In its homeland, this liana grows in light forests and is adjacent to the Ussuri tiger itself. This is lemongrass. The length of its main shoot can reach twelve meters. Ripe fruits and seeds, rich in essential oils and organic acids, are used to relieve fatigue and improve performance.

Far Eastern Schisandra description

Annual shoots of lemongrass of the Far East are yellow-brown in color and with a smooth bark, perennials have wrinkled bark and dark brown. The leaf of Far Eastern lemongrass is simple, dark green, back ovoid, has a long pink petiole. Flowers up to two centimeters in diameter, monoecious, dioecious, white waxy, strong aroma. Flowers are located in the axils of the leaves in small bouquets, three to five flowers. Those flowers that have only stamens and anthers are called male, and women have greenish pistils with numerous stipules. Pollinated by various insects.

The fruit is not properly rounded, glabrous, leathery up to one centimeter in diameter. The color ranges from orange-red to brown-red. Fruits are placed on a common fruit axis (branch) in several pieces. The length of such branches can be up to eight centimeters. Fruits in the area of ​​the Kiev-Kursk-Oryol axis begin to ripen from the end of August, but they hold on tightly to the tree until the leaves fall. Ripeness is determined by their softness and transparency. The seeds, the fresher, the more germination they have.

Schisandra cultivation and care photo

Far Eastern lemongrass is propagated by seeds or horse shoots. In seed propagation, seeds are removed from the fruit and sown in suitable soil in the fall. Before that, they are warmed up in a room for 20 days, if they want to sow in the fall. You can sow them at the end of April. Before that, the seeds are kept for a month in wet sand in the refrigerator, sown to a depth of two centimeters with a distance of 15 to 15 cm. After sowing, the soil is covered with fine peat mixed in half with humus. At the age of three, seedlings, with a clod of earth, are transplanted to a permanent place in early spring.

For vegetative propagation in Schizandra schisandra, before bud break, a one-year shoot is pinned to the bottom of a shallow (3-5 cm) hole and covered with humus. This place should not dry out during the growing season. You can transplant to a permanent place next spring.

Planting is best done in early spring, as soon as the soil allows. Landing pits are prepared in advance. They are dug out in the size of half a meter by half a meter and a depth of thirty centimeters. The distance between the vines is about a meter. A cut of their small branches and bark with the addition of crushed stone are poured onto the bottom. The pits are covered with an earthen mixture consisting of a bucket of earth, a bucket compost , stacks of saltpeter, wood ash and superphosphate .

When planting lemongrass of the Far East, it is impossible to change the depth, from that which was in the nursery. Lemongrass seedlings must be watered in the volume of two buckets. Then you need to install permanent supports to accommodate the growing vines. They can be planted next to buildings and structures in the country, as this vine is afraid strong winds and drafts. The most suitable place for lemongrass is light partial shade, with light and nutritious soil, with uniform watering.

How to care for lemongrass

At the beginning of budding, lemongrass must be fed with a solution fertilizers ... To do this, take a full tablespoon of potassium nitrate or ammonium nitrate on a bucket of water and then add a teaspoon of potassium salt. This amount is enough for two vines up to five years old or one older plant. In early May, the soil under the vine must be covered with a layer mulching material five centimeters.

After flowering, lemongrass is good to feed with nitroammophos. Take a stack of fertilizer and pour boiling water in a glass container of one liter. Close and wrap. Allow to cool. The mixture is poured into eight liters of water and sprayed over the leaf in the morning.

When the crop is harvested, you need to well loosen the soil around Schizandra to a depth of 6-7 cm with the addition of ash in the amount of one hundred grams per plant.

Pruning lemongrass is reduced to removing old (over 12 years old) shoots, as well as those that thicken the crown. Thinning and shortening is good in the fall, but if there is a danger of freezing of the vines, then it is better to transfer pruning to spring. When the blossoming buds become clearly visible, you can remove everything you do not need. It is dangerous to inflict many wounds at once. If the bush is very neglected, stretch the pruning process for two weeks, cutting off at a time, just a small part of the branches.

Of the pests and diseases, spider mites and fusarium wilting are the most annoying.

