A great many different types of plants grow in nature. One of them is cherry. This culture has many varieties. This article will focus on Surinamese cherries, the features of its cultivation, use and beneficial properties.
Spread
Where does Surinamese Cherry grow? Places of its growth are territories with a tropical and subtropical climate. It can be found in the wild. and in culture on the territory of Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. This tree is grown for delicious berries and for decorative purposes. Gardens of different countries are decorated with Surinamese cherries.
Where does the tree grow? Today it is grown in different regions of Colombia, India, Venezuela, Central America, South China and other countries. Cherry is an unpretentious plant. It is resistant to dry weather and small frosts, which is why it has become widespread in Europe and America.
Suriname Cherry
This plant belongs to the myrtle family, the genus Eugene, named after the commander from Austria by the name of Eugene of Savoy, who was also a prince. In this genus, according to various sources, there are 280-700 species. Gardeners are more attracted to the one-flowered Eugene, which is called Surinamese cherry or pitanga.
All species are evergreen trees or shrubs. The height of the plant, growing in natural conditions, reaches eight meters. Suriname cherry at home grows up to one and a half meters in height. In some varieties, the branches lean down in arches, making the plant look decorative. Often cherries are grown to decorate the area. Everything is beautiful in this plant : branches, flowers, leaves.
Surinamese cherry, the description of which includes many characteristics, has leaves with an oval-lanceolate shape and a glossy surface. Their color is saturated, dark emerald. The leaves are simple, opposite, pointed at the apex, their length reaches four centimeters. Young leaves are distinguished by a shimmer of reddish-bronze color, but over time the color becomes dark green. Leaves under compression emit the aroma of resin.
Bloom
Surinamese cherry blossoms with delicate buds of white or pink colors. Their shape changes, it depends on the species. Buds come in the usual shape: four petals with stamens in the center. But there are flowers that look like fluffy lumps. The fact is that their stamen filaments are very elongated, because of them the petals are not visible. Flowers can be collected in inflorescences up to 30 centimeters long or arranged separately.
In the natural environment, flowering occurs in September and January. In the middle zone of our country, Surinamese cherry blossoms at home not twice, but once a year. This period falls on the end of March - the beginning of May. Very rarely, flowering occurs two to three times a year. To set fruit, it is not necessary to pollinate the flowers artificially, growing indoors, they do it themselves.
Fruit
Berries of a cherry are its property. Their ripening time depends on climatic conditions. Usually this is April-May, although the period of fruit ripening in certain territories can begin in November and end only at the end of winter. The berries are sung quickly, just three weeks after the flowering period.
Surinamese cherries of different varieties have differences in color and shape of the fruit. Berries with a diameter of two to four centimeters can have a lemon, red and even black color. Indoors grown cherries have smaller fruits. The presence of seeds inside the berries remains unchanged, there are up to four pieces, but more often one or two round in shape, light brown in color. The seeds of Surinamese cherry are bitter, they can not be consumed.
In some varieties, the fruits have a spherical shape, in others, the contours of the berries are flattened or the surface is ribbed. The fruit pulp is juicy, tender, has a reddish or golden hue, the skin color is the same. The fruits have a sour, often sweet and sour taste with a slight bitterness and a taste of needles. Berries are easy to pick, because at the slightest contact with the plant they are easily separated from it.
Bone growing
To grow a tree from a seed, you need to work hard. It all starts with collecting seeds and washing them under running water. After which the planting material is dried and placed for storage under a canopy with a shadow. Before planting, the seeds are soaked in water for a week. The main thing is that water needs to be changed more often.
After that, the bones are removed from the water and immediately placed on the ground. In two months sprouts will sprout. They can be planted in a permanent place in the garden. This time falls on the month of October.
Planting seedlings
Young plants can be planted in the ground in the fall, at the beginning of October, or in the spring, in April, until the buds open up. Surinamese cherry and its cultivation are of interest to many gardeners. First, they prepare landing pits with a diameter of 60 centimeters and a depth of 45. The soil from the pit is divided in half. Humus, ash, superphosphate and potash fertilizers are added to one half.
This mixture is poured with a cone into the planting hole, where the seedling is placed. Its roots are sprinkled with the second half of the earth, after which the soil around the trunk is compacted. A peg is driven in from the north, and the seedling is tied to it. After planting, thorough watering is carried out, and the soil is mulched with sawdust, humus or peat.
Growing at home
Small-leaved and pointed cultivars are better suited for indoor growth. Experts recommend pitanga. Surinamese cherry is grown in a cool microclimate with good lighting, and in winter with an additional one. It should also be borne in mind that indoor cherry is afraid of drafts. The rest of its cultivation is simple.
In a box with an earthen mixture, recesses are made three centimeters into which the bones are placed. From above, planting material is sprinkled with earth, and then covered with polyethylene. A box with seedlings is placed on a windowsill with good lighting. Seeds will germinate in four weeks.
Young cherries are transplanted twice a year: in the spring and autumn. When the tree grows and gain strength, this is done in two to three years. It is very important to choose the soil. You can cook it yourself. To do this, mix turf, sheet soil and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. In the warm period, especially in extreme heat, the tree is watered abundantly, and in winter - in moderation. Crohn needs regular spraying and shaping.
The benefits of cherries
The berry has a whole set of useful properties:
- It stabilizes the immune system, strengthens the body.
- Promotes restoration of skin integuments when they are damaged by wounds.
- Minerals in the composition of fruits strengthen bones and teeth, normalize vision.
- Fiber in the fruit regulates cholesterol in the body.
- Potassium in the pulp prevents strokes and heart attacks.
- Regular consumption of cherries relieves a person of constipation.
- Due to its low calorie content, cherries are included in the diet menu.
Using
Due to the high content of vitamin C, the fruits are consumed fresh and canned; they are used to make the filling for pies and rolls, jams, preserves, and fruit drinks. So that the taste does not give bitterness, before processing the fruits, the seeds are taken out, the berries are covered with sugar and insisted. In Brazil, berries are used to make vinegar and wine.
Cherry is a valuable raw material for the manufacture of cosmetics: lotions, creams, ointments, masks and much more. Cosmetics based on pitanga extract relieves inflammation of the skin and prevents rashes on it.
Beautiful fruits give the tree a decorative effect, so Surinamese cherries are often grown to decorate the garden, and not for the sake of berries. This culture grows well in a room with a cool microclimate.
Often there is a hedge of wild-growing cherries, which is used as an ornamental plant in gardens and parks. Cultivated varieties are grown to produce tasty and healthy berries.