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Valuable properties of chokeberry
Unpretentious. She doesn’t need fertilizer. Moreover, if you feed the chokeberry, it will begin to grow foliage, shoots, and there will be practically no berries on it. Frost, even the most severe, is not afraid. And it can also be transplanted even with blossoming leaves. The only thing she needs is good lighting; in the shade of berries, she gives little.
Decorative. In summer, it pleases with abundant greenery, and in autumn it becomes a real decoration of the garden, shimmering with different shades of purple, red and orange. Her flowers are bright white, fragrant – in the spring they fill the site with a wonderful aroma. Young shoots are red-brown, then dark gray (1).
By the way, chokeberry can be used for hedges (2). And it also perfectly strengthens the ravines.
Healing. The name of this plant speaks for itself: chokeberry – from the Greek word “aros”, which means “benefit” in translation. Not surprisingly, chokeberry is used as a medicinal plant (3). The berries contain beta-carotene, ascorbic acid, vitamins E, K, P, PP, B₁, B₂, B₆. In general, a berry from all diseases! Increases immunity, improves digestion, heart function, thyroid gland and blood composition, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, normalizes blood pressure, cleanses the body of bad cholesterol, prevents anemia, helps to free the intestines from toxins, toxins and heavy metals.
In addition, it is indispensable for those who want to lose weight. Due to the high content of anthocyanins, these berries help to overcome the false feeling of hunger.
However, doctors do not recommend eating chokeberry for people with gastritis, ulcers, hypotension, as well as for those who have increased blood clotting, thrombosis and thrombophlebitis.
Growing chokeberry
Landing. It is best to plant chokeberry in the fall, in the first half of October.
Pits are dug under it with a depth and diameter of 50 cm. The root neck must be deepened by 1,5 cm. After planting, pour 1 bucket of water under the seedling, and mulch the trunk circle with humus, sawdust or simply dry earth. In order to get a strong increase next year, it is useful to cut the bush – leaving only the 4 lowest buds.
Aronia is a self-fertile crop, it does not need pollinators. Therefore, only one bush can be planted on the site.
Care. Chokeberry can grow well without irrigation, but in order for the berries to be large and juicy, it is useful to water the plants once a week during the formation of fruits. And that’s only in dry summers.
Aronia pruning is easy. In the first years of life, it is only necessary to cut out the shoots that thicken the crown, leaving no more than 12 stems. After 7 years, all old branches should be removed. And at the age of 10, it is better to cut the bush completely, leaving stumps 20 cm high – this is necessary to rejuvenate the plant.
Breeding. The easiest way to breed chokeberry root offspring. They are separated in the fall from the mother bush and immediately planted in a permanent place. The survival rate is usually 100%!
Harvesting chokeberry
Aronia fruits ripen at the end of August. But it is better to collect them after the first frost – then they become sweet.
It is most convenient to cut whole seedlings with scissors, by the way, they are stored longer than the berries separately.
Aronia berries can be dried, frozen, compotes, fruit drinks, wine, puree and jam can be made from them.
Popular questions and answers
We talked about growing chokeberry with agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova.
How to choose chokeberry seedlings?
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Sources of
1. Burmistrov AN, Nikitina VA Honey plants and their pollen. Directory // M .: Rosagropromizdat, 1990 – 192 p.
2. Dyakova T.N. Decorative trees and shrubs: new in the design of your garden // M .: Kolos, 2001 – 360 p.
3. Chakhovskiy A.A. and others. Chokeberry, sea buckthorn and other promising fruit and berry plants // Minsk: Uradzhay, 1976 – 79 p.