The mite damages the young ends of the shoots and is most dangerous for young plants. When it appears, processing is carried out chemicals , but if there are flowers or berries, then you can fight only with biological preparations or herbal infusions.

Fusarium wilting primarily damages weak, frozen plants, as well as those that do not receive a balanced mineral nutrition, there is stagnation of moisture or a high location of groundwater. Helps it cure copper containing fungicides.

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Chinese lemongrass is still a rare guest on the private plots of domestic gardeners. This is due, first of all, to the lack of information about the cultivation techniques of this wonderful medicinal plant.

The description of its characteristics is a novelty for many Russian users, but in China, the healing properties of the plant are used in folk medicine since ancient times and are used in modern pharmacological preparations. In fact, there is nothing difficult in growing it, and performing the usual activities when planting and caring for lemongrass in open ground will allow you to get a bountiful harvest of the most healthy berries.

Origin and description of culture

Other names for this plant are Manchurian lemongrass, schizandra (from the Latin name Schisandra chinensis). Schisandra chinensis is a perennial from the Lemongrass family. For the first time in the scientific literature, it was described in 1837 by the botanist N. S Turchaninov.

Botanical description and varieties

The branching, twining stems of trees, the stems of Schisandra chinensis can be up to 15 meters long, although their thickness is small - no more than 2 centimeters. The bark of young shoots is yellow; with age, it darkens to dark brown. The wedge-shaped leaves, alternately located on the stems of climbing vines, like the rest of the plant, have a specific lemon scent.

After the faint pink and white petals have fallen off, multi-berry clusters (20-25 fruits in each) are formed in place of the flowers of Schisandra chinensis. The flowers on the plant are male and female.

Among garden and wild lemongrass, there are several varieties or groups that have similar characteristics (mainly in the form, size and design of the fruit):

• cylindrical - with fruits of the corresponding shape. The brushes are 5-10 cm in size, and the fruitlets in them are no more than a centimeter in diameter. This is the most common group of Chinese lemongrass;
• long-leafed - with a correspondingly very long brush (at least 7 cm);
• spherical - with an unusual round brush shape. The fruit-berries in it are located at the very top, forming the shape of a ball.

The plant is unpretentious, grows well in garden plots. It is appreciated for its large number useful properties, but also looks very beautiful: in the spring it is covered with fragrant flowers, which in summer are replaced by brightly scarlet berry clusters against the background of yellow-green foliage. This is an excellent decorative planting for gazebos, verandas, excellent "material" for living fences and hedges. It should only be taken into account that without supports, Chinese lemongrass develops into a low shrub that blooms, but rarely bears fruit.

It should not be confused with Chinese lemongrass, Crimean lemongrass, which also exudes a pleasant, lemon-like scent, but has a medium-sized bush shape and is a representative of a completely different botanical family.

Where does lemongrass grow

In the wild, Schizandra Manchurian is found in China and on the Japanese islands, and on the territory of our country - in the Amur Region, in the south of Sakhalin Island, in some areas of the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories. An uncultivated species of Chinese schisandra lianas - rugged thickets - are found in broad-leaved cedar, coniferous-deciduous forests, near water bodies.

Chinese lemongrass does not tolerate prolonged stagnation of water in the ground, therefore it does not grow in floodplains subject to prolonged waterlogging. In the mountains, it also occurs at an altitude of 500-600 meters above sea level.

Useful features

All parts of schizandra - from roots to fruits - have healing properties, but more than others bestow the benefits of berries, including the seeds in them. The first ones are saturated with vitamins C, E, tannins, selenium, iodine, manganese, copper, zinc and iron. List nutrients supplemented by various minerals in the composition of salts and beneficial acids.

The seeds are rich in fatty and essential oils, resins, phosphorus and iron, schizandrol and schizandrin - substances that have a tonic effect.

Thanks to such a rich composition, Schisandra berries are used in the treatment of the following diseases (if there are no contraindications):

• cardiovascular problems - drugs with Chinese magnolia vine strengthen the tissues of the heart muscle and are indicated for patients if they do not cause side effects - tachycardia and chest pain;
• chronic gastritis - use drugs based on schizandra seeds contributes to the normalization of gastric secretory function and at the same time effectively relieves pain syndrome;
• respiratory diseases - chronic bronchitis, pneumonia;
• anemia, low hemoglobin;
• climacteric problems, hormonal disruptions - Chinese lemongrass stimulates the adrenal glands, while relieving menstrual pain;
• impotence;
• tuberculosis;
• constant depression and chronic stress - the berries of the plant promote relaxation, improve the psychophysical state. They are part of effective tonic drinks.

