Decorative physalis or edible - growing from seeds

Physalis is a perennial relative of tomato and tobacco. In recent years, decorative culture has been very popular among owners of private houses. Amazing fruits growing on the plant will be an excellent decoration of the site in the cold season. In addition, designers use a decorative variety of physalis when creating compositions intended for decorating rooms and for landscape design of the site. Below is information on what physalis is and what it is for.

Culture Description

Inexperienced flower growers often wonder, physalis - what is it and what is it for. Translated from the Greek "Physalis" means "bubble".

Where does physalis grow? The homeland of decorative culture is considered the territory of South and Central America. Gradually, physalis berry gained popularity in North America and Europe.

How physalis grows

What does physalis look like? Decorative culture is a representative of the genus Solanaceae. There are more than 100 varieties of physalis. Perennial is unpretentious and able to withstand severe winter frosts. Culture can propagate by self-sowing.

The height of the bushes reaches 55-170 cm. How physalis blooms is another issue that worries gardeners. During flowering, the physalis plant is dotted with light flowers. In early autumn, lanterns of a bright orange hue appear on the bushes, in which small berries are formed. After a certain period of time, Chinese lanterns lose their saturated color. During this period, only fruits and light veins resembling cobwebs can be seen.

Physalis decorative in an interior

Designers often connect amazing lanterns of decorative physalis with a fishing line. The resulting garlands, if desired, can be decorated with bright ribbons and bead thread.

A composition of chic physalis fruits will perfectly decorate a plain interior, creating a bright accent. Designers often use decorative culture to create door and wall wreaths. The magnificent outlines of the product are complemented by small flowers and foliage. You can also decorate the wreaths with candles for decor and pine branches.

Useful and dangerous properties of physalis

The composition of the fruits of decorative physalis formed on the bushes includes a large percentage of useful elements, namely:

• vitamin A;
• potassium;
• magnesium;
• sodium;
• B and C vitamins

These elements can help make up for the deficiency of trace elements in the body.

A bitter-tasting fruit can cause poisoning and severe vomiting. You can eat only physalis vegetables and fruit annual or perennial varieties.

Physalis Berries

Types and varieties of physalis for flower beds

To decorate a flower bed near the house, you should pay attention to such varieties of decorative physalis, such as:

Physalis Peruvian

This is a perennial, grassy shoots of which reach 95-160 cm. The processes are dotted with pubescent foliage, which is naturally heart-shaped. The length of the serrated leaf plates reaches 6-14 cm, the width is in the range of 5-10 cm. During flowering, flowers open up on the plant with yellow petals and spots at the base, painted in a dark purple palette. Gradually, berries are formed in place of the physalis flowers. Thin yellow-brown bracts hide fruits whose diameter is 12-18 mm. Sweet and sour berries are endowed with an amazing fruity aroma.

Among the best varieties of Peruvian physalis are:

• pineapple - a variety whose berries ripen in late summer, they are endowed with a pronounced pineapple aroma;
• strawberry - a variety of perennials, the bushes of which barely reach 65 cm. Amber berries exude strawberry aroma;
• dessert look. Its height reaches 70 cm. A small amount of foliage is located on the bushes, so bright orange fruits are clearly visible on plants;
• marmalade grade. The main difference is the presence of branched bushes. Their height can reach 140-150 cm. Physalis berries, whose mass exceeds 45 g, are painted in a purple-yellow hue.

Physalis vulgaris

Also perennial with grassy shoots, the height of which is in the range of 45-55 cm. The foliage has an ovoid shape. On each leaf plate, swelling between the veins can be detected. The width of the foliage is in the range of 5-9 cm, and the length does not exceed 7-12 cm. Physalis flowers, painted in white tones, resemble the shape of a bell. Rounded berries are hidden under a swollen membranous flashlight. Considering the berries in the context, we can note their incredible juiciness.

Physalis is decorative

And this is also a perennial culture, the fruits of which, despite the special elegance, are categorically forbidden to eat. Containing toxic substances provoke poisoning and severe vomiting. You can admire the brightly colored lanterns at the end of summer. The most popular variety of ornamental physalis is the Franchet variety, whose branched shrubs can reach a height of 85-90 cm. Dark green foliage is endowed with oval outlines from nature. Teardrop-shaped fruits are painted in a scarlet palette.

Growing ornamental physalis from seeds

How to grow physalis from seeds at home? Experts recommend sowing them for seedlings in late March. Below is a step-by-step process for growing seeds, which will help to avoid common mistakes.

