Not so long ago, many exotic fruits were unknown to the inhabitants of our country: neither their name nor appearance. Today, shops offer a wide variety of exotic. However, many people who are keen on gardening and growing indoor flowers want to plant plants that do not grow in our climate under natural conditions, at home or in the country. One of these exotic plants is feijoa. It turns out that this southern tree perfectly survives in our latitudes, but only at home.
Description of feijoa
Feijoa is a bush or small tree that is cultivated in the subtropics and tropics. Belongs to the Mirtov family. The plant is wild, mainly found in South America. Through long-term selection, indoor varieties that can be grown at home on the windowsill were also bred.
Feijoa has oblong leaves, from above are smooth, dark green in color, from below - grayish, covered with a light fluff. Flowers can grow individually, in pairs or be collected in inflorescences from several pieces. The petals are white at the edges, pinkish closer to the center, there are a large number of stamens.
The feijoa fruit is a berry, juicy and fleshy, covered with a peel (colors from yellow to dark green). Their taste reminds at the same time pineapple, kiwi and wild strawberry.
Feijoa fruits contain many useful sugars, organic acids. They are also rich in iodine, which is in the most bioavailable form. True, scientists have found that the content of this useful trace element is highly dependent on growing conditions. Only feijoa grown near the sea can boast of a high amount of iodine. Also in the fruits are many ascorbic and malic acid, pectin, fiber. It was found that they contain substances that inhibit carcinogenesis. Especially useful in this regard is the peel, which is usually not eaten.
Do not eat feijoa in food for those who are allergic to the substances that make up its composition.
A sufficiently high content of simple carbohydrates in fruits can harm people with obesity of the second or more degrees, as well as diabetics.
Feijoa care at home
Raising feijoa in the Russian climate is not too difficult, but care must be taken.
Temperature
In summer, during the growing season, he needs + 20 ... +25 ° C. The flower pot can be taken out onto the balcony or placed outside, but always in a place protected from drafts.
Feijoa does not need a high temperature in the cold season; it can be maintained at around +15 ° C. It has been established that wild and cultivated feijoa shrubs can tolerate a drop in temperature to -10 ° C. But to expose the indoor flower to such serious loads is not worth it.
Lighting
The birthplace of feijoa is the subtropics, where there is a lot of sun, heat and moisture. The indoor plant needs to be provided with sufficient lighting: it is better to put it on the windowsill from the sunny side or take it out into the street in a well-lit place.
If there is not enough sunlight for him, he may wither and even die. In winter feijoa, additional lighting is needed to prolong daylight hours.
The soil
The soil requirements are not too high, however, for better growth and development, you still need to prepare a special substrate for feijoa.
Its optimal composition in a ratio of 6: 4: 1: 1, respectively:
- turf land;
- humus;
- river sand:
- matured manure.
Growing seeds from home requires preparing a slightly different soil. In order for the seeds to germinate well, they must be planted in the following substrate (proportions 2: 2: 1, respectively):
- peat;
- sheet earth;
- sand.
Watering
In the subtropical climate, especially on the coasts of the seas and oceans, there is a lot of moisture in the air. Therefore, indoor feijoa also requires high humidity and plentiful watering. If the room is too dry air, it will begin to drop leaves, dry out, and may die completely.
In the hot season, it should be watered very often, not allowing the land to dry out. In addition, it is necessary to constantly spray feijoa from the spray gun. In the room where the pot stands, you can place several containers with water or put a special humidifier.
Top dressing
During the growing season, feijoa really needs special nutrition. In spring and summer, they should be made at least 1 time in 2 weeks, in stages. Both mineral and organic fertilizers are required. First, the soil must be enriched with nitrogen-based top dressing (bird droppings or mullein), after two weeks use potash (for example, wood ash), and after the same time - superphosphate. Each time, fertilizer should be applied after abundant watering.
Transplant and pruning
A plant under the age of three years requires a transplant once a year. An adult flower should be transplanted as necessary, every two or three years. Each time it is necessary to take a wider capacity so that the root system can develop freely. A feijoa does not require a complete transplant: it can be carefully transferred together with an earthen lump from one pot to another. Since the aerial part of the plant is very fragile, it is worth making a transplant with someone else's help.