Contraindications to the use of schizandra may be associated with its overdose, as well as the following conditions:

• during pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• with epilepsy, high intracranial pressure, a tendency to insomnia;
• suffering from allergies;
• with infectious diseases;
• with liver diseases;
• children and adolescents under 12 years of age.

Breeding methods in a personal plot

For reproduction of Schisandra chinensis, vegetative and seed methods are used.

The plant propagates by cuttings or cuttings. This method is called vegetative: in the spring, the side shoots are lowered to the ground, pinned neatly and sprinkled with soil. Within a year, they take root, they are cut off, dug up and transplanted to where they will constantly grow in the future. This is a simpler and more popular option that allows you to transplant lemongrass: in the second, maximum - the third year, the plant bears fruit. But in general, the way how to breed Chinese lemongrass does not affect the final result and depends only on the capabilities or convenience of the gardener. As a result of any of the breeding options, with the observance of cultivation techniques, strong fruit-bearing plants grow.

Seeds are planted only freshly harvested, as they lose their germination quickly. The seedlings grown from them are moved to a permanent place for the next year.

How to grow lemongrass

The development of Chinese schizandra, its resistance to disease is mainly influenced by the correct choice of the place for its planting. Soil fertilization and top dressing are common in horticultural plantings. Like the vast majority of lianas, Chinese lemongrass on the site, the dacha takes root well. It is easy to grow: minimal effort ensures a beautiful appearance of a well-developed plant and a good berry yield.

Agrotechnical requirements

It is not difficult to choose the conditions "pleasing" to the culture, and it will thank for them with strong growth and fruiting:

• sufficient illumination - at least 8 hours of daylight for adult plants. To do this, when planting Schisandra chinensis near a house or garden buildings, you can choose both the southern and eastern sides - it is enough for the tops of the vines to be well lit;
• the acidity of the earth is closer to neutral;
• minimizing drafts and strong winds. Planting Chinese lemongrass in constantly and heavily blown areas - doom it to death in advance;
• provision with props - trellises, a fence, a wall of a house, a gazebo, any other structure.

The soil for planting is prepared by standard digging with the addition of humus, peat. If the soil is heavy, it is advisable to drain it with river pebbles, broken brick.

In the conditions of the Moscow region, planting and caring for a Chinese schisandra plant presupposes the fulfillment of the above requirements - this is enough to obtain an excellent result. Frost-resistant liana suits the climate of Russia in the middle zone - grown here, they need shelter only in the first couple of years of growth. The cultivation of Chinese schizandra in the Urals or Siberia requires shelter and adult vines for protection from the dangerous cold weather. They are carefully removed from the trellises, placed on a layer of spruce branches and covered with a large layer of foliage or sawdust.

Dates and rules for disembarkation

Saplings can be planted in spring and autumn, depending on the climate. In the Moscow region, the landing time is the second half of May and the beginning of June. In the southern regions, the autumn period is preferable: the summer heat is more harmful for only planted, taking root plants, and the absence of severe winter frosts will contribute to full-fledged rooting.

In the middle lane of the country, cuttings are harvested in early June and kept in water in slices before planting. It is optimal to plant them in a cold greenhouse, and if in the beds, then cover them from the sun from above (with non-woven material, which is removed only in August). Usually half of the cuttings take root, which in the fall are removed to a cold cellar along with a lump of earth and stored in wet sawdust.

In a permanent place to achieve the best decorative effect, cuttings are best planted in groups of three copies with a distance of one meter between them.

Planting holes are dug to a depth of 40 cm and a width of 60 cm. The bottom is covered with a 10-cm layer of drainage, which is covered with soil.

The best seedlings of Chinese magnolia vine are two and three years old. They are already provided with a developed root system - fully prepared for planting. It is advisable to find a permanent place for all the years of the plant's life: mature lianas do not tolerate transplantation very well and hardly take root in a new place.

