Chinese magnolia vine has a fragrant aroma of essential oils, tones and stimulates the whole body. If you decide to grow this culture on your site, you should know that leaving and planting will not be difficult even for a beginner gardener, and the appearance of this relict vine will highlight the walls of the house or columns of arbors with a magnificent waterfall of greenery and the redness of medicinal berries.

Schisandra chinensis is a perennial climbing plant, which is not only an original decoration of the garden, but also a culture that greatly benefits human health. The vitamins, mineral salts, organic acids and useful microelements contained in fruits, roots, leaves, seeds, have a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous system, stimulate cardiovascular activity, relieve fatigue, reduce blood sugar and help in the treatment of a large number of diseases.

Hypertensive patients are recommended to eat 25-50 grams of fruit daily together with a peel to increase their working capacity. Do not eat lemongrass at night, as this threatens to problems with sleep disturbance. Tea, infusion, jam from such a product should be drunk only in the morning.

The territory of lemongrass

Manchurian lemongrass (another name for the representative of the magnolia vine family) in the wild is common in Japan, China, Korea, Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories, as well as on Sakhalin. The homeland of the plant is the Far East. Healing frost-resistant vine is found in broad-leaved, mixed forests, near river valleys, near shrubs, at the edges. Prefers to grow on well-drained, rich in organic soils. For medicinal purposes, special territories are allocated for the cultivation of lemongrass.

In home gardening, it is an original decoration of verandas, arbors and walls of houses and needs strong support: arches, gratings, trellis. In the absence of such a plant will develop poorly, and fruiting can simply not wait.

Description and external specifications

Schisandra chinensis, the cultivation and care of which is possible even for gardeners with little experience, is characterized by a wrinkled, branching stem 1.5-2 cm thick. It can reach a height of 15 meters, prefers to grow under trees, tightly encircling their trunks. In young plants, the color of the bark is yellowish, in adults - dark brown. Leaves of elliptical shape, alternate, slightly fleshy. The leaf plate on top is dark green, on the bottom side it is pale in color. The flowers of the plant are inherent in white or pink color and a delicate pleasant aroma with notes of lemon. The flowering period falls on the beginning of May - mid-June, after which the wilted flower turns into a spike brush with two dozen red juicy spherical berries.

The fruits are characterized by a specific taste: somewhat salty, slightly coniferous, slightly sour and a little burning bitterness. Ripen in August-September.

  and care in Siberia

Growing in a summer cottage or in your own garden is not at all difficult. It is important to determine the location of the plant. It should be partial shade, well protected from piercing winds. To the excess of sunlight, lemongrass, the care and cultivation of which give a lot of aesthetic pleasure, is negative and stops in growth and development. It is recommended to place from two or more trees on one site for better fruiting. The distance between them should be 1.0-1.5 meters; when planting in rows, the row spacing of 2.5-3.0 meters should be observed.

First, you need to prepare a landing pit with a diameter of about 70 cm, a depth of 40 cm, laying on the bottom a good drainage layer of broken brick, crushed stone or expanded clay. Then you should combine in equal parts turfy soil, humus, leaf compost, add 0.5 kg of wood ash and 200 grams of superphosphate. Such a mixture of earth need to fill the landing pit and plant a young schisandra. The most optimal for this event is a cloudy April day.

The most viable are 2-3-year-old schisandra seedlings, characterized by small size and well-developed root system. When planting, the root neck should be placed at the same level with the soil surface. Young Schisandra, care and cultivation of which are not particularly difficult due to the undemanding plants, requires plenty of water. In order to preserve moisture in the kidney and prevent the growth of weeds, it is recommended to mulch the root well with humus or peat.

Schisandra seedlings are very easy to take root. It is important only to promptly shade them from sunlight, periodically loosen the soil in order to ensure oxygen access to the roots, remove weeds and spray in dry weather with water.

How to grow lemongrass from seeds?

