Physalis is a wonderful plant that is suitable for growing in our strip. It is a pity that few know about it, although the history of the vegetable goes back centuries. He was especially revered at the time by the Aztecs. They recognized only physalis, trying to eat tomatoes at a minimum. It is worth noting that physalis and tomatoes are relatives, since both of them belong to the nightshade family. Physalis cultivation loves careful, although care is not as demanding as the same tomatoes. If you decide to plant this vegetable in your garden, you will not regret it at all. From physalis, you can easily make tasty jam, jam, jelly, and much more. It is also used in cooking, for example, for decorating cakes. And physalis is dried, and in this state it is very similar to dried raisins.
Physalis: what is he like
Immediately I want to pay attention to the fact that this is not only a useful plant, but also very beautiful. Some types of physalis are specifically used to decorate flower beds or, for example, a summer cottage. Physalis can reach the height of human growth. It has green leaves, among which some time after planting, buds appear, and of them a little later - fruits, small round berries hidden in bright orange or green bags, somewhat reminiscent of Chinese lanterns. Raw physalis is not very tasty, so it is recommended to eat it after heat treatment. Strawberry physalis is especially popular, the cultivation of which in our strip is most justified.
Physalis: growing and care
Experienced gardeners probably know about how to grow physalis. They certainly won’t fail to get it at their site. It all starts with planting seedlings. The fact is that for most varieties a sufficiently long period of fruit ripening is required, and it, in fact, in our strip is somewhat limited by weather conditions. That is why it is recommended to plant seedlings in the middle - the end of March. But if you are sure that you can get a crop even if the seeds are sown immediately in open ground, then there is no need to grow seedlings.
Planting seedlings is carried out in the same way as would be done in the case of tomatoes. First, the seeds are sown, and after seedlings dive, giving the plants the opportunity to strengthen.
A transplant of physalis seedlings occurs somewhere in late May. You can do this a little earlier, if you are sure that it will already be warm enough. Pre physalis can be planted under the film, but with the onset of warm sunny days to remove. Prepare the soil. Be sure to dig it thoroughly, add humus and mineral fertilizers, physalis loves them very much.
The cultivation of this vegetable after transplanting into open ground is practically no different from the same process, but in the case of tomatoes. Physalis is very reserved about heat and light. Even if you plant it in the shade, the crop, albeit not so large, will be able to collect. Plant physalis bushes at a decent distance from each other, as they will grow well.
Physalis, like tomatoes, needs to be fed. The latter can be carried out using bird droppings, mullein solution or a mixture of urea, potassium chloride and superphosphate.
Watering physalis, the cultivation of which is already in full swing, is necessary as necessary. For example, one cannot do without it if there is heat outside the window and there has not been rain for several days.
So you can grow physalis on your own. As you can see, there is nothing complicated, but what kind of crop you will be able to harvest at the end of summer! If suddenly some fruits do not have time to ripen, put them on the windowsill, there they will reach the condition.