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

Schisandra chinensis is a representative of the ancient subtropical flora, preserved in the Far East, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands in the wild. In nature, the length of the liana is from 2 to 14 m. Shoots of it with its apex wrap around the support clockwise.

Lemongrass 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.

The beginnings of flowers are formed in the sinuses of the covering scales of mixed buds. Schisandra bears fruit on the growth of the current year.

Monoecious or dioecious

Schisandra can be monoecious (stamen and pistillate flowers on one plant). And it happens, and dioecious, bearing only staminate or only pistillate flowers. Studies have shown that most often male plants are found (35–40%), annually forming only staminate flowers. But still, plants with an unstable ratio of stamen and pistillate flowers over the years prevail. In some years, only stamens are formed in them, and in others, both stamens and pistillate flowers.

In vines with an unstable type of fruiting, the appearance of certain flowers and, therefore, productivity depend on external conditions, primarily on temperature, nutrition and soil moisture. In the garden, it is better to plant monoecious vines, annually yielding crops and not requiring planting a pollinator.

Flowers and fruits

The flowers of lemongrass are 1.3-1.8 cm in diameter, creamy white, with a delicate pleasant aroma. Male flowers are slightly smaller than female flowers, with white stamens fused along the entire length, so that only yellow anthers remain free. After flowering, male flowers fall along with the peduncle. In female flowers, the pestle is greenish, consisting of numerous carpels. Small beetles and hymenoptera are pollinated by lemongrass (bumblebees, etc.).

By late spring frost lemongrass is unstable. Vines bloom around May 25–31. Male flowers bloom 1–2 days earlier than female flowers. Plants bloom for one to two weeks.

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

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

Planting, trellis cultivation, care

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

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

It is best to grow lemongrass on a trellis with a height of about 2 m. When planting plants at a distance of 1 m from each other, they close for 3-4 years, forming a continuous wall.

Rhizome lemongrass stem origin. There are a lot of sleeping kidneys on it. Awakening, they form a shoot. The depth of the roots is from 5 to 15 cm, that is, they are located in the surface loose and fertile soil layer. Schisandra prefers soils that are well-drained, light, with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. It does not tolerate overdrying, so the basal space of vines is mulched every year.

On heavy soils, it is recommended to add 10-12 kg of sand per hole (60 x 60 cm and a depth of 50 cm) to the planting pits. At the bottom of the pit, a drainage layer of gravel, crushed stone and coarse sand is laid. When planting, 15–20 kg of rotted compost composed of leaf humus with horse manure is used as nutrient soil. Organics make 2-3 times per season and watered. At the end of April, a complex mineral fertilizer is introduced annually. In early September they give phosphate-potassium fertilizer with simultaneous shallow loosening of the soil. At the same time, lemongrass is a frost-resistant plant, only the tops of annual growths freeze in severe frosts.

Cut lemongrass in summer or autumn. Spring pruning causes “crying” of shoots and their desiccation.

So that lemongrass does not become infected with fungal diseases, it is necessary to carefully remove the fallen leaves from under the plants, and at the end of April spray vines with Bordeaux liquid.

Breeding

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

Schisandra branches are obtained from strong annual lianas formed from rhizome shoots.

In April, before buds open, they are laid on loose soil, pinned and sprinkled with soil mixed with humus or peat (a layer 10-15 cm thick). The top of the laid shoot is tied to a trellis. Roots at layering appear on the 4th – 5th month. Within 2-3 years, an independent, well-developed root system is formed. Layers are separated from the mother plant and planted in a permanent place. The rhizome offspring of lemongrass is separated from the parent plants in April - early May. For this, 2–4 branches of shoots are dug up, growing nearby, but far enough from an adult plant. Siblings are immediately planted in a permanent place. Their roots do not tolerate even short-term drying. Within a month, landed offsprings are regularly watered and shaded from direct sunlight.

Schisandra chinensis (lat. Schisandra chinensis) It is a species of the genus Schisandra Lemongrass family, which is found in the wild on the edges and glades of coniferous-deciduous and deciduous forests, in narrow valleys of streams and mountain rivers, on old burnt areas and clearings of Korea, Japan, China and the Russian territory of the Far East. It grows in groups, forming thickets and rising into the mountains to a height of 600 m above sea level. In a culture, Chinese Schisandra has been grown for a very long time: for medicinal purposes, it began to be cultivated at least 250 years BC.