To indoor feijoa pleasing to the eye, its crown must be properly trimmed.
The formation of a standard tree is not a simple matter. A stamp is an artificially made flat barrel crowned with a crown of some beautiful shape. Extra branches should be removed periodically, which can take quite a while. When the plant reaches the required height, the top must be clipped. After its removal, the side shoots will grow. They also need to be clipped, gradually forming a crown.
Methods of propagation of an exotic plant
Feijoa propagation can be done by planting seeds, cuttings, or separating root shoots. Of course, the easiest way to get this exotic plant is to buy in a specialized store. However, it is not always possible to find feijoa. In this case, you can buy fruits in the supermarket and get seeds for planting. It is necessary to choose berries of full ripeness. They should not be either immature or overripe. Otherwise, the seed will not germinate.
The contents of the fetus must be gently squeezed, and then placed in a saucer and pour water, or better - a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After the seeds move away from the pulp, they must be washed well under running water and dried. Fully dried can be sown in prepared soil.
Seeds are placed at a shallow depth (about 0.5 cm), and then covered with a film or glass container to create greenhouse conditions. If everything is done correctly, the shoots will appear in about 30 days. When the seedling has two or three pairs of leaves, it must be carefully transplanted into a separate pot.
Cuttings are a more complex method, available in practice only to experienced gardeners. Beginners in this matter are better off using simpler methods. Semi-lignified shoots are cut from an adult plant. The length of the handle should be about 10 cm, it is important that on each of them there were 2-3 kidneys.
Leaves from the branches are cut, leaving only a couple of the top. The soil for rooting cuttings is the same as for germinating seeds. Sprigs are planted in moist soil, leaving about a third of the cuttings above it. After that, the earth in a pot is watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
After some time, you can use any root stimulant (for example, Cornevin).
Rooting takes quite a long time, about 1.5-2 months. When the first leaves bloom on the branches, you can transplant the plants into separate pots.
Feijoa flowers and fruits
Feijoa blooms from May to June-July. Four-membered flowers, with white-pink petals, in the center there are a large number of red stamens. Flowering, as a rule, is long, it can last 3-4 weeks.
In order not to create additional difficulties for yourself, it is better to give preference to self-pollinating varieties. Then the fruits will heal naturally, without any extra effort on the part of man.
If another variety is grown, then it is necessary to plant several plants at once (at least two). After the appearance of flowers with a special brush, you need to collect pollen from one plant and place it on the stamens of another.
Home-grown feijoa can be sour in taste. They appear only on grafted trees, for 4-5 years of life.
Pests, feijoa diseases
Like other indoor flowers, feijoa can get a fungus or be attacked by pests. The reason for this is often improper care. Fungicide treatment will help protect the plant from fungal infections. They can be purchased at a specialty store.
When using the drug, you must strictly follow the instructions.
The most common feijoa pests are pseudoscutum, spider mite and mealybug. You can deal with the first in several ways. Once insects are found, you need to thoroughly treat the leaves with a soapy solution. At the same time, make sure that he does not hit the ground in a pot.
If this method does not help, then it is necessary to apply stronger means, for example, Karbofos. It must be diluted in a proportion of 6 g per liter of water, and then generously spray each leaf. Processing should be done at least three times, taking breaks between sprayings for a week.
As a rule, a red spider mite affects plants that are contained in insufficiently humid air or are deficient in soil moisture. To combat it, it is recommended to use acaricide celtan. It is used against various types of ticks on fruit plants. 2 g of the drug must be diluted in a liter of water and carefully process all parts of feijoa. It is better to choose a cloudy day for anti-mite spraying or to carry the plant away from direct sunlight, in the shade. Otherwise, leaves and shoots can get severe burns.
Mealybug rarely infects feijoa. If this happened, then any insecticide will help to cope with the problem.
Feijoa not only brings tasty and healthy fruits, but also serves as an excellent interior decoration of any home. During flowering, he will fill the room with a wonderful delicate aroma. Growing a plant is not so difficult, even a beginner grower can do it.
