Azimina three-lobed (banana tree): cultivation and varieties. Asimina triloba (Asimina triloba)
AT natural conditions pawpaw three-lobed grows in the second or third tiers of broad-leaved forests, often in floodplains, this explains its ability to bear fruit even in shading. However, it thrives best in sunny areas.
Plants grow well on light and slightly loamy fertile soils with slightly acidic, slightly alkaline or neutral soil reactions (pH 5.5-7.2). Trees do not like prolonged waterlogging of the soil and stagnation. ground water. Possessing a well-developed, densely leafy crown and large leaves. Plants are demanding on moisture, especially during fruit formation. The lack of moisture affects the quality of the fruit and causes them to fall prematurely.
Propagation of paws by seeds
Azimina is well propagated by seeds that need pre-sowing preparation - stratification, carried out in 2 stages: cold and warm.
The pawpaw seeds dry out very quickly after being removed from the fruit; after 5 days of storage in the open air, the water content in the seeds quickly decreases and can lead to loss of germination. Therefore, they should immediately be put in the refrigerator in paper bags before stratification or immediately into the substrate - perlite, sawdust, moss. The worst substrate is sand, which is very compacted, poorly ventilated and requires constant mixing, while moss, peat, sawdust retain moisture well, do not compact, which means they are well supplied with oxygen.
Seeds need pre-sowing cold stratification (+5 ° C) for 100-120 days and subsequent warm stratification for 30 days at a temperature of +18 ... +20 ° C.
In pawpaw seeds, the embryo is underdeveloped, and warm stratification is necessary for its development, during which the embryonic root and cotyledons are further developed, which ensures seed germination.
Seeds sown before winter germinate well (they undergo stratification in natural conditions).
Stratified seeds are sown to a depth of 2-3 cm in late April, early May in a greenhouse or containers.
Mass shoots appear in a month, sometimes - in late May - early June, both from stratified seeds and sown before winter: the seeds germinate at a soil temperature of at least +18 ... +20 ° C. Because of this, germination often stretches by 1, 5-2 months (in cold spring), germination of properly stored seeds is 80-85%.
First, a root is formed at the seed, when it reaches a length of 14-20 cm, seedlings appear without cotyledons, they do not come to the surface, with the rudiments of leaves, the primary shoot immediately appears.
At the age of 2-3 true leaves, seedlings can dive into containers 18-20 cm high, the surface area of the container is 100 cm 2, the period of adaptation after picking, the seedlings pass in the greenhouse. In May, when the threat of late frost has passed, the plants are taken out into the open ground.
In the first and second year, seedlings in very hot weather must be shaded, as the leaves sometimes burn. Plants become more resistant with age.
For containers, we prepare a mixture of earth, humus and sand in a ratio of 1: 1: 1, sowing depth is the same as in open ground - 2-3 cm, as a rule, seeds that have been hatched are planted in containers.
At first, seedlings grow slowly - in the first year they reach a height of 10-20 cm, have 6-10 leaves, with a root collar diameter of 1.5-3.0 cm (Fig. 29). The root of the seedling is taproot, well developed - its length is 15-17 cm, the total mass of the root system of annual seedlings is 150-170 cm and is located in the soil layer up to 20 cm, the number of roots decreases with depth.
Azimina does not tolerate transplantation well, often the roots break off, so the plants must be transplanted with a lump, preferably immediately on permanent place. Plants from containers suffer less - they easily roll over into a prepared planting pit. In subsequent years, the seedlings grow very well, quickly increase the vegetative mass and lay generative buds already in the 4-5th year.
Plants of seed origin bloom in the 5-6th year, the yield increases gradually, grafted - already in the 2-3rd year, with a faster start to fruiting. The yield is formed on last year's shoots and depends on the vigor of the plant, growing conditions and, to a greater extent, on the presence of pollinating insects and cross-pollination. Full mass fruiting is typical for 10-15- summer plants. Harvest - up to 30-40 kg per plant.