A more laborious and lengthy process is the cultivation of lemongrass from seeds, which should first be soaked in water for 7-10 days. This is required for the rejection of unusable specimens, which in a couple of days will float to the surface of the water. Also, the method of soaking is necessary for the early sizing of the seed material.

At the next stage of preparation for sowing, seeds should be hardened by placing them in disinfected sand at the rate of 1: 3. The mixture must be poured into special wooden containers and placed in a room with a temperature regime of +18 ... + 20 ° С. Moisten every other day for a month.

Sowing of seeds is carried out in prepared grooves, the approximate depth of which is about 1.5 cm. Sowing material from above must be sprinkled with earth from the greenhouse and slightly moistened, and mulch the beds with peat. In these beds, before transplanting to a constant place of growth, Chinese magnolia vine will be grown from 1.5 to 2 years.

Plant nutritional measures

Growing and caring for which are aimed at obtaining high-quality healthy fruits, like any plant, needs additional nutrition. It is possible to carry out activities that stimulate the growth and development of gardening, starting from the 3rd year of planting.

In April, the near-stem circle should be sprinkled with nitrate in the amount of 20-30 grams and mulched with humus or compost from the leaves. In the summer, every 2-3 weeks, it is recommended to feed with liquid organic matter. This can be fermented cow manure, diluted with water in a proportion of 1:10, or chicken droppings - 1:20. At the end of autumn, it is recommended to add 100 grams of wood ash and 20 grams of superphosphate to each plant with further embedding to a 10-centimeter depth.

Schisandra, cultivation and care in Siberia, which is mostly carried out for medicinal purposes, enters the fruiting phase 3 years after planting at a constant place of growth. The most productive period is usually recorded after 2-4 years from the beginning of fruiting. To increase and improve the quality of the crop, fruiting trees also need additional nutrition. In spring, it is recommended to feed them with a nitrophos at the rate of 40-50 grams / sq. meter. After flowering, you need to make a cow or bird droppings, diluted with water at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 plant. In autumn, another feeding with potassium sulfate (30-40 g / sq. Meter) and superphosphate (60 g / sq. Meter) should be carried out.

Features of watering

In hot weather, lemongrass, the care and cultivation of which does not require the use of special knowledge, is recommended to spray with warm water, especially this applies to young specimens. For adult trees, moisture must be supplied in dry weather, consuming 6 buckets of water per plant. Watering is also necessary after each feeding, thus ensuring optimal access of mineral and organic preparations to the roots of the plant. With the beginning of fruiting, all dressings must be stopped. In autumn, it is recommended to mulch the soil around the plant with fallen leaves or compost.

Schisandra chinensis: cultivation and care

The photo colorfully conveys the external attractiveness of a resident of Siberian lands, the optimal cultivation of which is recommended to be done with the help of a good support.

It can be built from 3-meter poles and trellis. The columns should be buried in the ground to a depth of 50-60 cm, and the trellis should be pulled between them in three rows, the lower of which should be located at a height of half a meter from the soil level, the next two rows - after 0.7-1.0 m.

At first, young shoots should be tied to the lower wire, and subsequent (as they grow) to the middle and upper rows.

The preparations for the winter period consist of sheltering the plant in the first two years with a thick layer of leaves, on top of which a spruce branch is laid, designed to scare away rodents. Adult plants are characterized by high frost resistance and do not need insulation.

Cropping Features

To form a beautiful crown and remove old and diseased shoots in the care of lemongrass, it is necessary to apply such an important factor as pruning. After 2-3 years from the time of planting, when the active growth of the roots gives way to the increased development of the aerial parts, young shoots must be removed at the soil level, leaving 3-6 of the strongest. In adult plants, it is necessary to cut unproductive branches and leave young ones instead. It is advisable to prune after the autumn leaf fall. With severe thickening of the plant, this operation can be performed in the summer.

Schisandra, care and cultivation of which does not cause gardeners much trouble, can not be cut in winter and early spring. During this period, abundant juice production occurs, therefore thinning will necessarily cause drying of the branches and possible subsequent death of the plant. In spring, root growth can be removed.

