, desserts and pastries. Loquat seeds are a great alternative to coffee beans.
Beneficial features
The highest content of vitamin C in this fruit makes it almost indispensable during colds. Regular use of medlar favorably affects the general well-being, improves immunity and protective functions of the body during the period of activation of viral and infectious diseases. The presence of B vitamins positively affects the functioning of the nervous system and the development of the brain. Vitamin A nourishes the skin, slowing down the aging process, and also helps improve vision. And thanks to folic acid contained in ripe fruits, medlar can be used during pregnancy. Potassium and calcium are also found in large quantities in this fruit, which is beneficial for the cardiovascular system and bones.
It is because of these positive qualities that many people think about growing Japanese medlar at home. In the following sections, we will examine in detail the features of this simple process.
Seat selection
Japanese medlar tree is preferably located in a well-lit warm place. Slight short shading is acceptable, despite the general photophilousness of the plant. A bright room with windows located on the south side, spacious greenhouses or a winter garden are the best locations for the medlar of Japan. The more sunlight that falls on it, the more abundant and tastier the crop will be.
Watering
Due to the large leaves, the process of evaporation of moisture is quite fast. Therefore, you should carefully monitor the condition of the soil - it should always be with moderate humidity. At the same time, do not overdo it with watering - excessive water content leads to rotting of the roots and, as a result, the death of the plant. young plants are especially sensitive to excessive moisture. In winter, the number of irrigations is sharply reduced.
Use warm, settled water, pouring it either into the sump or around the circumference of the pot to avoid exposing the roots. The topsoil should be loosened after each watering.
Pruning
At home, Japanese medlar does not require cropping and grows no more than two meters high. It is enough to remove only dried branches. Since the medlar is not prone to the development of abundant branching, its crown does not grow too thick. But if you wish, you can independently shape it, giving it the desired shape - pruning is easily tolerated by the plant. To get a standard plant, you need to remove the extra lower branches. And to give the medlar a bush shape, pinch the top and side shoots. After trimming, be sure to treat all places of cuts with garden var.
Care during the periods of flowering and fruiting
Growing medlar Japanese is not a very troublesome process. But the first fruits will have to wait. When growing medlar from seeds, the first flowering occurs 4-5 years after planting, the plant obtained by the cuttings method will bloom in 3 years. During flowering, the tree is covered with flowers of a white or cream shade, which are collected in neat brushes. Since the size of the flowers is very small, this plant does not bear a special decorative function. The flowering period begins in the autumn-winter period, most often in November. And since natural lighting is not enough at this time, experienced gardeners advise organizing additional lighting, increasing the daylight hours to 10-12 hours.
Do not be afraid to remove excess fruits if too many are tied. In the case of medlar, it is not the richness of the crop that matters, but its quality. In the first fruitful year, it is advisable to leave no more than twelve fruits. Ripening of fruits occurs in the summer, and this process can be uneven.
Top dressing
The main conditions for growing medlar Japanese are to maintain soil moisture and the organization of sufficient lighting. But to fertilize the plant will not be out of place. Feeding is necessary only during the period of active growth - from the beginning of spring until the onset of autumn. Feeding is carried out using complex mineral and organic fertilizers. During the formation of the fruits, it is advisable to introduce into the soil an infusion of mullein and ash prepared from two hundred grams of manure and twenty grams of ash infused with two liters of water. In summer and autumn, nitrogen and phosphate supplements serve as fertilizers. Before applying fertilizer, it is important to shed the plants well, in order to avoid getting fertilizing on the roots of the plant through dry soil. In general, the fertilizer process is carried out every 3-4 weeks.
Seed propagation
Seeds look like dark brown hazelnuts, about the same size. For propagation in this way it is important to choose only the freshest seeds - their germination percentage reaches 90 percent, and for those that have been lying for 30-35 days this percentage drops to 60. The soil for seed germination should be light and loose. The optimal ratio of leaf mixture and turf soil is considered 2: 1. If the turf soil is not at hand, you can replace it with a mixture of sand and peat. For landing, a container with a volume of about two liters is used, at the bottom of which a three-centimeter layer of drainage spills out. After that, the soil is poured into which medlar seeds are planted to a depth of about three centimeters. Planted seeds are well spilled with water and sent to a room with an air temperature of at least 22 degrees.
Subject to all the conditions indicated above, the first sprouts can be expected in a month. Very often two seedlings sprout from one seed, they can be planted when two full leaves on each appear. Young plants are placed in a well-lit place, but protecting them from direct exposure to the sun.
Vegetative propagation
Cuttings are prepared in advance for this propagation method. Their length should be at least fifteen centimeters and have a horizontal cut on both sides. At least two developed buds must be present on each handle. It is advisable to remove most of the leaves from the cuttings to prevent excessive evaporation of moisture. The best substrate for their germination is ordinary river sand, which must be calcined in the oven and cooled before the sowing process. Before deepening the cuttings, the lower cut processed by charcoal is processed - this will protect it from decay. The stalk is planted vertically, to a depth of 3-4 centimeters. Plantings need to be poured with warm water, and then covered with a film or a glass jar. Rooting takes about a month.
Rooting cuttings is permissible in water. For this, longer samples are used (at least twenty centimeters), leaves from which are not removed. The lower sections of the cuttings are wrapped with a cloth and immersed in a glass container with water. The wrapping of the cuttings with a cloth is carried out for their additional dimming. Since it was noticed that in the dark, roots develop much more actively. With this method of reproduction, a good root system can be obtained after 40-50 days.
Diseases and Pests
With the proper care of medlar, Japanese is practically not affected by pests. Most often, novice gardeners face certain problems, which we will discuss further:
- Drying of the plant. First, the medlar leaves dry on the edge, and then the leaf dries completely. This mainly occurs in the winter season and the reason for this is too dry air. Heating raises the air temperature in the room and excessively dries it. To save the plant from drying out, spray the air around it daily with water.
- Another problem is black spots. A fungal disease that causes the appearance of black spots on the leaves appears with excessive watering and low air temperature (less than 15 degrees). In this case, the number of irrigations should be significantly reduced and spraying should be excluded.
- Loss of leaf elasticity. Sagging leaves begin in conditions of lack of water and oxygen in the soil. Loosen the earth more often and adjust its moisture content.
The use of medlar for treatment
Useful properties of lokva are widely used in folk medicine. For example, a decoction of unripe fruits with their seeds is able to establish the work of the stomach and intestines. The use of such a decoction for diseases of the genitourinary system will be useful. During the flowering period, you can collect and dry the leaves of the plant, so that later they can stop diarrhea and bleeding with their decoction. For colds with this infusion, it is good to gargle for pain relief and disinfection. The high content of tannins in the lokva makes it an anti-inflammatory and healing agent, which also soothes pain. The sweet syrup from this fruit juice is used to treat cough and other respiratory problems. The infusion of the flowers and leaves of the plant is used to gargle and ingest with angina and inflammation of the oral cavity.
Harmful fruit properties
Do not eat the medlar fruit for those who have found themselves allergic to this fruit or complete intolerance to this product. Lokva is also contraindicated for people with increased acidity of the stomach, peptic ulcer disease and inflammation of the pancreas. These restrictions apply to fresh fruits, but jams, compotes and jams do not have such a high acidity that can harm the body. And in general, medlar should not be consumed in immense quantities, since it can cause malaise even in people with excellent health.