The root system of paws is superficial, often slightly branched, lies shallow - in 5-10 year old plants - up to 50-60 cm, in 15-20 year old plants - up to 1.5-1.8 m, lateral roots go 5.0-7 .0 m from the stem. The bulk of the roots is concentrated at a depth of 50.0-70.0 cm.
Vegetative propagation paws
Vegetative propagation of pawpaw plants is simple. It is necessary for the cultivation of varietal planting material. The most effective reproduction by budding in the spring, during the mass flowering of plants (as a rule, in the conditions of Kyiv - May 5-15), the survival rate is 75-90%. For pawpaw for budding (and grafting), a stainless steel knife is required, accuracy and high speed of budding, as sections quickly oxidize (blacken) in air due to the high content of tannins.
The rootstock is one-, two-year-old seedlings of their own reproduction.
The azimine reproduces well by layering and root shoots, which are formed in culture in small quantities, in nature - massively.
Reproduction of paws with lignified and green cuttings fails, now we are testing this method of reproduction - obviously, conditions are necessary high humidity and temperature, which can be provided in the fogging complex.
Planting pawpaw plants and caring for them
Landing. For planting use seedlings or seedlings paws. Two-year-old seedlings 40-50 cm high, with a root collar diameter of 6-9 mm, have 14-20 leaves and overall length the root system is 2.5-3.0 m, the height of seedlings (grafted varietal plants) at the age of one year reaches 60-70 cm, the diameter of the bole is 10-12 mm, they should have a good fusion of the scion with the stock.
An elevated, wind-protected and well-lit place is best suited for planting paws. When landing on a slope, to prevent the flow of storm or melt water, it is necessary to equip gutters.
Optimal landing pattern providing good development plants, when laying it is considered 5 x 3 m - row spacing - 5 m, between plants - 3 m. rapidly developing the above-ground system, it is advisable not to plant other plants close, so as not to obscure and limit the development of paws.
Planting pits should be 50-60 cm deep, 60-70 cm wide. The soil of the top layer of the pit is mixed with 5-10 kg of compost or humus, the plant is planted on a mound, spreading the root system, the pit is filled with earth from row spacing, a hole is made for irrigation . Plants are watered, mulched with peat, bark, humus. During the growing season, water depending on weather conditions.
Care. Plant care is very simple - weeding, mulching and watering, which ensure good fruiting.
Pollination plays an important role in the formation of the crop, the selection of genetically heterogeneous varieties ensures good pollination. A very simple hand pollination operation can be successfully applied by amateur gardeners growing one or two trees. Ripe pollen is transferred with a brush from one tree to the flowers of another. This technique allows you to increase the yield by two or more times. As a means to attract flies, which play a major role in pollination, pieces of spoiled meat are often hung in the garden during flowering.
On dense loamy soils, it is imperative to make drainage at the bottom of the planting hole in order to avoid stagnant water with abundant moisture.
top dressing. Regarding fertilizers. At a young age - up to 5-7 years with well-filled planting pits, plants do not need special top dressing, they use the stock nutrients from landing pits, in addition, beneficial effect provides mulching, retaining moisture and enriching the soil with organic matter.
But, given the intensive growth of plants in the subsequent time after establishment, and with a decrease in vegetative growth, it is advisable to fertilize the plants nitrogen fertilizers. At the same time, with strong vegetative growth (it can reach 70-90 cm during the growing season), young plants delay fruiting. In this case, it is also desirable to add phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, which stimulate the entry of plants into the reproductive phase.
Analyzing the state of plants, if necessary, in the spring, both under young and fruiting plants, it is necessary to apply a full range of fertilizers - nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium.
Prospects for the cultivation of paws
Azimina three-bladed - culture is early, high-yielding, with regular, without periodic fruiting.
The pawpaw culture is of great economic importance and has already spread, in addition to America, to the southern regions of Europe and East Asia.
This plant has a great future, it has not yet been sufficiently studied, in it, like in many other plants, everything is healing - leaves, shoots, roots, seeds and fruits.
Due to the high adaptation and winter hardiness, the cultural range of the pawpaw can be significantly expanded.