Harvesting

When does lemongrass ripen? Growing and caring (photos of plant flowers can be seen in the article) are aimed at obtaining ripe and healthy fruits, which can be collected as they acquire a bright carmine-red color.

Transparency and softness indicate full ripeness of berries. The collection is made together with the stalks, which, like the rest of the plant, have medicinal properties. They can be crushed, dried and used in hot tea as an aromatic additive.

Harvested fruits should be immediately or the next day after harvesting put into processing, as they are poorly stored and begin to ferment.

Berries can be dried if they are placed in an oven heated to 60 ° C for 3-4 days. Medicinal properties of the plant persist for about 2 years.

How to grow lemongrass in room conditions?

Schisandra chinensis can be grown indoors. To do this, the green stalk of the plant should be planted in a container, 2/3 filled with fertile soil and 1/3 sterile coarse sand. The aboveground part of the seedling should be covered with a glass jar or film. Water at room temperature in small doses, but often, without removing the shelter. After 2-3 weeks, when the schisandra stalk gives roots, the shelter can be removed at night with a gradual increase in the time the plant is in natural conditions. After 4-5 weeks, the film can be removed completely. Watering during this period is reduced, since excess water can be detrimental to the root system of the plant.

Indoor lemongrass, the cultivation and care of which is not particularly difficult, it is recommended to plant it in the open ground for the summer, giving the plant the opportunity to actively develop in natural conditions.

Creating your garden, each owner of the site, among the usual cultures, dreams of having something exotic. In central Russia, it is difficult to grow a palm tree or an orange tree. But to have a Far Eastern liana in your garden is both possible and quite unusual. We are talking about a taiga guest in our places - Chinese magnolia vine. If initially this liana grew only in the Far East, now it can be found in almost any region of our country.

Growing Schisandra chinensis

Schisandra chinensis, otherwise Chinese schizandra, Manchurian schisandra, is a flowering plant of the genus Schisandra from the family Schisandra. It is a lignified liana that, during flowering, spreads a citrus aroma around. And in the fall no one will remain indifferent from the bright red clusters of berries against the background of yellowing foliage.

In China, lemongrass has been used for medicinal purposes since the 5th century. In this eastern country it is called a berry of five flavors: the lemongrass peel is sweet, the flesh has a sour taste, the seeds are hot with a tart aftertaste, and the whole berry is brackish and bitter. The brackish smack also has medicines made from this plant.

Choosing a place and time of landing

If you decide that Schisandra chinensis is really the plant that is not enough on your site, figured out where and when to buy planting material, then it's time to decide on the place and time.

Schisandra chinensis is a creeper, spreading citrus aroma around the flowering period

The choice of a place for a creeper should be approached especially thoroughly - it should be protected from cold winds, and also partial shade with a deep occurrence of groundwater should be suitable. In the middle lane it is better to plant on the western side, in the more southern areas - on the east, so that the plant is in the shade for part of the day. Schisandra can be planted:

• on a flat ground near trees or buildings;
• along the fence;
• next to the gazebo;
• near the arch specially built for him.

When planting lemongrass near the wall, you need to retreat from it 1.5–2 m

Schisandra is best planted from the second half of April until the beginning of May (in the middle lane) or in the second decade of September (in more southern areas).

Soil preparation

Under natural conditions, lemongrass grows on sandy loamy drained soils near water. Therefore, the soil composition for the planting pit can be as follows:

• turf land (dug from an area of \u200b\u200b1 m 2);
• humus - 60 kg;
• sand - 2-3 buckets;
• wood ash - 400-500 g;
• superphosphate - 200 g.

It is good if there are several seedlings: in this case, the plants are better pollinated and therefore the yield increases.