Planting and caring for Schisandra chinensis

• Bloom:  from the fifth to sixth year of life in late May or early July. Flowering lasts about two weeks.
• Landing:  in October or late April or early May.
• Lighting:  bright sunlight or partial shade.
• The soil:  light, rich in humus, moderately moist and drained.
• Watering:  frequent and plentiful: 6-7 buckets of water are poured under each bush.
• Top dressing:  from the third season, 1 time in 2-3 weeks, organic fertilizer is applied to the trunk circle - a solution of chicken droppings or mullein. The trunk space is mulched with a layer of humus or leaf compost. In autumn, 20 g of superphosphate and 100 g of wood ash are embedded in the soil under each plant to a depth of 10 cm.
• Garter:  the trellis on which this vine is grown is installed immediately after planting. When the liana is located near the wall of the building, it is allowed to run along the ladder installed obliquely to the wall.
• Cropping:  from the third year after planting, they begin forming pruning, which is carried out in the fall, after leaf fall. Unnecessary root shoots are also removed.
• Reproduction:  seeds, root cuttings and shoots.
• Pests:  not affected.
• Disease  powdery mildew, ramulariosis, ascochitosis and fusarium.
• Properties:  is a valuable medicinal plant.

Read more about growing Schisandra chinensis below

Schisandra chinensis - description

The plant is a winding deciduous vine with a length of up to 15 m with a trunk up to 2.5 cm in diameter and shoots covered with brown-brown bark, peeling on the old, and shiny and smooth on the young. Both shoots and leaves of lemongrass have a characteristic citrus aroma, because of which the plant got its name.

The leaves of lemongrass are dense, obovate or elliptical, with a wedge-shaped base and a few and implicitly pronounced teeth along the edges. The leaves are connected with shoots by pink or red petioles up to 3 cm long. In spring and summer, the upper part of the leaf plate is light green, shiny, bare, and the lower part is bluish, with pubescence along the veins. In the fall, leaves of Chinese magnolia vine are painted in yellow-orange and ocher-yellow hues.

Fragrant waxy white dioecious flowers with a diameter of up to 2 cm on drooping pedicels are 3-5 pieces in the axils of the leaves. A prefabricated brush-like fruit up to 10 cm long consists of edible spherical two-seeded berries of red color and sour taste. The berries of Chinese magnolia vine also have a characteristic odor for the plant. The kidney-shaped seeds of Schisandra chinensis germinate only until spring.

Chinese Schisandra planting

When to plant Schisandra chinensis

The cultivation of Schisandra chinensis and its care is carried out not only for medicinal purposes, but also to decorate the site, since the plant has high decorative qualities. In areas with a warm, mild climate, lemongrass is planted in October, and in the middle lane, planting is carried out in late April or early May. Professionals recommend planting immediately at least three plants at a distance of 1m from each other. If you want to grow a vine near the house, step back 1-1.5 m from the wall so that water from the roof does not drip onto the lemongrass.

How to plant Chinese Schisandra

Schisandra prefers light, but rich in humus, moist and drained soil. The plant is shade tolerant, but will develop better in a well-lit area.

As a planting material, two-three-year-old seedlings are used, in which the root system is well developed with a shoot height of only 10-15 cm. Before planting, the taller shoots of the seedling are shortened to 3 buds, and the roots are pruned to 20-25 cm.

A planting pit for Chinese schisandra is dug with a diameter of 60-70 cm and a depth of at least 40 cm. A layer of drainage of expanded clay, broken brick or crushed stone 10 cm thick is laid at the bottom, and a soil mixture is prepared to fill the pit from equal parts of humus, leaf compost and turf earth, adding 200 g of superphosphate to it, a pound of wood ash and mixing thoroughly. Before planting, a soil mixture is poured onto the drainage layer.

Dip the roots of the seedling in a clay mash, on which a bucket of 1 liter of mullein should be added, and place the plant on the mound so that its root neck after planting is at surface level. Spread the roots of lemongrass and fill the pit with prepared fertile soil. Then tamp the soil in the near-stem circle and water abundantly, and when the water is absorbed, fill the basal hole with humus or peat. Chinese lemongrass seedlings take root very quickly, but at first it is advisable to protect them from the bright sun, to ensure regular watering and evening spraying in dry weather.

Chinese Schisandra Care

Growing Schisandra chinensis

Planting Chinese lemongrass and caring for it is not time-consuming and will not take you much time. The main care measures are watering, loosening the soil, removing weeds, fertilizing, spraying in prolonged dry heat and pruning.

During the growing season, lemongrass is often and abundantly watered: 6-7 buckets of water are poured under the plant at a time. The next day after wetting or rain, you need to loosen the soil around the vine and remove the weed grass. Do not neglect the evening spraying of Chinese magnolia vine in the heat. Especially young creepers need this procedure. To prevent the rapid evaporation of moisture from the soil, it is best to always keep the trunk circle under the mulch of organic material.