Growing from seeds is a more laborious option and is used if there is no other way to propagate the plant. Seed material is harvested in the fall from the ripe berries and stored until December in a regular paper bag in dry conditions. Then they are soaked for 3-4 days, every day replacing the water with fresh water, transferred to a nylon bag and placed in wet sand (it is advisable to pre-calcify it to minimize the risk of bacteria introduction). Store at a temperature of +5 ° C (the vegetable compartment in the refrigerator or cellar is best suited). Twice a month they are taken out, ventilated and placed back in the sand, keeping an eye on its moisture.

Two or two and a half months before planting, the seeds of the Chinese schizandra are transferred to a room with a room temperature, and for a month they are provided with a temperature of +8 ° C. The sand should remain wet all this time. This period of stratification is quite troublesome, but this is where the difficulty of planting with seeds ends. Can be sown in a greenhouse or on open beds. The planting substrate is a mixture of sand and peat in half. On its surface, grooves are drawn shallowly - by 2-2.5 cm, the seeds are laid out, sprinkled with the same mixture and watered. Those planted in open soil are covered with a film on the arches. In the first year of life, they only need timely watering, they do not need fertilizers.

Care features

In addition to the standard measures for cultivating and caring for Chinese magnolia vine - watering, fertilizing, loosening - it requires supports. This helps the plant to get more light, to be ventilated by air and in return to give decorative lush foliage and fruit yield.

The easiest way is to install the trellises immediately when planting the cuttings. It is not necessary to spend money on factory ones - making simple supports with your own hands is not difficult. For the first year, small pegs are enough, but in the future, without a high support, the plant will not bear fruit, no matter how much it is looked after. If Chinese lemongrass is planted next to the wall of the house, an old staircase can be installed in an inclined manner as a support for it.

The vine needs the first pruning after planting two years later. In the fall, after the end of leaf fall, 4-5 shoots are left, and the rest are cut off at the very ground. If it was not possible to prune in the fall, you can remove the root shoots in June, thus thinning the plant somewhat.

Pruning cannot be carried out in winter and spring, but as a sanitary cleaning it is permissible to remove old ineffective shoots, broken off, dried vines, small branches that thicken the crown too much.

Watering and loosening

Young sprouts are watered regularly, making sure that the soil does not dry out, and avoiding stagnant water. In the homeland of the plant, the climate is characterized by high air humidity, so it will be grateful if it is sprayed with warm water in hot weather, and about 60 liters of water are spent on the stem for irrigation (preferably not too cold). It is also customary to water the Chinese lemongrass by feeding it.

The root system of the plant is located in the upper layers of the soil (up to 30 cm deep), therefore, loosening is carried out superficially, no deeper than 5 cm.

Top dressing

Schisandra Manchurian is fertilized twice in spring and once - in summer and autumn:

• before flowering, in April, saltpeter (20-30 g) is poured around the trunk, covering it with a layer of deciduous compost or humus;
• at the end of flowering and with the formation of ovaries, liquid organic matter is introduced with an interval of three to four weeks. At the same time, in order not to disturb the roots of the plant, fertilizer is poured into the wells made with scrap;
• in the fall, after dropping the leaves of the vine, 20-25 g of superphosphate are introduced under each trunk and the earth is carefully loosened, adding another 100-120 g of wood or straw ash under each plant.

Diseases and pests

Fragrant lemongrass is famous for its high immunity to diseases, and insect pests do not bother it, being frightened off by the specific smell of foliage.

In extremely rare cases, the vines of the Chinese schizandra are affected by powdery mildew and spotting, fusarium wilt. In the latter case, the plant cannot be saved, it is removed and the remains are burned. Problems with the first two diseases are solved by removing the affected leaves (they are also burned) and spraying the entire plant with Bordeaux 1% liquid.

The cultivation of the unpretentious Manchurian lemongrass in the Russian central zone and even in the Siberian region does not cause much trouble. At the same time, lush vines, intertwining the supports, will enrich the landscape of any site, bloom it with the bright green color of foliage and the colorfulness of flowers and berries.