The landing process consists of the following steps:

1. Two weeks before planting, dig a landing pit with a depth and width of about half a meter.

   Pit under lemongrass should have a depth and width of 50 cm

2. Pave a drain in the pit, using broken brick, crushed stone, and small stones for this.
3. On the day of planting (preferably in cloudy weather) pour the seats in the form of cones over the drainage from the mixture prepared in advance.
4. Shorten the roots of the seedling by 20 cm and dip with clay mash.

   If a Chinese schisandra seedling is purchased with a closed root system, it can be immediately planted in the ground

5. Place the seedling on a cone and spread the roots.
6. Cover the prepared ground with a deepened root neck at ground level and tamp.

   The earth around the planted lemongrass needs to be tamped

7. Water abundantly (two or three buckets per plant) and mulch with humus.

Video: lemongrass planting rules

If the lemongrass is planted correctly, then you can expect fruits in the fifth or sixth year.But it is undesirable to transplant a plant, since in a new place it does not take root well. It is better to determine it immediately in a permanent place.

Chinese Schisandra Care

Schisandra is a climbing vine that needs support. If the plants are not planted near the fence or gazebo, then a trellis is suitable, which is installed immediately after planting.

A young (up to three years) plant in the cold season needs shelter. Liana is removed from the support and covered with foliage, spruce branches, ruberoid. A more adult plant of frost is no longer afraid.

Loosening the soil around the plant should not be, as this damages the sleeping buds, from which the shoots appear. Mulching is preferred.

Top dressing

Mineral fertilizers are applied only in the third year after planting. The application scheme is as follows:

• first top dressing in April before budding:
  • saltpeter - 20/25 g / m 2,
  • nitrofoska - 40 g / m 2,
  • potassium sulfate - 10 g / m 2,
  • superphosphate - 40 g / m 2;
• the second top dressing - 15 g of potassium and 20 g / m 2 of phosphorus during the formation of the ovaries;
• the third top dressing - 20 g / m 2 of potassium and phosphorus in the fall.

Watering: frequency and quantity

Schisandra hail from a humid Far Eastern climate, therefore, loves moisture. One adult plant requires up to six buckets of water per watering.   In the dry period, it is useful to carry out daily spraying with settled water in addition to watering.

Pruning and correct bush formation

Schisandra has male (with white stamens) and female (with green pestles) flowers. Young creepers produce male flowers during the fruiting period, and female - as they grow.

On the right are female lemongrass flowers, on the left are male

In an adult lemongrass, flowers grow in tiers:

• lower - mostly male
• medium - mixed
• the upper - women.

Male flowers near lemongrass are located mainly in the lower part of the vine. Therefore, for better pollination annually in spring, preferably in early March before the sap flow begins, thinning of the bush should be carried out. First, the tops and branches of the second order are shortened.

During spring pruning, the tops and branches of the second order of lemongrass are shortened first

And in the fall, you can cut off all dried and weak shoots, leaving 5-6 young vines.

Lemongrass propagation

It is possible to propagate lemongrass in several ways:

• seeds
• root shoots
• cuttings
• layering.

The most productive of them is the planting of the shoots, with which the plant is literally surrounded.   The processes with sleeping buds are separated from the bush and immediately transplanted. It is better to do it in the early spring or in October.

To propagate lemongrass with cuttings, the following activities are carried out:

You can plant young seedlings in a permanent place next spring.

To propagate the creeper by layering, proceed as follows:

Video: propagation of Schisandra chinensis by layering

Pest and disease protection

For lemongrass, pest damage is not typical - obviously, they are scared away by the specific smell of the plant.   Schizandra is also resistant to disease. Sometimes leaf spotting, powdery mildew, or fusarium may still appear.

Ways of struggle:

• with leaf spotting - two-three-fold (in 7–10 days) treatment with a 1% solution of Bordeaux fluid;
• with powdery mildew - double treatment with a 0.5% solution of soda ash. Sick fruits are harvested and burned;
• with fusarium, or a black leg (only seedlings are ill) for prevention, the soil is watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and diseased plants are removed.