Chinese lemongrass begins to be fed from the third year of life: during spring and summer, once every two to three weeks, a solution of organic fertilizers is applied to the soil - cow (1:10) or chicken (1:20) litter. A good result is the mulching of the trunk circle of Schisandra chinensis with humus or leaf compost. After leaf fall, 100 g of wood ash and 20 g of superphosphate are added to each bush, followed by embedment to a depth of about 10 cm with mandatory subsequent watering of the soil in the near-stem circle.

During flowering, fruit-bearing vines are fed with Nitrophos at the rate of 50 g per m², and after flowering, a solution of fermented mullein or bird droppings is poured under a plant under a bucket. In the fall, 60 g of superphosphate and 30-40 g of potassium sulfate are scattered under the bushes, and once every 2-3 years, for each plant to a depth of 6-8 cm, compost is closed at the rate of 4-5 kg \u200b\u200bper m².

Schisandra chinensis, since it is a vine, is grown on a trellis, which is installed in the year the planted plant. This arrangement of branches and shoots allows the sun to better illuminate the plant, and this contributes to the formation of larger fruits and increase yield. If you grow lemongrass without support, it is unlikely to bear fruit. The tapestry is made of poles of such height that, after digging to a depth of 60 cm, they rise above the ground by 2-2.5 m. The distance between the poles is maintained at about 3 m, and they are connected together by three rows of horizontal wire guides, the lower of which is stretched to 50 cm from the ground, and the next every 70-100 cm. In the first year, the sprouted shoots are tied to the lower guide, and in the subsequent ones to those located above. Shoots are fixed on a support with a fan. In winter, Chinese magnolia vine is not removed from the trellis.

If you plant a creeper near the house, then you can use an installed step ladder as a support.

Trimming lemongrass begins in the third year after planting, when the development of its root system is replaced by increased growth of shoots. Not only the decorative magnolia vine of Chinese depends on the correct pruning, but also the quality of its fruiting. At the first forming pruning, 3 to 6 of the strongest and most correctly located shoots are left on the bush - the future skeleton of the plant, and the remaining shoots are cut at ground level. In the future, pruning Schisandra chinensis is carried out twice a year: in autumn and summer. In autumn, after all the leaves have fallen from the plant, weak, sick, improperly growing and dried shoots formed during the summer are cut. Should be removed and that part of the vine that has been actively bearing fruit for the past three years. This is done so that young shoots of creepers can develop and yield crops.

In summer, lemongrass is pruned only if the plant has formed too many young shoots. Professionals advise cutting branches 10-12 buds from the edge. In addition, you need to fight root offsprings every year, and also regularly replace the old skeletal branches with new strong shoots from the basal shoots.

Pests and diseases of Schisandra chinensis

Schisandra possesses good immunity and, subject to agricultural practices and good care, is rarely affected by diseases. It is resistant to pests. However, if you get infected planting material, you need to be prepared to confront the disease. Most often, lemongrass is affected by spotting, powdery mildew and fusarium wilt.

Of spotting, lemongrass Chinese is striking ramularis  and ascochitosis. Brown blurry spots and an edge on the leaves are the main signs of these diseases. Black dots may appear on the underside of the leaf plate - fungal pycnids. Sick leaves need to be removed and burned, and the vine should be treated with one percent Bordeaux liquid or another copper-based fungicide.

Powdery mildew  Covers leaves and stems of the plant with a scruffy whitish coating. As a result of the development of the disease, lemongrass leaves fall prematurely. Powdery mildew is also affected by the shoots, buds and roots of Chinese magnolia vine. If its symptoms are detected, all affected leaves must be removed, and the plant should be treated with sulfur powder and soda ash solution until the liana recovers. Intervals between treatments - 7-10 days.

Fusarium  can hit lemongrass at any age, but more often this trouble happens with young plants. The cause of the disease is, as a rule, infection of planting material. Withering is manifested by the formation of rotting sites on the root neck and roots of the plant. The lemongrass stems darken, become thinner, the leaves turn yellow and fall, and the liana dies from clogging of blood vessels. It is impossible to cure Chinese lemongrass from Fusarium, but it is quite possible to prevent the development of the disease if the seeds and seedlings are treated with a fungicide solution before sowing and planting, and Trichodermin is used to treat the soil. If the plant is still ill, it will have to be removed and burned, and healthy bushes, until they become infected, treated with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Schisandra chinensis in Moscow suburbs

Schisandra chinensis in Moscow suburbs has long been not uncommon, like Chinese chinensis in the Urals, since the plant normally tolerates even harsh winters up to -35 ºC, and the decorative and healing qualities of this culture, as well as its unpretentiousness in care, make the Far Eastern vine more and more popular among gardeners - lovers. In the middle lane, Chinese magnolia vine for the winter does not need to be laid on the ground or covered, only young plants need protection from the cold, and then only in the first winter. But in conditions of Siberian frosts, the lashes are carefully removed from the trellis, placed on a laid down spruce or straw, and sprinkled abundantly with leaves, straw or covered with spruce branches.