In the spring I planted a Chinese lemongrass and only then I learned that it was necessary to plant more than one vine, otherwise it would not bear fruit. But in the catalog from which I ordered it, not a word was said about it. If possible, please give advice on the following issues:

• How much lemongrass should be planted for good fruiting?
• Are there male and female plants among them and how to distinguish them?
• Which varieties are preferable?
• How to care for plants?

Pelageya Mikhailovna DORONINA

WHAT IS THE CHINESE LEMONNIK VALUED FOR?

Schisandra is a valuable medicinal and industrial plant. Its fruits contain tonic substances that are able to restore strength in case of physical and mental fatigue of a person. From the pulp of the fruit, fillings for sweets, jams, jelly, juices, extracts and other drinks are made. However, it must be borne in mind that when processing berries at home, you should avoid crushing and crushing the seeds, otherwise they will give the products a bitter and pungent taste.

The stems, bark, leaves of this plant are used to prepare a tea drink that has a tonic effect.

Schizandra fruits are bright red rounded berries, slightly elongated or spherical (similar to red currants), collected in cob-shaped clusters. They ripen in August-September and usually stay on bushes until frost. The average weight of the berry is 0.5-0.6 g.

Pests and diseases on lemongrass are quite rare.

On a note

Schisandra is a cross-pollinated plant, therefore, it is desirable to have several bushes in one area. When planting one plant, you cannot be guaranteed to get fruits.

WHAT KINDS TO PREFER

In nature, lemongrass is represented by both monoecious species (with male and female flowers on one plant), and dioecious, in which staminate (male) and pistillate (female) flowers bloom on different plants. For fruit purposes, monoecious plants are selected that are capable of producing a crop annually without additional replanting of a pollinator plant.

It is almost impossible for an amateur gardener to accurately determine the sex of a plant before it blooms. When planting plants from an unknown source in a garden, you must wait 3-4 years for the plant to bloom in spring, and carefully examine the flowers. In men there will be five stamens, the threads of which have grown together in 8 one thick column. In female flowers, the receptacle is tightly seated in a spiral with numerous pistils. To get a crop, you need to find out which specimen you got and plant cuttings of the opposite sex.

When planting seedlings, amateur gardeners need to take at least 5-10 pieces of them in order to further reject seedlings with permanently male flowers, specimens bearing a small number of female flowers or with their defects, plants with poor pollen fertility. In addition, such a number of seedlings guarantees normal mutual pollination of plants. When planting vegetatively propagated lemongrass of a known sex, it is necessary to take 3-4 seedlings from different plants. Lemongrass propagates by seeds, layering, green cuttings. The easiest way is by root suckers.

On a note

If you do not set the goal of obtaining a harvest of berries, then in the garden you can have only one copy, and it does not matter what gender, since the leaves are of the greatest value. It is in them that everything that a person needs is contained.

IN A NEW PLACE

When choosing a place for lemongrass, do not forget that it is not only useful, but also a very ornamental plant. Let it wrap around a fence, porch or gazebo and your garden will be irresistible. But it is better not to grow lemongrass under the trees - both plants will suffer. You should not plant this liana in deep shade and in the scorching sun, as well as near the wall of the house, where there is a drain from the roof and stagnant water.

Schisandra likes lighted areas, sheltered from cold east and south drying winds. The soil should be loose, rich in humus, well-drained with a neutral reaction of the environment.

PLANTING SECRETS OF CHINESE LEMONNIK

The best time is early spring, when the buds have not yet blossomed. This can be done in the fall, but with the obligatory shelter for the winter with dry foliage and spruce branches. You won't need it next year.

For planting, you should choose well-developed two-year-old seedlings. The strongest shoot of the plant must be cut into three buds, and all the weak ones must be removed.

Planting holes (40 × 40 cm) should be 1-1.5 m apart in a row. Each should be filled with drainage (stones, sand), add a mixture of organic fertilizers (8-10 kg of humus, 100-150 g of ammonium nitrate, 200-300 g of superphosphate, 30-50 g of potassium chloride). In this case, fresh or semi-rotted manure should be excluded: lemongrass cannot stand it. The root collar of the seedling should not be buried. After planting, the soil is tamped, watered and mulched with peat or humus.