Growing lemongrass from seeds at home

Schisandra can be grown with freshly picked seeds. They are sown in mid-October on prepared beds to a depth of 3 cm, and if done earlier, the seeds will become prey for birds and mice. Shoots appear in late spring.

If you sow seeds in the spring, then in winter you should start preparing:

For transplanting to a permanent place, seedlings will be suitable only after two years.

Features of cultivation in the regions

In various regions of our country and neighboring countries, there are conditions for growing Chinese magnolia vine, which must be taken into account:

• since lemongrass is not afraid of frost and therefore perfectly adapts to the conditions of central Russia, for cultivation in the suburbs, frost-resistant variety Pervenets, bred by Moscow breeders, is suitable. The length of its vines reaches two meters, the berries ripen in August - September, in a bunch of up to 22 berries;
• in the temperate climate of the Urals and Siberia, it is recommended to plant lemongrass only in the spring, so that the plant has time to form a strong root system and prepare for winter;
• for example, the Sadovy-1 variety (bred by Ukrainian breeders) is adapted to the climatic conditions of Ukraine: the length of the vine is 1.8–2 m, it matures by early September. The berries are large, about 28 pieces per brush. In this region, it is necessary to pay attention to abundant watering so that the plant feels well and bears fruit.

This Far Eastern liana will delight you from the beginning of May to December: first with white fragrant flowers, then with dense bright foliage, and by the end of summer, the beginning of autumn - bright red garlands of berries. Invite a taiga guest to your garden! To wait for the harvest of Schisandra chinensis, patience is required. But the pleasure is worth it!

"Schisandra chinensis" - a type of perennial vines with beautiful red berries, serves not only as a decoration for your garden, but also as a supplier of raw materials for the preparation of medical and cosmetic products.

Perennial liana with bright foliage and red bunches of berries - Schisandra chinensis is gaining more and more popularity among domestic gardeners. Unpretentious plant is widely used in medicine and cosmetics.

Planting and care operations do not require extensive experience and effort from gardeners. Having planted a plant, you get the opportunity to enjoy its beauty for at least 15 years.

Brief description of berry culture

A winding tree-like liana with round red fruits of the bitter - sour taste of lemon is a simple description of a plant that came to us from China and the Far East. The Chinese call it the “berry of five flavors” for its rich taste.   The subtropical, relict vine belongs to the class of “flowers” \u200b\u200band the “Schizondra” family.

By the structure of the inflorescence, the liana is similar to magnolias. The birthplace of the plant is China, Japan, Amur Region, Primorsky Territory, the islands of the Sakhalin Archipelago and the Korean Peninsula. 23 species of tree-like vines have been studied, but one species grows in the wild in the country - "Schisandra chinensis".

Root system

Schisandra root system - rhizome, covered with many sleeping buds, from which individual trunks develop as they grow. The depth of the roots is up to 200 mm, therefore, when leaving, constant loosening of the soil directly near the plant trunks is excluded.

Trunks

The thickness of the tree trunk of lemongrass - up to 30 mm, and its maximum height reaches 16-17 m. Liana is fixed on the branches of shrubs or trees and creeps up. When growing in garden plots, trellises and pillars are required.

The trunk is covered with longitudinal lentils. The color of the liana changes with the growth and development of the plant. In young women, it is glossy with a yellowish tinge of flaky bark. Adult creepers are painted in dark brown color.

Foliage

The plant is covered with "regular" leaves of elliptical shape.   The tops of the foliage are slightly sharpened, and the base is wedge-shaped. Leaves grow a few pieces from each petiole, painted in brown with a pink tint.

The length of the foliage, depending on the age of the plant, can vary from 50 mm to 100 mm. Width - 30-40 mm.

Flowers

Diclinous flowers of lemongrass are located on one trunk of a vine. Petals are pink to white to white in color. They grow from a thin and long peduncle.

Blooming liana fills the garden with a pleasant aroma. When growing Chinese Schisandra in Siberia or the Urals, the plant blooms for a short time - in late spring or early summer. After flowering, beautiful bright red fruits grow on the vine.

