Orlyak fern is a beautiful perennial plant belonging to the class of ferns and the family Denstedtievy. This plant is used not only for decorating a garden plot or room, but also for culinary purposes, as well as for the treatment of certain diseases. In this article we will share with you recipes for making bracken fern, as well as talk about the features of its cultivation at home. Caring for it is quite simple, besides, the fern grows very quickly.
Photo and description
The bracken fern is a herbaceous plant that resembles an undersized shrub. Its height varies from 30 to 100 centimeters. A powerful united root system grows in horizontal directions and nourishes young shoots. The name of the plant was given due to the spreading leaves resembling the shape of eagle wings.
Orlyak fern (photo in the article) is famous for its increased vitality. Not only does the plant take root even on the harshest and infertile soils, it is not even afraid of a fire. One of the first ferns will begin to grow in the same area, even if a fire destroyed all life around.
Beneficial features
The bracken fern contains an incredible amount of useful substances, and each part of the plant is rich in special elements. For example, the leaves contain phytosterols that normalize cholesterol, and flavonoids that strengthen small capillaries, as well as regulate the process of blood coagulation. In addition, the leaves are rich in sesquiterpene, which has anthelmintic properties, and tannins, which increase immunity and preserve youth.
By eating stems and young shoots, you saturate the body with essential oils, glycosides, alkaloids, fatty acids, tyrosine, phenylalanine and iodine. Fern stalks are also rich in aspartic, nicotinic and glutamic acids. This plant stimulates metabolism and increases the body's resistance to stress.
Medical use
The medicinal properties of bracken fern have long been used to combat numerous diseases. Decoctions of dried roots and shoots are used to treat:
- vomiting and diarrhea;
- nervous disorders;
- headaches;
- hypertension
- respiratory diseases;
- weakened immunity.
Fern also copes with rheumatism, arthritis and cramps. A decoction of this plant is used as an expectorant and choleretic agent. As in any business, applying fern, it is important to comply with the measure. Even the youngest shoots contain a small amount of toxic substances that can accumulate in the body. It is undesirable to use fern even for medicinal purposes, if we are talking about pregnant or lactating women.
Bracken Fern Life Cycle
This process is significantly different from the reproduction of most other plants. The cycle consists of two main stages: asexual and sexual. The stages of the bracken fern life cycle are in the following order:
- dispute formation;
- gametophyte development;
- egg and sperm formation;
- fertilization and the process of zygote formation;
- embryo formation and development;
- development of an independent plant.
Asexual fern spores, spilling out under favorable conditions, germinate and form a gametophyte. It is on it that the formation of eggs and motile spermatozoa occurs, which merge and form a zygote.
Preparation for landing
If you decide to grow fern in your area, it is best to purchase a young plant in a trusted store or nursery. When buying, conduct a thorough inspection of the plant - the leaves should be resilient, without traces of damage and disease. The same goes for the root system.
Bringing the plant home, leave it for a day in a shaded room. After that, transplant into a pot with prepared soil. A drainage layer is necessarily laid out at its bottom, and the substrate itself should consist of most of the sand and less of the earth. Put a little compost in the planting hole and carefully place the fern, spreading the roots. After that, the plant is watered and fertilized with a growth stimulator that facilitates the adaptation process.
Growing conditions
To obtain a lush and healthy plant, you should organize comfortable conditions that are as close to natural as possible. To do this, the pot with fern is placed in a shaded place, away from sources of heating. Active exposure to sunlight is contraindicated in this plant.
The air temperature for growing ferns can be quite different - from +10 ° to +25 ° . Therefore, in the summer, you can take the plant to a glazed balcony so that it is protected not only from bright sunlight, but also from possible drafts.
Humidity is also important - both soil and air. To maintain the required level of humidity, it is enough to periodically spray the plant from the sprayer. In summer, spraying is performed daily.
Plant care
Bracken fern is considered a water-loving plant. In the warm season, watering is carried out twice a week, since the plant is actively developing and requires a lot of water. In winter, watering is reduced by 4-5 times, however, spraying is maintained.
