For each plant you need to find your own approach. After all, some like the shade and good moisture, while others like the sun and rare watering. Therefore, before embarking on the planting of any plant, you should initially study the features of its cultivation. Chufa - earthen almonds, planting and care of which also requires preliminary study.
Culture features
Chufa is a perennial herbaceous crop that reaches 1 m in height. The ground part is green narrow sagittate leaves with trihedral shoots. At the very top of the plant are small inflorescences of white small flowers resembling umbrellas. The underground part is the main bud of a tuber (greens grow out of it) and lateral tubers (shoots of a powerful root system come out of them).
The plant is pollinated thanks to the wind. Under good conditions, the chuf nut in the first year only forms nodules, but does not bloom. From one plant per year, up to 1 thousand good tubers are collected, which can be described as follows:
- length - up to 3 cm;
- oval shape;
- the inner flesh is white;
- when dried, the tuber becomes wrinkled.
Origin
Chufa peanuts come from North America and the Mediterranean. People knew him many centuries ago, during the time of the Pharaohs. Even in the famous works of Herodotus you can find a mention of this nut. In Russia, the plant appeared in the XVIII century, but it had a different name - a winter hut. But later it began to be called earthen almonds.
At present, chufa is very popular. India and Sudan are actively cultivating it for use in cooking. In Turkey, a plant is grown to attract game. Ukraine has developed unique varieties of chufa called "culinary" and "confectionery". You can long list the countries in which this culture is grown, but the main thing is that it is popular because of its benefits and versatility.
Ideal landing conditions
How does the chufa sit? Plant seeds are small tubers. To get a good crop from any plant, you need to plant it correctly. To do this, you will have to recall the climatic features of the homeland of this culture.
Ideal for chufa:
- The soil should be loose and the soil fertile. If the rock is clay, then from the autumn you need to start preparing it: add sand and peat to it. When the local soil has a high acidity, then lime will help.
- Humidity is what is important to pay attention to. Chufa peanut came to us from the tropics, which means that he needs water constantly. But you can not fill the plant, this will lead to decay of the rhizome.
- Tubers should be planted with the arrival of heat, because this culture does not tolerate frosts.
- If the bed is properly prepared (to make the necessary fertilizers), then the whole season the plant will not need additional fertilizing. Only in cases where the soil is very poor, 2-3 times it will be necessary to fertilize with organic infusions prepared on their own.
Landing
Experienced summer residents know that any seeds need to be soaked before settling them in the garden. This also applies to earthen almonds. The tubers are soaked in clean water for several days, and you will have to change the water daily. If the liquid stagnates, the tubers will turn sour and become unsuitable for growing. During these days, the tubers absorb moisture, which means that they will sprout faster in the soil.
When to plant? May is the perfect time to land. Air and earth have already warmed up, but so far there is enough moisture in the soil, so necessary for chufa. The beds should be small. Sometimes you have to plant tubers between vegetables in the garden and even in the flowerbed, where there is an extra place.
Landing Instructions:
- Make a groove 6–8 cm deep with a hoe. There must be a distance of 25 cm between the ditches.
- Dry soil needs to be watered, and after the water is absorbed, begin to plant tubers.
- Between tubers in the same row there should be a distance of at least 20 cm.
- When everything is planted, carefully cover the seedlings with earth.
If you follow all the rules, then the first sprouts can be seen after a week.
Care
Chufa (earthen almonds), the planting and care of which require vigilance, will please its fruits if you adhere to two basic rules:
- regularly water the plant, especially in dry weather;
- get rid of weeds at the initial stage of growth.
The main thing is not to overdo it with watering. Excessive moisture leads to the fact that the greens become more beautiful, but from this the quantity and quality of tubers decreases. In the rainy season, no problems with watering should arise.
Harvesting
If you know when to plant the chufu, to properly care for it, then the first tubers will appear a month later after the appearance of the first leaves. Harvest time is autumn. During this period of the year, the leaves of the plant turn yellow and dry.
With the help of garden forks, you need to carefully pry the bush and gently get it to the surface of the earth. Manually collect all the tubers and place in a sieve to filter out excess dirt. Next, you will need to rinse the harvest and fold for drying in natural conditions (put on a table that put in the sun). When dried, the "nuts" shrink and decrease in size.
For planting for the next season, the largest fruits are chosen, and the rest go into use. Tubers are stored for a maximum of 4 years.
Beneficial features
Chufa (earthen almonds), planting and care for which were carried out correctly, will give a good and high-quality crop. Harvested tubers are used in various fields due to their qualities.
Useful properties of "nuts":
- improve sleep;
- strengthen the immune system;
- empower a person;
- well affect memory and attention, significantly improving them;
- reduce blood sugar in diabetes;
- with the help of milk prepared from chufa tubers, treat gastrointestinal diseases;
- help the body cleanse itself of radionuclides;
- cope with ailments of the bladder;
- relieve toothache;
- help to quickly return to normal with SARS;
- there are facts that the chufa even copes with complications after childbirth.
Where to use
Where, besides traditional medicine, is chufa (earthen almond) used? The use of this "nut" in cooking has been practiced for a long time. Most often, tubers make butter, which is similar to olive. It is used not only in cooking, but also for the lubrication of various tools. Fried tubers are suitable for making surrogate coffee.
On the palate, this product reminds everyone of the familiar almonds or peanuts. Therefore, confectioners actively add chufu to sweets, cakes and other products. In Spain, they make ice cream and a delicious drink made from peanuts.
The leaves of the plant go to feed cattle. It is even harvested for the winter, after drying well. Crushed nodules are also not thrown away; birds eat them well.
Other applications:
- stalks used to be used to weave very beautiful and strong baskets;
- leaves are used to make paper, fuel, insulation, and rope;
- this plant has found application even in cosmetology - it is added to shampoo and toilet soap;
- anglers use tubers as bait.
As you can see, chufa (earthen almonds) is very useful. Planting and caring for this crop should not be difficult for those who like to cultivate something unusual. And if everything is done correctly, then the harvest can be used to treat ailments, in cooking and even in the household.