Propagation of Schisandra chinensis

Schisandra chinensis propagates by seeds, shoots and root cuttings, however, all the properties of the mother plant are preserved only during vegetative propagation.

Propagation of Schisandra chinensis seeds

The easiest way to sow lemongrass seeds on prepared beds for the winter immediately after their collection. You can sow in the spring, but in this case the seeds are stratified: they are kept in the lower drawer of the refrigerator for two months. There is a very effective way of preparing seeds for sowing, developed by professionals: until January they are stored in fruits, then washed from the pulp, put in a nylon stocking and placed under constantly flowing water. At home, the seeds in the stocking can be kept in the toilet flush tank, so that after each flush they turn out to be in fresh clean water. Four days later, the seeds are squeezed out, directly in the stocking they are placed in a container with moist calcined sand and kept at a temperature of 18-20 ºC for a month, after which the container with seeds is buried in the snow for stratification. After a month, the seeds are brought into a room with a temperature of 10 ºC and observed: after a week or two they begin to crack, and then they can be sown to a depth of 5 mm in boxes with a mixture of sand and humus in equal parts. Crops are covered with paper and watered daily. Shoots with large cotyledons, similar to sprouts of cucumbers, appear in 1-2 weeks. Care of seedlings is to protect from direct sunlight, watering and 1-2 treatments with a weak solution of potassium permanganate for the prevention of blacklegs and other fungal diseases. At the stage of development of 3-4 real leaves, seedlings dive into larger boxes according to the 5x5 cm pattern, and at the beginning of June, after the heat has finally settled, the quenched Chinese schisandra seedlings can be planted in open ground at partial shade. The nutrition area of \u200b\u200bone plant is 10x10 cm². Protect the seedlings from too much sun, and with the onset of autumn, cover them with fir spruce branches or a thick layer of foliage. In a permanent place, Schisandra chinensis is planted from seeds at the age of two to three years.

Propagation of Schisandra chinensis

The most effective method of reproduction is to plant the shoots. Liana is literally surrounded by many shoots on which the sleeping buds are located. Siblings are separated from the bush and immediately transplanted to a permanent place. In the southern regions this can be done before the sap flow and after the fall, and in the northern regions only in the early spring.

Propagation of lemongrass by root cuttings

Chunks of roots from 5 to 10 cm long with several sleeping buds are cut from the rhizome and, so that the growing roots do not dry, immediately sprinkle the pieces with moist soil or cover with a wet towel. Then the root cuttings are planted on a bed or in a cold greenhouse according to a 10x10 scheme and covered with a layer of fertile soil 2-3 cm thick. Care for planting consists in regular watering. In the spring of next year, cuttings that gave sprouts are planted in a permanent place.

Varieties of Schisandra chinensis

Unfortunately, there are not so many varieties of Chinese lemongrass. Currently, the most famous of them are:

• Garden-1  - self-pollinating, highly productive winter-hardy variety, whose branches reach a length of 10 m. The fruits of Schisandra chinensis of this variety consist of spherical juicy and sour berries of red color with a lemon smell, collected in racemose fruit fruit up to 10 cm long;
• Mountain  - winter-hardy and productive variety of medium maturity, relatively resistant to diseases and pests. The fruit crop up to 9 cm long and weighing up to 13 g consists of 15-17 dark red berries of a bitter-sour taste;
• Volgar  - winter-hardy, drought-resistant, practically not affected by diseases and pests, lemongrass of late ripening and universal use. It is a monoecious vine with fruits weighing up to 7.3 g, consisting of 14-15 round red fruits of sour taste with a resinous aroma;
• Firstborn  - frost-resistant and resistant to diseases and pests medium-ripening variety of Russian breeding with carmine-red fruits with juicy bright red pulp, a specific sour taste and lemon aroma;
• Myth  - a hybrid cultivar of unknown origin with medium-length fruit crops consisting of 15 red fruits with a pleasant sour taste.

Properties of Schisandra chinensis - harm and benefit

The healing properties of Chinese magnolia vine

For medicinal purposes, mostly the fruits and seeds of the plant are used. The fruits of Schisandra chinensis contain resinous substances, schizandrin, potassium, organic acids (malic, citric and tartaric), vitamins, mineral salts, trace elements copper, iodine, selenium, manganese, iron, zinc, essential oil.