Lemongrass fruits

The fruits are spherical in shape, painted red.   A brush, like red currants or grapes, is gathered in a bunch on one peduncle. The fruiting period in different regions begins at different times, but basically, this is the end of the summer period and the beginning of September.

Each plant, under normal climatic conditions and good care, gives up to 3 kg of juicy berries.

Breeding methods

You can get a new planting material of lemongrass in several ways:

• seed
• vegetative propagation method

All these methods will require the cultivation of a 3-year-old seedling with subsequent transplantation to the place of its constant growth. We will dwell on this issue in more detail in a separate chapter.

Breeding

Let us examine in more detail the methods of propagation of Schisandra chinensis at home.

Seeds

Before starting work, be sure to pay attention to the expiration date of the seed material and its condition. Overdried seeds do not guarantee even 70% germination. The same applies to old seeds. No mechanical damage and cracks in the seed. A healthy plant cannot grow from such seed material.

Read also: Growing a garden blackberry - a description of the process from buying and planting seedlings in open ground to leaving and harvesting from Moscow Region to Siberia (Photos & Video) + Reviews

The seed method will require planting in the autumn, so that the seeds go through the process of natural stratification (seed treatment with cold). In the spring, at the first thaw, the seeds will sprout, they will easily sprout through moist and loose soil.

If the planting time is postponed to spring, it will be necessary to stratify the seeds in the refrigerator, after soaking them in water with manganese, for 7-8 days.

Water in the tank will need to be changed daily:

After the preparatory phase, the seeds are dried and mature, intact seeds are selected from the total mass. Another way to determine the quality of the seed material is after soaking, all emerging seeds are removed.

River sand undergoes high temperature treatment to disinfect it, and is placed in seedling containers. Seeds are planted, placed in a warm place and constantly moistened. The processing time is 30 days.

After the onset of the first cold weather and snowfall, the containers are completely covered with snow or placed in a cold room for the whole winter.

Wintered seeds, at the onset of a warm period, are planted in the school. For this, furrows with a depth of up to 20 mm are drawn with a hoe on the loose soil of the selected area. Sprouted seeds are laid, and are covered with soddy soil from above. After watering, the bed is covered with a layer of mulch. Peat, old wood chips or sunflower husks can be used for this layer.

Now you need to constantly moisten the soil and add a layer of mulch under the growing plant, for 2-3 years. Only after this transplant seedlings into place.

For the first year

Developments in the school, plants grow to a height of 50 mm. It is important for them to create optimal conditions for growth. Periodic top dressing, watering and constant loosening of the soil in the aisle, weed removal. With a steady hot period, you will need to shade the schoolhouse with seedlings using a thin Agrospan or old curtains.

Second year

The main task is the development of the root system and the ground. To do this, it will be necessary to ensure the application of mineral and organic fertilizers and perform sanitary pruning of damaged or weakened stems of the creeper bush. The task of the 3rd year is to provide the plant with conditions for its growth in height up to 500 mm. During this period, it is already possible to plant a ready-made strong seedling in a permanent place.

This technique requires a lot of time and attention and does not give 100% confidence that the seedlings will grow strong and healthy. Therefore, the technique is used when growing lemongrass in nurseries.

Vegetative method of obtaining seedlings

Read also: Raspberries are one of the sweetest berries. Description, planting in the open ground, reproduction and care. Popular varieties: from early ripening to remontant (25 Photos & Video) + Reviews

This method allows you to get a finished seedling in the second year of its growth.. The vegetative technique allows reproduction using root cuttings or cuttings.

The best option is to plant part of the root of the mother bush. But if this is not possible, you can ask the neighbors for shoots after sanitary pruning and thinning of the old bush, and prepare a sufficient number of cuttings.

Cuttings are cut so that each has a minimum of 4-5 kidneys. Two of them are left above the ground, and the remaining surface of the seedling must be scratched with a fork or other tool and planted in moist soil.