Decorative culture

1. The soil mixture is sterilized in the oven for about 30 minutes.
2. After cooling, the soil is poured into containers.
3. Physalis seeds are laid out on top of the earth layer, after which they can be sprinkled with a layer of earth. Depth should not exceed 10 mm.
4. The soil is moistened from the spray gun.
5. The containers are covered with film material and transferred to a room in which the temperature is in the range of 17-20 ºС.
6. After 10 days, you can expect the appearance of the first shoots. During this period, the film can be removed.
7. Pots with shoots are transferred to a well-lit area.
8. As soon as 2-3 leaves appear on the seedlings, it is worth to sprout seedlings in separate containers, which will contribute to the active development of the root system.
9. Every 2-3 weeks it is necessary to introduce complex mineral fertilizer into the ground. The most effective feeding of agricole, which must first be diluted with a small amount of water according to the instructions.

Planting in open ground seedlings

How to grow physalis? In mid-May, experts recommend preparing the site for planting grown seedlings. Below is a step-by-step process of planting seedlings on an open bed.

1. The soil in the selected area is dug to a depth of 35-40 cm.
2. A small amount of ash and humus is introduced into the ground. If desired, you can pour a little chopped onion peel, which can scare away pests.
3. On seedlings planted in open ground there should be 5-7 leaves.
4. Landing work is best done after sunset in early summer. In pre-dug holes, seedlings are planted, on the root system of which an earthen lump should remain.
5. The soil, after the seedlings have been planted, is moistened abundantly. The soil around the flowers is mulched. Sawdust or straw is perfect as mulch. The thickness of the mulch layer should be within 5-7 cm. Mulching will allow you to get rid of weed grass and keep moisture in the soil for a long time.

Breeding

To propagate a perennial culture, you can use the method:

• bush divisions;
• cuttings.

Rhizome division

The method of dividing the bush is the most popular method of reproduction. The root system of the perennial is able to adapt well in a new place. The procedure is recommended in mid-April. After digging up an adult plant, it is necessary to cut it into a couple of parts, at each end of which there should be growth points. The resulting bushes are transplanted to new places.

Cuttings

Harvesting cuttings is best done in July. To do this, cut the tops of the processes, on which 2-3 kidneys are located. Cuttings are planted in moist soil. It is best to deepen them into half the length. Tanks with landings are covered with polyethylene material (with holes for ventilation). Once the cuttings are rooted, polyethylene can be removed. A couple of weeks after rooting, one should start transplanting seedlings in open ground.

Features of physalis care in the open ground

Decorative physalis needs good lighting, therefore, when choosing a zone for planting plants, it is important to take this fact into account. The site must be protected from drafts. To this end, you can use the shading garden net.

It is worth giving preference to zones on a hill, which will avoid contact of closely running groundwater with the root system. The soil is preferably slightly alkaline or neutral.

Below are the most important rules for perennial care, compliance with which will allow you to grow healthy bushes.

• The recommended frequency of watering is 3 times a week. On particularly hot summer days, it is recommended to moisten the soil every day.
• Weed should be weeded every week, growing near physalis. When watering plants, it is necessary to systematically loosen the soil.
• Every 14-15 days, it is recommended to make top dressing. For this purpose, you can use mullein diluted in a small amount of water.
• The plant does not need pruning. On more branches, the fruits appear.

Properly caring for plants, you can grow bushes healthy and not susceptible to disease.

Fruits of a decorative plant

Pest and Disease Control

Compliance with the rules of agricultural technology will allow you to grow perennial bushes healthy and not affected by pests. However, in some cases, physalis growers complain of affected bushes. This can be attributed to various diseases.

• Viral mosaic. Because of it, one side of the foliage begins to turn yellow, and the second darkens. To cope with the disease, you will need to remove the affected bushes from the site and burn them. The soil in which ornamental plants grew is treated with a potassium permanganate solution.
• The black leg is a disease that most often affects perennial seedlings. The black leg develops mainly due to waterlogging of the soil. On the affected bushes, blackening of the stem is observed. Seedlings quickly die. Affected bushes are removed from the flowerbed and burned. The soil in which the stands grew is treated with fungicidal agents.
• White rot. Because of it, the root base of the decorative culture begins to rot. To cope with the disease, it is necessary to immediately transplant the bushes and treat them with actar insecticides or a spark.

Gorgeous flowering

In addition to diseases, plants can harm:

• Bears that gnaw the root system. To exterminate the pest, seedlings should be planted in rings of plastic, which should be located around the roots of the perennial;
• wireworms. You can cope with the invasion of pests with the help of baits. The pits dug in the area are filled with a layer of hay and covered with boards. After a few days, you can lift them and inspect the holes. Usually, in search of heat, wireworms collect in pits. Hay must be collected and burned together with pests. To prevent the appearance of wireworms, you should dig a site deeply every autumn.

Such troubles rarely occur with the plant, as the culture is resistant to most diseases. Most importantly, follow the basic recommendations regarding the care of seedlings, which will allow you to grow healthy bushes.

Decorative physalis is a culture whose fruits are often used by designers to decorate rooms. Unusual outlines of fruits and bright colors lift the mood and give the room coziness. Garlands of physalis fit perfectly into any interior design.