Within 10-20 days, seedlings need abundant watering and light shading. Seedlings and rooted cuttings (layering) in the first year of life need light shelter for the winter.

Schisandra will also need a good strong support - a trellis, trellis, arch or pergola of at least 3-3.5 m.If the liana has nothing to catch on, you will not wait for the fruits, and the shoots will creep along the ground, giving a lot of root shoots and layering. When grown on ordinary poles, the crown of the plant thickens, the number of flowers and fruits decreases.

On a note

The first two years after planting, the plant develops poorly, only in the 3-4th year does an intensive growth of shoots begin. Lemongrass begins to bear fruit in the 6-7th year of life and, despite the annual abundant flowering, it gives a good harvest every 2-3 years. Such periodicity of fruiting is explained primarily by the influence of external conditions on the laying of flowers.

VARIETIES OF CHINESE LEMONICE

At the moment, only 2 varieties of Chinese lemongrass have been officially registered.

Variety Sadovy-1 was obtained almost 30 years ago in the Central Botanical Garden of Ukraine. It is a vigorously growing liana. Productivity is 6 kg of fruits per bush. In the cluster, up to 25 sour berries with juicy pulp are formed.

Variety Firstborn withdrawn at the Moscow branch of VIR in 1999. This is a climbing liana up to 1.7 m tall. Bright red, sour with a resinous taste, the fruits ripen in mid-August. The mass of the brush is on average up to 10 g. The berries are arranged compactly, forming a cylindrical brush.

WHEN TO HARVEST LEMONICE?

An outward sign of the beginning of berry harvesting is the yellowing of the leaves. One vine can produce 4-5 kg ​​of berries, which are picked in clusters at full maturity. They can be stored for up to 2 days in a dry and cold room. The berries come off wet and wrinkle easily, so they should not be placed in metal dishes. The collected fruits are dried for 2-3 days under a canopy, then dried in a dryer at a low temperature (up to 40 degrees).

GROWING A CHINESE LEMONIC - VIDEO

The questions of the readers were answered by the candidate of agricultural sciences Alexander Vladimirovich GORNY, Minsk, and the agronomist

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Once it was a wild liana, but gardeners quickly appreciated it and began to grow it as a fruit plant.

Schisandra chinensis is a representative of the ancient subtropical flora preserved on Far East, on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands in the wild. In nature, the length of the liana is from 2 to 14 m. Its top shoots twine around the support clockwise.

Schizandra has three types of shoots:

• vegetative, up to 1.5 m long;
• vegetative-generative, up to 0.5 m long (with flowers, and then with fruits at their base);
• generative, 1–5 cm long - for fruiting.

Flower buds are formed in the axils of the covering scales of the mixed buds. Lemongrass bears fruit on the growth of the current year.

Monoecious or dioecious

Schisandra can be monoecious (staminate and pistillate flowers on one plant). And sometimes it is dioecious, bearing only staminate or only pistillate flowers. Studies have shown that most often there are male plants (35–40%), which annually form only staminate flowers. Nevertheless, plants with an unstable ratio of staminate and pistillate flowers prevail over the years. In some years, only staminate flowers are formed in them, and in others, both staminate and pistillate flowers.

In lianas with an unstable type of fruiting, the appearance of certain flowers and, therefore, yield depend on external conditions, primarily on temperature, nutrition and soil moisture. In the garden, it is better to plant monoecious vines, which yield a crop annually and do not require planting a pollinator.

Flowers and fruits

Lemongrass flowers are 1.3–1.8 cm in diameter, creamy white, with a delicate pleasant aroma. Male flowers are slightly smaller than female ones, with white stamens accreted along their entire length, so that only yellowish anthers remain free. After flowering, male flowers fall off along with the peduncle. Female flowers have a greenish pistil, consisting of numerous carpels. Lemongrass is pollinated by small beetles and hymenoptera (bees, wasps, bumblebees, etc.).

Schizandra is unstable to late spring frosts. Vines bloom around May 25–31. Male flowers bloom 1-2 days earlier than female ones. Plants bloom for one to two weeks.