The beneficial properties of this species were known in ancient China and the plant was actively used in pharmacology. Today, Chinese Schisandra is grown on an industrial scale. The berries of the plant have the ability to tone and stimulate the nervous system, so Nanai hunters, taking the road, take with them a handful of dried fruits. And not so long ago, trials with the participation of military personnel and athletes showed that lemongrass has the ability to relieve fatigue during strong physical exertion: only 2-5 berries of Chinese magnolia vine have a stronger effect than phenamine or cola, but, unlike these stimulants, they do not negative side effects. The berries of Chinese magnolia vine are shown to those who are engaged in intense mental work, and it is very important that their tonic effect does not deplete nerve cells.

Schisandra preparations increase the body's resistance to diseases and adverse environmental influences, stimulate the respiratory system and the work of the heart muscle. Often they are prescribed for the complex treatment of diseases that led to asthenic and depressive states. It is significant that as a result of taking Chinese magnolia vine preparations, there were never any signs of overexcitation.

Fresh juice of lemongrass berries can inhibit the development of many pathogens. The treatment of chronic gastritis with plant seeds has been proved to be highly effective: even a single dose of Chinese lemongrass seed powder normalized the acidity of the gastric juice in patients suffering from either too high or low levels.

Summing up, we can say that Chinese magnolia vine gives a positive effect:

• with a general breakdown;
• with high mental or physical stress;
• with low blood pressure;
• with bronchitis, asthma and tuberculosis;
• with anemia;
• with sexual weakness;
• with diseases of the stomach, kidneys and liver.

Schisandra chinensis - contraindications

Schisandra chinensis, like other medicinal plants, has its own contraindications. You can’t eat its berries, drink its juice and take plant preparations under the following conditions and pathologies:

• vegetative-vascular dystonia;
• allergy;
• epilepsy;
• pregnancy;
• increased irritability;
• arterial hypertension;
• insomnia;
• arachnoiditis;
• increased intracranial pressure;
• acute infectious disease.

4.5178571428571 Rating 4.52 (56 votes)

After this article they usually read

Personal plots are more and more like chic greenhouses. What kind of plants do not grow amateur gardeners! Chinese schisandra did not go unnoticed. Its cultivation and care features we will consider in today's article. By the way, lemongrass is not only a beautiful vine, fragrant flowers, but also incredibly healthy fruits.

We gain encyclopedic knowledge

If you want to turn your garden into a real jungle, pay attention to a plant such as Schisandra chinensis. Planting this plant is a standard procedure, but in your garden, flowers of extraordinary beauty will first bloom, and then very healthy and tasty fruits will ripen.

Schisandra chinensis is a green vine. In spring, delicate flowers appear on this plant, which, according to the laws of nature, then turn into fiery fruits. With such a plant, you can decorate the wall of the house, a gazebo, arches or grow an entire alley by installing special supports.

We will talk in detail about the features of planting and caring for Chinese lemongrass.

We select seedlings and plant them

You can buy seedlings of this plant in any specialized store. For planting in temperate latitudes, you need to choose seedlings aged two to three years. Their height varies from 25 to 30 cm.

Pay attention to the bark. It should be perfectly smooth. It is better if the root system is covered with a lump of earth. When transporting seedlings, roots should be wrapped with a damp cloth.

Before planting, seedlings are placed in water and kept in it for about 10-12 hours. Now you need to choose a suitable place for growing Chinese magnolia vine. He does not like the constant shadow, but open sunlight is not acceptable for him. Plant seedlings at a distance of 1.5-2 m from the wall of the house or outbuildings.

In temperate latitudes, it is better to plant lemongrass in late autumn: in October or November. But landing in early spring is also allowed. How to plant Chinese magnolia vine in cold regions? Cultivation and care in Siberia have their own characteristics. It is in this latitude that they plant it in the ground in spring. Severe frosts can kill the root system, and your efforts will be empty.

When planting Chinese magnolia vine in the ground, consider the following features:

• the depth of the hole should reach 40-50 cm, and the width - 50-60 cm;
• drainage, broken slate or bricks are laid at the bottom of the hole;
• the hole must be filled with humus or sod soil;
• in the center of the hole, a seedling should be dug, the visible part is 4-5 cm;

• immediately after planting, Chinese magnolia vine needs abundant watering - 2-3 buckets under one bush.

Tip: if you are planting a row of such vines, then make holes at a distance of 1.5-2 m, the same applies to the distance between the rows.

Care Rules

Young Schisandra chinensis constantly needs proper care and top dressing. This is the only way to ensure fast plant growth, as well as maximum fruiting. Let's start from the very beginning. Once you have planted seedlings of Chinese magnolia vine, they need to be constantly fertilized according to this scheme:

• 4 tsp nitrate;
• humus.