Due to the high sensitivity of plants to chemicals, fertilizing is applied to the soil every 7-10 days. Ferns begin to be fertilized in early spring, when the plant awakens after hibernation and is ready for active growth.
The bracken is transplanted extremely rarely, only in the case of the development of a very large bush that does not have enough space in the pot. Sometimes a mature plant is transplanted into the open ground in the summer, but with the advent of cold weather it returns home. The fern is transplanted to the garden plot as follows: in a shaded and sheltered from the wind hole is dug, at the bottom of which a little compost or humus is laid, after which the plant itself is moved and dug with fresh soil. This procedure is carried out in the spring.
The braid does not need pruning. In home growing conditions, he does not shed leaves. A garden fern replaces wilted leaves with new ones that will give the plant a fresh and healthy look.
Features of the collection
Fern is harvested in the spring. And to find it is not at all difficult. The plant is found in almost any forest, birch and even in many garden areas. Some inexperienced gardeners are trying to get rid of it as an annoying weed, not knowing how useful it is.
Spring harvest due to the fact that the edible parts of the fern are young shoots that did not have time to let out leaves. By the end of spring, the shoots begin to turn numb, the leaves grow actively, forming a lush bush unsuitable for consumption. In addition, the older the plant, the more harmful and even toxic substances accumulate in it. In the collection process, it is important not to miss the very moment when the young stalks of the bracken are delicate and fragile, and the shoots are bent into a hook.
Freshly collected brackets are stored for no more than two days, and only in the refrigerator. If not consumed or processed during this period, the plant will become completely poisonous. Therefore, do not be greedy when collecting ferns, especially if you do not plan to harvest it for long-term storage.
Preliminary preparation
Fresh fern contains a small amount of toxic substances, so before you start cooking, prepare the plant. Otherwise, the use of this product in food threatens poisoning. To cleanse the plant of bitterness and poisons, it is enough to soak it in saline for a day. After this, the shoots are soaked in fresh water. Such processing will not only protect the bracken fern, but also preserve all its taste, nutrients and attractive appearance.
If you want to speed up the process of plant cleansing, you can boil it several times in salted water, which must be replaced at least three times. The first two boils last for 1-2 minutes, the last - at least 10 minutes. The fern is removed from the fire at the moment when its shoots curl into pretty rings.
Harvesting and long-term storage
Since fresh bracken fern is not stored for long, and they want to feast on it for as long as possible, there is a basic method for harvesting it - pickling. To do this, it is better to use wooden tubs in which young plants are laid, layered with salt. At least 250 grams of salt is consumed per kilogram of fern. From above, the entire structure is pressed by the press and left for a couple of weeks. After that, the oppression is removed, the brine is drained and the upper layers are replaced with the lower ones, then they are poured with fresh brine. In this state, the fern is left for another week.
Before use, the fern is soaked in fresh water for 7-8 hours, then boiled for 5-7 minutes. Only after these procedures can you start preparing bracken fern.
Tasty and healthy salad
One of the best recipes with bracken fern is meat salad. For its preparation, tender veal meat, boiled eggs, hard cheese, cucumbers, fresh onions and tomatoes are used. All components are taken in equal parts and cut. Raw fern is boiled in water, and then fried in oil to get rid of excess moisture and give a piquant taste. If you plan to use the salty fern bracken, then first you need to soak it in water and also fry. After that, all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and seasoned with mayonnaise.
Fern Diet
Among the many recipes from this plant, a special place is occupied by low-calorie, dietary dishes. For example, a fried fern will be a great addition to any side dish.
To prepare it, you will need the plant itself, onion, a little flour and sour cream. The onion is finely chopped and fried in oil until golden brown. After this, a prepared fern is added, which is fried with onions for 10 minutes. In a separate container, sour cream is mixed with flour and poured into a pan with fern and onions. After that, the pan goes to the preheated oven. Roasting is carried out until a golden crust appears. The finished dish goes well with boiled rice and potatoes.