Contents
Large-fruited strawberry tree: description
The strawberry tree is a thermophilic plant. In the middle lane, it can only be grown in a winter garden or apartment. If you want to decorate your home with an evergreen tree with delicious fruits, try growing it from seeds or cuttings.
Description of the strawberry tree
The name was given to the tree for the similarity of the fruit to strawberries. The fruits of the plant are pimpled, bright red or orange. They ripen in late autumn. It tastes a little like your favorite garden berry: too sweet, with a mealy flavor.
The fruits of the strawberry tree only look like their favorite berry.
The tree itself is not tall, it grows slowly. By the age of 50, it can reach 5 m, and after 10 it will not be higher than 2,5 m in height. The strawberry trunk behaves in an unusual way. The reddish-brown bark, which makes it look like a sunburned holiday-maker, changes once a year. At some point, the bark begins to peel off with a characteristic rustling, exposing a young green trunk. For this rustling, the plant received another name – “whisper”.
The whisperer’s branches, bending, form a whimsical pattern. The leaves of the strawberry are dense, bright green, oval. The color of the leaves does not change – the tree is evergreen. The flowers of the plant look unusual. Elegant white and pink clusters look like lanterns gathered in a bunch. All these features of the strawberry make it a great addition to the interior of the house or decoration of the winter garden.
Growing a large-fruited strawberry tree
There are about 14 varieties of strawberry. Two of them – large-fruited and small-fruited – are planted most often. Large-fruited differs in fruit size up to 2 cm in diameter, small-fruited – 1 cm.
In the middle lane, this tree can only be grown indoors. Sub-zero temperatures will kill the tree. At home, you can grow a whisperer in flower pots. The plant is undemanding to the soil, loves sunlight, and does not react well to stagnant water.
The plant is planted with seeds or cuttings of the upper young shoots. Seeds should be taken only fresh, after six months they lose their germination. Seeds are sown in March, the temperature should be at least 22-24 ° C.
– prepare the soil from turf, peat, humus and sand in equal volumes;
– plant the seeds in the soil and pour with settled warm water, after 15 days sprouts will appear;
– transplant the grown sprouts in a container (7-9 cm) for further cultivation.
When the plant becomes cramped in the mini pot, plant it in its permanent location in a large pot. Place expanded clay at the bottom as drainage. You can fill it with a mixture of 2 parts of sod land, part of peat, part of sand and part of humus.
Strawberries need to be fed all year round. From March to October every 10 days, from October to March – once a month. In the spring, complex mineral fertilizers are suitable, in the summer – organic. In August, after fruiting, add superphosphate to the soil.
Despite the fact that the plant turns green all year round, it needs wintering. In the autumn-winter period, it is necessary to place the whisperer in a cool room with an air temperature of 12-14 ° C. Watering should also be limited.
The plant will bloom for the first time only in the 4th year
Large strawberry will feel good at home. He does not need a lot of space: it can be shaped to any size. The fruits are not as tasty as they are beautiful, but they are suitable for conservation.