From spring to August, every decade you need to make organic fertilizer in liquid form. Dilute the humus in a proportion of 1:30. Fertilizer is introduced into the near-barrel part.

Remember that you can’t loosen the ground near the trunk of a liana, otherwise you can disrupt the root system. Frequent fertilizer is carried out until the Chinese magnolia vine begins to bear fruit. In the future, you can feed the root system once a year, preferably in the autumn.

As for watering, it must be carried out extremely often. Chinese magnolia vine is a hygrophilous plant. Do not allow the surface to dry out.

Liana grows luxuriously, its spreading leaves clog the fruit. If you grow the described plant for the purpose of harvesting, then the leaves and shoots need to be cut periodically. So you can ensure unhindered access of pollen to female inflorescences, which are located in the upper part of the plant.

Pruning is carried out as necessary, such an action must be performed in the spring. Without fear, remove all wilted and frozen shoots. The processes of the second row are cut by 20-25 cm. Take care of installing the support so that the liana can weave. You can build a special frame or attach a grid to the wall of the structure, arbors.

Chinese magnolia vine is not protected from fungal phyto-diseases. To avoid them, you need to timely remove the lower wilted leaves. This also applies to fallen leaves. In spring, best in April, the entire vine is sprayed with Bordeaux fluid.

Picking a crop

In the spring, the liana begins to bloom. Small inflorescences fascinate with their beauty. Later berries appear. The first five years after planting a seedling on the crop can not be counted. With proper care, you can pick up the first berries of lemongrass for the sixth year of its cultivation. But the number of crops will increase even 3 years after the first fruiting.

First, the berries begin to gradually blush. As soon as the color becomes saturated fiery, and the surface of the berries becomes a glass, almost transparent shade, you can harvest. There is nothing complicated in this, since by the principle of fruiting, Chinese magnolia vine resembles grapes. You can cut the berries with the stalks. The latter, by the way, are used as a flavored additive in tea.

You can simplify the collection process: pull the branch and hit it with the edge of the palm of your hand. Ripe berries will sprinkle. The main thing is to spread something soft on the ground, otherwise the fruits will break. Harvested fresh can be stored for no more than a day. Then the berries begin to mold and wander.

A few words about reproduction

To decorate a personal plot, one creeper will not be enough. Experienced gardeners are advised to plant at least three seedlings. In early July, the upper young shoots are cut. Next, you need to follow this procedure:

1. For a day, the seedling is placed in a container with a solution of heteroauxin.
2. Then a container with river sand is prepared.
3. In this mixture you need to drip the shoot and cover it with polyethylene.

In April, you can plant an escape, there will not be roots on it yet. A small hole is made in the ground, which is filled with peat and humus. Layers need to be buried, and the apical part about 5 cm should be fixed on the trellis. After about 4-5 months, the roots will appear and new shoots will go from the lay. It is better to separate the shoots for seedlings from the annual, well-rooted and strong vines of the Chinese magnolia vine.
  Siberian frosts are not a hindrance

Chinese magnolia vine is an amazing plant, it grows in almost all latitudes. Even in the Far North you can find these original creepers. Far Eastern lemongrass is mainly grown in Siberia and other northern regions.

In cold latitudes, special attention should be paid to warming the root system and shoots. When planting lemongrass, it is necessary to make trenches with a depth of about 60 cm, and the distance between the seedlings is 1.5-2 m.

In addition to drainage, a dense layer of humus must be poured into the hole. Only then can seedlings be planted. As already mentioned, young vines are planted in early spring. Autumn frosts can destroy the plant.

After the growing season, before the onset of the first cold weather, lemongrass is insulated. The shoots are removed from the support and covered with a dense infusion of straw or hay. Remember that temperatures below -35 ° have a detrimental effect on the root system. If the roots are not warmed in time, then the liana will die.

We have a double benefit

Chinese magnolia vine is not only beautiful and exotic creepers. The benefits of its fruits are legends. But first you need to properly prepare them. After collecting the berries are dried for 3-4 days. The optimum temperature for drying is 60 °. Dried berries darken and acquire a dark red color. In this form, the crop can be stored for about two years, but no more.

Surprisingly, there are only two varieties of lemongrass:

1. Firstborn. The variety was bred in Moscow, characterized by resistance to frost. The plant is medium-sized, the length of the vine reaches two meters. The bunch consists of 22 berries that ripen towards the end of summer.
2. Garden-1. This magnolia vine is bred in Ukraine, medium-sized variety, the length of the vine is 1.8-2 meters, the berries are large, about 28 in the brush. Ripen by the beginning of September.

Active work is underway to develop other varieties with earlier fruiting.

If you want to know how to properly plant and care for rudbeckia, click.

