How To Grow Physalis - Decorative And Not Only. Photo

The bright orange lanterns of Physalis are familiar to everyone. But this plant in itself deserves attention. Physalis is very effective, its bushes can become a bright touch in the design of flower beds, and fruit or vegetable physalis will add variety to the vegetable menu. Berry and vegetable physalis and its numerous varieties with different aromas and flavors are preserved and consumed fresh. It is also very beautiful, but unlike the decorative one, it is quite edible. Growing all physalis is easy - you just have to take care of the right conditions and at least minimal care.

Content:

• Physalis-friendly lighting
• Soil for physalis
• Planting physalis
• Physalis rejuvenation
• Watering for physalis
• Top dressing for decorative and vegetable physalis
• Loosening and weeding
• Physalis pruning and harvesting
• Physalis diseases and pests
• Physalis wintering
• Physalis reproduction

Physalis-friendly lighting

Physalis adapt well to difficult, changeable growing conditions. They can bear fruit in partial shade, in light unstable shade, and in bright sun. But they bloom and bear fruit most actively, they form the most beautiful physalis bushes in sunny, open areas. Physalis is not afraid of drafts and even winds.

Soil for physalis

When choosing a soil, focus on acidity. In even slightly acidic soils, neither decorative nor fruit physalis can grow, so make sure the soil is calcareous or neutral before planting. Also, strictly avoid places with stagnant water, high groundwater levels, swampy and compacted areas.

Choose loose, well-drained, high-quality soil with a high nutrient content to grow this plant successfully.

Planting physalis

Before planting any physalis, you need to take care of improving the soil. It must be dug twice to a depth of at least 40 cm. After the first digging into the ground, apply organic and mineral fertilizers, repeat the digging or aerate the soil with a pitchfork.

It is very important for physalis to leave enough room for growth. This plant is located at a distance of about 50 cm from other crops. Planting is carried out in individual pits, after planting, immediately watering the plants. It is best to complete the planting by mulching the soil.

Physalis rejuvenation

Physalis needs a fairly frequent rejuvenation. The bushes grow rapidly and often spread to neighboring plantings, therefore, with a regularity of 5-7 years, they need to be rejuvenated by separation and transferred to a new place.

Watering for physalis

Decorative physalis is quite drought-resistant and needs watering only during a very long drought. But the vegetable will need much more intense care. It is advisable to provide physalis in the beds with regular, systemic watering. On hot, sunny days, provided there is no natural precipitation, irrigation is traditionally carried out every other day, in cloudy weather and with normal rainfall - once a week.

Top dressing for decorative and vegetable physalis

Regardless of the purpose for which you grow physalis, plants will respond gratefully to maintaining a high nutritional value of the soil. The optimal strategy is considered to be fertilizing 2 times a year:

• the first top dressing is applied at the initial stage of development, during active growth, using humus, compost or wood ash, or complex mineral fertilizer (40-50 g of nitrophoska or 10-20 g of superphosphate, potassium salt, ammonium nitrate per 1 square meter of area and 1 bucket of water);
• the second feeding is carried out at the beginning of flowering with the same fertilizers.

You can also use 3 dressings - in early spring, at the stage of budding and after the beginning of flowering (the third is carried out in August or September, using 10-20 g of potash and phosphorus fertilizers).

Loosening and weeding

Without exception, physalis do not like the neighborhood with weeds. At least once a month or 1.5 months, it is necessary to carry out weeding, while simultaneously loosening the soil and maintaining its water permeability. You can get rid of weeding only by using the mulching method.

Physalis pruning and harvesting

Physalis does not need shaping, rejuvenating or regulating pruning. To increase the yield and the number of flowers on the plant, it is enough to pinch the tops of the branches. This procedure is best done in June.

Cutting of decorative physalis lanterns can be carried out as soon as the wrappers acquire a characteristic orange color and until the opening of the box leaves. Physalis vegetable begins to ripen 80-90 days after sowing. When ripe, the fruits acquire a characteristic color for the variety, and the lanterns dry up and brighten. Physalis can be harvested only on sunny days. Unripe fruits are well stored, gradually ripening and sometimes not spoiling until spring, provided they are stored in the refrigerator.

Physalis diseases and pests

Physalis is only threatened by improper selection of growing conditions or careless care. In too moist soil, physalis are quickly affected by stem rot. And in the vicinity of diseased plants and excessive dryness, they are often inhabited by aphids.

It is better to fight insects with insecticides, but do not rush to resort to chemical methods of struggle with diseases: first of all, transfer the physalis to the conditions suitable for them or adjust the care.

Physalis wintering

Both decorative and vegetable physalis are perfect for growing in the middle lane. They don't need protection for the winter, even a little one. In the conditions of snowless wintering, the bushes may freeze slightly, but they will quickly recover.

Physalis reproduction

Physalis reproduce very easily. To obtain this plant and increase plantings, you can use seeds or cuttings, or you can resort to the classic separation of the bushes during rejuvenation.

The most effective method of reproduction of physalis is precisely separation. Because of its creeping rhizomes, Physalis quickly adapts to new places and tolerates transplanting well. The division can be carried out both in spring and autumn, while one adult bush can be divided into small divisions with several shoots and a good bunch of roots.

Physalis cuttings can only be cut in July. For reproduction, cut off the top of the shoot with 2 or 3 full buds. Cuttings take root under standard conditions under a hood.

Physalis seeds can be grown both through seedlings and by sowing directly in a permanent place. At the same time, they can be sown into the soil both in spring and before winter, but in the conditions of the middle lane it is better to limit ourselves to the May sowing.

Sowings of physalis for seedlings are carried out in mid or late April, using personal, ideally peat pots for each seed. As they grow up, the seedlings are fed 1 time with full mineral fertilizers. It is possible to transfer young physalis to the ground only from the end of May, when the threat of frost disappears. Before adaptation, both decorative and vegetable physalis need to be watered and shaded often from midday rays.