The cuttings will start up roots and begin to develop. It is important to provide it with moisture and oxygen. In a year, it will be possible to plant a finished seedling in a prepared place.

Root layering   will allow to plant a finished seedling directly when dividing the bush. To do this, it is enough to pick a creeper bush on one side, gently peel the rhizome and separate from it a site with at least 3 sleeping buds. A seedling is placed in the prepared planting hole and further work on cultivation and care is carried out according to the basic scheme.

Criteria for the selection of varieties and planting material

Breeders have launched the 2 main forms of Schisandra chinensis on the market. There is no unequivocal varietal material.

Here are some popular forms of this plant:

"Garden" is a stunted plant. A tree liana grows up to 2 m in height. Berries ripen at different times. Chinese magnolia vine in the suburbs ripens in late summer. And Chinese schisandra in Siberia is harvested in early autumn. Regardless of the region, an adult bush allows you to collect a good crop of berries, which grow up to 25 pieces per 1 stalk.

"Firstborn" - a plant with a high level of frost resistance. This type of Schisandra chinensis is successfully grown in the middle lane and in the south of the country. Bushes are stunted, vines grow up to 2 m. Up to 28 juicy berries develop on each stalk.

When buying seeds, you need to pay attention to:

• for shelf life
• zoning and regions suitable for planting this type of lemongrass
• packaging condition and seed quality
• certificate of conformity and environmental safety

If you buy ready-made planting material, first of all you need to pay attention to several factors:

• the seedling should not have mechanical damage to the stem and root system
• the plant should have a healthy appearance. Dried bark, sluggish leaves and roots are signs of a weakened, poorly developed plant.

The best purchase option is seedlings sold in separate cups with a moistened clod of earth on the root system and lush foliage and stem. Better plants take root with a developed root system, even with insufficient stem height.

Step-by-step instructions for planting a shrub

Schisandra grows well in a quiet place where there are no drafts and strong winds

This process is divided into several main stages. We will analyze each in more detail.

Preparatory work

Choosing a landing place

The places of landing of Schisandra chinensis are selected in the nook, without constant drafts and wind. If the site is wet and heavy soil, you will need to additionally drain the soil with a layer of expanded clay or old broken brick.

The most suitable option is a flat surface near the house, in a warm place. It is not recommended to plant a vine directly under trees or shrubs. Schisandra develops well in partial shade, but the root system of trees will take away food and moisture, so the development and growth of the bush will slow down.

The minimum distance to buildings from 1.5 meters - this indentation will protect the plant from excess moisture flowing down the walls of the building. For the middle lane, it is recommended to plant vines on the west side of the building, and in the southern region - on the east. So the plants receive a sufficient level of heat and light and are saved from sunburn in the summer.

Timing depending on the breeding method

Depending on the region, planting dates vary significantly. If the optimal time for the southern regions is October, then in the Moscow region lemongrass Chinese is planted in April or even in May with steady heat.

Soil preparation

The plant needs to create familiar conditions, such as in nature. Therefore, preference is given to an even area with a layer of fertile soil. It is better to increase the drainage layer to 150-200 mm - such care will allow the plant to grow and develop quickly.

For planting on acidic soils, additional liming of the soil will be required by adding quicklime to the ground. The introduction of organic matter and mineral fertilizers is carried out directly in the landing hole. To do this, the turf land is mixed in a certain proportion.

Landing

Before landing, it is important to determine the place. Schisandra does not like transplants, such a vine will hurt, and will lag behind in development.   Therefore, the place is selected for a long time and taking into account possible redevelopment of the site. It is recommended to plant plants on the beds where all kinds of vegetables and row crops grew.

The work is carried out in several stages:

At selected locations, at a distance of at least 1 m, digging pits with a size of 500/500 mm and a depth of 500-600 mm are dug. The depth of the pit depends on the moisture level of the site and the increased drainage layer.