Read about the planting and cultivation of window-bills in the article -

Planting a plant

Inspired by the idea of \u200b\u200bgrowing this outlandish creeper on the plot, learning about the varieties and their features, the question arises: where to start? How to plant lemongrass most successfully so as not to regret the time and money spent?

Seat selection

The choice of the place of landing of lemongrass should be approached thoroughly taking into account both the characteristics of the plant and the layout of the site. The plant prefers slightly shaded places with deep groundwater. The best option - placement on flat areas in the shade of buildings or trees.

1. Directly near the trees. Firstly, the liana will interfere with their normal growth. Secondly, the powerful root system of the tree absorbs moisture from the ground, causing a deficiency in lemongrass.
2. Near the walls of the house. The reason is the abundance of rainfall that flows from the roof and stagnates near the foundation. An excess of moisture occurs, which adversely affects the plant.

The soil should be fertile, light. In heavy clay soil, the plant develops slowly, the situation can be corrected by adding sand, calcium sulfate and manure.

If you plant the lemongrass correctly, then for 5-6 years it will delight you with its fruits

Landing Features

Schisandra grows faster from seedlings, so when buying planting material, it is better to stop on this option. It should be borne in mind that the plant does not tolerate transplantation, it is better to plant it in a permanent place.

About 65 kg of humus, 2-3 buckets of sand, 40-45 g of nitrogen, 150-155 g of phosphorus should be added to the fertile layer dug from an area of \u200b\u200bsquare meter. Mix.

For landing, it is better to use a ditch, a width and a depth of half a meter. First, arrange drainage using stones, broken brick, crushed stone. Above the drainage, seats are arranged in the form of cone-shaped tubercles from pre-prepared land. The distance between the landing sites is about a meter.

You need to inspect the seedling, choose a strong shoot and cut it into three buds. Shorten to 20 cm and brush the roots with clay. Place the plant on a knoll, carefully spreading the roots. Cover the prepared soil with a slightly compacted soil. Abundantly, in the amount of three to four buckets, pour.

Landing is best done in the fall.

You can not plant seedlings alone. It is better when there are three or more plants nearby, while the pollination of flowers is effective, which guarantees yield.

Care

Watering

Adult plants are undemanding to watering. However, one must remember that they come from the Far East, where high humidity prevails. Therefore, in the hot season, it is necessary to spray with water

Top dressing

Starting from the third year of life, plants need mineral fertilizer. To do this, use nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus. Fertilizers are used in the form of mulch, which is mixed with a rake and soil, watered

Pruning

It consists in the removal of dried and weak shoots in the fall. At this time of year you can also remove excessively overgrown lashes. In summer, pruning is undesirable, with the exception of removing thick young growth.

Collect the fruits of lemongrass

Propagation Features

Schisandra multiplies by all vegetative methods.

Seeds

In autumn, it is necessary to collect seeds, soak for several days in water. On the prepared bed, make shallow grooves, sow, sprinkle seeds with a thin layer of 1-2 cm. During the winter, the seeds will undergo a natural stratification.

Seedlings care consists in timely watering, weed removal and shading with a grid or gauze. You can plant grown lemongrass three years after sowing.

Layering

The plant gives root branches, which are carefully separated from the vine and transplanted to a permanent place. In this case, a more thorough watering and care of the plant is necessary, in which at the time of transplantation the root system is practically absent.

All siblings can not be dug out, otherwise lemongrass will die.

Cuttings

Cut the old shoots remaining after the autumn pruning into pieces, 20 cm long. Put in snow. In spring, put into the water, about three quarters. A few days later to plant in the soil. Leaving consists in removal of weeds and plentiful watering. The plant will be ready for transplant in two years.

Diseases and Pests

Amazing fact: cultivated lemongrass does not get sick. In addition, it is not affected by pests and birds, which are scared away by the smell of the plant.

  Schisandra chinensis - liana up to 15 m long.  This is one of 14 species of magnolia vine, which naturally grows in the Russian Far East.

Did you know? Even ancient Chinese and Tibetan doctors knew all about the healing properties of Schisandra chinensis and used it along with ginseng.

All parts of this plant contain biologically active substances, have tonic, stimulating qualities and are used to make medicinal drinks, decoctions, tinctures that have a pleasant lemon aroma. Due to the beneficial properties and decorativeness of Schisandra chinensis, many are interested in the rules for growing and caring for it.

How to care for Chinese magnolia vine, the rules of watering the plant

  Let's talk about how to grow Chinese Schisandra in your country house.  The basis for success in growing Chinese schisandra is the choice of site for planting. Schisandra does not tolerate drafts, is shade-tolerant, but bears fruit well in good light. Therefore, it is necessary to plant a liana from the east or west side of the building, but the lower part of the plant must be shaded with low shrubs or flowers.