The fruit is a juicy composite leaflet, resembles a cylindrical brush 2–16 cm long and contains (in the Non-Chernozem zone) from 2–4 to 15–25 red berries. The mass of the brush reaches 7–15 g. Each berry contains 1–2 seeds. In 1 g - up to 40-60 seeds. They germinate unevenly.

The fruits ripen in mid-September. The brushes can hang on the vines until the leaves fall (until the first half of October). During the period of full fruiting, up to 2.5 kg of fruits are obtained from one 15–20-year-old plant. In the conditions of the Leningrad region and to the north, lemongrass gives abundant harvests every 2-3 years. This frequency of fruiting is primarily due to the influence of weather on the formation of flowers (in July-August).

Planting, growing on a trellis, care

The best landing time for the middle zone of the Russian Federation is late April - early May.

For planting, choose a well-lit (within 6-8 hours) and protected from the cold place. Heat and sun contribute to the establishment of a significant number of fruiting shoots. After planting, the plants are shaded for 2-3 weeks.

It is best to grow lemongrass on a trellis about 2 m high. When plants are planted at a distance of 1 m from each other, they close in 3-4 years, forming a solid wall.

Lemongrass rhizome of stem origin. There are many sleeping buds on it. Upon awakening, they form a growth. The depth of the roots is from 5 to 15 cm, that is, they are located in the surface, loose and fertile soil layer. Lemongrass prefers well-drained, light, neutral or slightly acidic soils. It does not tolerate overdrying, so the root space of the vines is mulched every year.

On heavy soils, it is recommended to add 10–12 kg of sand per pit (60 x 60 cm and up to 50 cm deep) to the planting pits. A drainage layer of gravel, crushed stone and coarse sand is laid at the bottom of the pit. During planting, 15–20 kg of rotted compost, made up of leaf humus with horse manure, are used as nutrient soil. Organic matter is applied 2-3 times per season and watered. At the end of April, a comprehensive mineral fertilizer... In early September, phosphate-potassium fertilizer is given with simultaneous shallow loosening of the soil. At the same time, lemongrass is a frost-resistant plant; in severe frosts, only the tops of annual growths freeze under.

Prune lemongrass in summer or autumn. Spring pruning causes shoots to "cry" and dry out.

To prevent lemongrass from becoming infected with fungal diseases, it is necessary to carefully remove the fallen leaves from under the plants, and at the end of April, spray the vines with Bordeaux liquid.

Reproduction

The easiest way to propagate lemongrass is vegetatively - green cuttings, layering, shoots. The tops of young shoots for cuttings are cut in early July. The bases of the cuttings are immersed in a solution of heteroauxin for 12-24 hours. Then they are planted in a nursery with coarse river sand under a film.

Layers of Schisandra are obtained from strong annual vines, formed from rhizomatous growth.

In April, before the buds bloom, they are laid on loose soil, pinned and sprinkled with soil mixed with humus or peat (10-15 cm thick layer). The top of the laid shoot is tied to a trellis. The roots of the cuttings appear in the 4-5th month. Within 2-3 years, an independent, well-developed root system is formed. The cuttings are separated from the mother plant and planted in a permanent place. Rhizomatous suckers of Schisandra are separated from mother plants in April - early May. For this, 2–4 branches of the shoots are dug up, growing side by side, but far enough from the adult plant. The offspring are immediately planted in a permanent place. Their roots cannot stand even short-term drying. During the month, the planted offspring are regularly watered and shaded from direct sunlight.

Schisandra chinensis is a tree-like vine whose leaves spread the scent of lemon around it. The plant is used for landscaping vertical walls, fences, gazebos in the country. But it can also be grown at home on the south side of the apartment. It is important to create the most natural conditions and properly care for the plant. The liana blooms for only 1 week, but it gives sweet fruits, they are used for homemade preparations.

Show all

Description

Schizandra chinensis or schizandra refers to subtropical plants. Grows wild in China, grown in Russia and the CIS countries. The climate of the middle zone with mild winters, like in the Moscow region, is best suited for lemongrass. In the Urals and Siberia, it requires shelter for the winter, but feels good at home.

The liana can reach a height of 10 m. The main tree-like stem is 4 cm thick. The lashes are flexible, twine around any vertical support. The leaves are fleshy, 5-10 cm in size. The flowers are small, pale yellow or pale pink in color. They bloom in June, and by the end of summer, bright red berries ripen. In autumn, the plant changes the color of the leaves, and with the onset of frost, it discards them.