The excavated land is mixed in equal proportions with humus, manure and river sand. Nitrogen is added to the soil - 40 g, any phosphate fertilizer up to 150 g per 1 m2. The earth mixes well. The soil should not be lumpy and dry, such pieces can damage the root system. Therefore, the earth is pre-wetted with water and loosened.

If a short row of vines is planted, as a living decorative hedge, holes are drilled in the extreme holes and 2 pipes are clogged. Length, depending on the grade of lemongrass - up to 3 m above ground level. For a long row of plants, intermediate poles will need to be clogged, for the manufacture of a frame for attaching creeping tall plants.

Several rows of strong wire are stretched and fixed on poles. This work is best done immediately so as not to damage the young plants later. They themselves will weave the fence, you only need to slightly adjust the direction of growth of individual vines.

A layer of drainage of expanded clay, sand or broken brick is poured at the bottom of the pit. The minimum thickness of such a layer is 100-150 mm.

A mound of prepared soil is poured in the middle of the pit. Of all the seedlings, the strongest are selected. Each plant is cut with a sharp secateurs, leaving only three buds. The trimmed edge is covered with garden varnish or clay solution. The root system is dipped in a liquid solution of clay mixed with cow manure.

The finished seedling is set on a knoll in the hole, each root is carefully straightened and covered with small handfuls of soil, so as not to damage the roots.

The earth is not filled up in height by 50-60 mm, compacted around a seedling. Up to 30-40 liters of warm water are poured into each hole. The remaining distance in the pit is filled with a layer of peat, sawdust or shredded bark of deciduous trees.

It is not recommended to plant single vines on the site. The best option - at least 3-4 adult plants are nearby. Such planting provides good conditions for growth, increases the yield of bushes and creates an attractive appearance of the site.

The plant is able to pollinate itself independently, since it is monoecious with the presence of male and female flowers on it. But group planting provides a more efficient pollination process.

Lemongrass leaves are very fond of watering, especially in drought

The plant is very fond of dousing the leaves with water, especially in the dry period. It is better to carry out the treatment in the early morning or late evening in order to avoid getting sunburn by the leaves. It is recommended to fill the area without weeds with a layer of crushed oak bark. This treatment will allow you to save moisture and not to loosen the soil and make the bed attractive with an additional color cast.

Fertilizer application

This work begins to be carried out already in the 2nd year of the growth of Schisandra chinensis.   In early spring, 30–40 g of ammonium nitrate is introduced along with a layer of mulch from humus, which is mixed with compost.

In the summer months, during flowering and the beginning of fruiting, organic matter is introduced with a frequency of treatment at least once every 20 days. Manure is soaked in a separate container for 3-5 days. Then the finished dressing - 0.5 l is added to a bucket of water. A bucket of the mixture is poured under each bush. For the passage of nutrients to the roots, after feeding moisture, the plant is well filled with warm water.

5 year - the beginning of fruiting, will require the introduction of phosphate fertilizers in the spring.   To prepare the solution, superphosphate of 20 g is used. In the autumn, additionally fed with organic fertilizers.

Old and damaged trunks are removed several times during the season

After the 2nd year of development of plants, they begin to be pruned.   Each lemongrass leaves a maximum of 4-5 shoots. The remaining trunks are carefully cut with a sharp secateurs directly near ground level. This operation is carried out in the pre-winter period, after the leaves fall.

In the fall there was no way to cut the bush, this work would need to be done in early summer.   First of all, damaged, frozen shoots are removed. 5 strong shoots are selected, the rest are cut.

During the season, several sanitary operations will be required to remove old or damaged trunks. In parallel, the side shoots for the 12th bud are shortened - this reduces the load on the bush and allows it to prepare for winter.

A 15 year old plant will have to be rejuvenated.   To do this, remove all the old vines of the bush and leave 5 young trunks.

Regardless of where Chinese Schisandra is grown, in the Urals or in the southern regions, the plant is not affected by diseases and pests. You can only bring infection from Primorye or China when you buy seedlings in these regions.