This plant needs nutritious and permeable soil.  It does not tolerate water stagnation, but it is demanding on humidity, so on hot days you need to spray the plant and regularly water it, mulching the soil with dry earth or foliage after each watering. About 60 liters of warm water are used for one watering of an adult plant. Also, the soil under lemongrass needs to be fluffed to a depth of 2-3 cm.

Important!Schisandra chinensis can be either dioecious or monoecious. In dioecious plants, the ratio of female and male flowers can vary depending on natural conditions, therefore, for a guaranteed crop, it is necessary to plant heterosexual monoecious plants nearby.

How to fertilize Schisandra chinensis

Care for Chinese lemongrass also consists in the proper feeding.Fertilizer should be in the form of mulch, while watering and weeding the soil.

When is plant nutrition needed?

In the first years of life, lemongrass can be fertilized with leaf compost or humus. Mineral fertilizers can be applied only in the third year after planting.

How to feed a plant

Of mineral fertilizers for lemongrass suitable nitrate, nitrophosphate, potassium sulfate, superphosphate.  From organic - humus, dry bird droppings, compost, wood ash.

Feeding scheme

You can fertilize lemongrass with mineral fertilizers three times during the growing season.  The first time should be fertilized in April before budding, based on 40 g of potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen per 1 sq.m. The second time - during the ovary growth period, 15 g of potassium and phosphorus and 20 g of nitrogen. And the last time - in the fall after harvesting with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, 30 g each. But it is better to apply organic fertilizers every 3 weeks during the growing season.

How is pruning lemongrass

Pruning lemongrass is necessary not only to form a crown, but also to increase the yield.In the summer, during the period of strong branching, thinner lemongrass should be thinned, cutting shoots for 10-12 buds. In autumn, when the leaves fall, you also need to remove the extra shoots, cut off all dried branches and old unproductive vines. It is optimal if 5-6 young vines remain in the bush. In spring, it is not recommended to prune lemongrass, so as not to cause excessive loss of juice. It is also necessary to remove up to half of the root offspring located most distant from the plant. Root offspring are cut below ground level, and this can be done both in autumn and spring.

Important!In order to avoid severe violation of the root system and the death of lemongrass, you can not remove all root offspring

Lemongrass transplant

Now let's talk about how to transplant lemongrass. If lemongrass is grown from seeds, and was sown densely, then seedlings must be planted when the third leaf appears. At the sowing place, seedlings can grow for 2-3 years, then transplant them to a permanent place. Plants grown from cuttings are optimally ready for transplantation also in the third year, when the root system becomes well developed. It is better to transplant lemongrass seedlings in the fall - from mid-September to October, when the heat subsides.  Before winter, seedlings take root and begin to grow rapidly in early spring. But in early spring, in April, lemongrass can also be transplanted.

To plant lemongrass, pre-prepare a pit 40 cm deep and 50-60 cm wide, at the bottom of which you must lay drainage - expanded clay, crushed stone or broken brick. It is better to fill the pit with a mixture of turf soil, leaf compost and humus, taken in equal parts. To make the soil more nutritious, you can add a little wood ash and superphosphate.

When planting, pay attention that the root neck of the seedling remains at ground level. Young seedlings take root easily, and before transplanting an adult lemongrass, weigh the pros and cons and, in addition to preparing a new place, try to dig it with a lump of earth, because lemongrass does not tolerate the drying of the roots. After transplanting, plants are abundantly watered and shaded for 2-3 weeks.

How to build supports for lemongrass

Support for Schisandra chinensis is a prerequisite for obtaining a good harvest and a beautiful view.  Without support, such a vine will grow in a bush, the branches will be deprived of good lighting, and female flowers will not form on them.

Important!The best support for lemongrass is a trellis, which must be installed immediately after planting.

The tapestry needs to be deepened into the ground at least 0.5 m to support the weight of the plant. It is recommended to install a trellis 2.5 m high and 3 m wide, the wire is stretched at a distance of about 30 cm, the first level is 0.5 m from the ground. In the first two years after planting, lemongrass must be tied up, then it will curl around the support. Very beautiful lemongrass can entwine an arbor or a wall of a building, for this instead of trellis, install inclined ladders with an emphasis on the structure.   Also lemongrass is used as a hedge.

Schisandra chinensis: how to collect and store crops

Lemongrass is harvested in the fall at the end of September - October, cutting the bunches with a whole sharp knife so as not to damage the vines. Do not pick berries in metal or galvanized dishes, because they will oxidize in it - it is better to use baskets, boxes or enameled containers. The harvested crop needs to be processed during the day, because the berries spoil very quickly.