Male and female plants

Schisandra is a bisexual vine, both male and female flowers are formed on it. This facilitates pollination and fruit formation. Usually, male flowers are located on the lower parts of the plant, and female flowers are located on the upper parts. Therefore, it is important to put supports and grow the vine only vertically.

The peculiarities of seed reproduction do not guarantee the formation of a bisexual plant. Flowers of only one sex may form, or differently each year. This does not provide a stable yield. To pick berries, it is better to plant monoecious and dioecious vines side by side.



Landing

Lemongrass can be planted with seeds or seedlings. In the latter case, all hereditary characteristics of the plant are preserved, including its sex. When planting with seeds, there is no such guarantee.

To grow lemongrass from seeds, they need to be stratified. They are soaked in water for 5 days, the liquid is changed daily. After that, it is poured into calcined wet sand or peat and left in a dark place at room temperature. After that, the mixture is kept in the refrigerator for another 2 months. It is tedious to check the box periodically, the sand must remain wet. In February, the box is taken out and left at room temperature.

In spring, seeds can be planted in the ground. Optimal soil composition:

• compost;
• humus;
• sod land;
• wood ash.

All components are taken in equal parts, cleaned of stones and disinfected with boiling water. After a few days, you can plant the seeds along with the sand.

It is better to do this in spring, in March-April at a temperature of 18-20 degrees. Before the first shoots appear, the box is covered with a film, it is opened daily for airing. It is better to put it in a lighted place, since lemongrass belongs to light-loving plants.

The sprouts are planted in a permanent place in May. A plot in the garden is chosen on the south side, protected from the wind. Vine houses are placed on the south window or balcony.

Growing from seedlings is advisable only in the open air, since they are adapted to outdoor conditions, they have formed the trunk and root system. You need to buy seedlings at the age of 2-3 years.




For planting, you can use young shoots that are dug from the roots of an adult plant. They are planted in the ground and covered with a jar until the sprout takes root.



Home care

Planting lemongrass is the easiest step in growing. It is much more difficult to take care of him. In open places, the vine grows well, it has enough fresh air, sun and moisture. And in the apartment, problems may arise with this.

It is necessary to bring the conditions of lemongrass as close to natural conditions as possible. It needs a lot of light, so you need to keep it on the south side of the apartment. It is better to take out the pot with the plant for the summer on the balcony, provided that it is protected from the wind. Liana care consists in watering, feeding, pruning and preparing for winter.

You need to water it with boiled settled water. In nature, lemongrass grows in humid climates, so it needs to be watered frequently. It is important to shake off water from young plants so that they do not rot. In summer, mature plants are sprayed with warm water.

From the age of three, you need to start fertilizing the soil. Liquid organic fertilizers are suitable for lemongrass. In summer, it is boring to dilute chicken droppings with water and water the vine with a mixture once every 3 weeks. In the spring, at the beginning of growth, 1.5 tablespoons of saltpeter are introduced, and in the fall, ash or potassium salt.

Correct pruning is essential for the formation of the trunk and lateral stems. It is not required in the early years, since the shoots grow slowly, all growth goes to the roots. On an adult plant, broken and dry branches are removed in the fall. Leave 3 strong stems, cutting off dense growth. This improves growth and fruiting. Once every 8-10 years old shoots are cut out, leaving strong young ones.

Supports for plants

Strong and reliable support is important for lemongrass. Since the shoots are flexible, they are difficult to break, any material is suitable as a support - wood, metal, plastic. For the home, you can purchase a wooden trellis or make it yourself. The stems themselves will cling to it and develop correctly.

In the fall, with a reduction in daylight hours, you need to reduce watering. Gradually, the plant will shed its leaves. Shoots must be removed from the supports and laid on the ground. On garden plot they are covered with spruce branches, but in the conditions of an apartment, shelter is not required, it is enough to put the pot in dark place... You can take it to the cellar and store it at +5 degrees.

Diseases and pests

Schisandra chinensis is resistant to pests and diseases. They rarely hit the vine because of the persistent citrus aroma.