One of the most important ways of acclimatization of pawpaw, as well as other introducers, is sowing seeds and selecting, reseeding in several generations, which will make it possible to develop resistant to adverse conditions varieties.
The life cycle of the pawpaw plant is quite long. In the American literature there is information about plants of a hundred years old, we have - about well-bearing at the age of 70 - in the Batumi Botanical Garden.
In Ukraine, 60-year-old plants bear fruit in the Odessa Botanical Garden, and in Kyiv - in the Botanical Garden. Fomin Kyiv National University.
They say that those plants that are touched by a human hand are happy, this fully applies to pawpaw, a valuable fruit, medicinal and ornamental plant.
Azimina three-lobed in the USA is called “pow-pow”, “Nebraska banana”, ” banana tree". These folk names of the plant are associated with the shape of pawpaw fruits - they are elongated, like y, but much smaller in size.
The main advantage of pawpaw three-bladed is the wonderful fruits for which it is grown. The taste of its fruits is extraordinary - it really resembles bananas, but more tender, and the pulp of the pawberry fruit has a strong and very pleasant aroma.
I must say that the pawpaw fruits seemed to me the most delicious of all that I have ever tasted. And so one day, when a friend treated me to them, I really wanted to have such a culture in my area.
Having accumulated many years of experience in propagating and growing this plant, I want to supplement the site posted on the site.
Azimina in nature and in the garden
The pawpaw genus includes 8 species distributed throughout the United States. Of these, six species grow in Florida, one is found in Texas. And one of the most common types of pawpaw grows almost throughout the country up to the Canadian border - it is he who is of the greatest interest for cultivation in our country. The botanical name for this common species is pawpaw three-lobed(Asimina triloba).
Pawpaw three-lobed (hereinafter - pawpaw) is a small deciduous slow-growing tree that lives on loose soils in floodplains. According to literature data, this plant tolerates frosts down to -25 C.
In the region where my garden is located (Tuapse) such severe frosts can not be. But my friend, who lives near Krasnodar, in the harsh winter of 2005/2006, when the temperature dropped to -28 C, flower buds froze out on pawberry trees (although the wood and growth buds were not affected).
Propagation of paws by seeds
In pawpaw, the seeds are very large, like in.
I decided that pawpaw seeds are needed, since this plant comes from the subtropical and temperate zones.
Immediately after extraction from the fruit, I placed the seeds of pawpaw in a loose fertile soil by planting them in separate seedling cups. Then I dug cups with seeds in elevated areas of the garden, to a shallow depth.
During the winter, he made sure that water did not stagnate in cups with semans.
In April, some pawpaw seeds began to germinate, and I began to plant the seedlings in a permanent place.
During the spring, he carefully monitored the soil moisture, preventing it from drying out.
Since the soil in my area is heavy, clayey, before planting the seeds, I completely replaced it with wood humus (I took it from rotted edible chestnut trunks, which we have a lot in the forest).
Landing pits for pawpaws did different size, placing them both in partial shade and in sunny areas. I made the largest hole about 1 meter deep and about half a meter in diameter - about 20 buckets of humus went into it.
Development of pawberry seedlings and care for them
Azimina seedlings appeared from May to August, and 11 of the planted 14 seeds sprouted. In the first year, I did not feed the plants, I only watered the seedlings as needed. The growth of pawpaw seedlings for the first season ranged from 10 to 30 cm. In October, their leaves turned yellow and crumbled; young trees have gone dormant.
next spring, in April, sap flow began at pawberry seedlings, buds began to bloom on their tops. At this time, I fertilized young plants with nitrodiammophos (about 20 g per bucket of water), but I did not find a particular reaction to fertilizer in plants.
At the end of the summer, he fed young pawpaw trees, and did not fertilize them with anything else that season.
Simultaneously with bud break, 2 more seeds of pawpaw sprouted on overwintered plants, which did not sprout last year.
In the second year, the growth of pawberry seedlings also ranged from 10 to 30 cm.
In the third year, the last seed of pawpaw sprouted, and in plants that sprouted in the first year, the growth was from 20 to 40 cm.
It became obvious that young pawpaw trees growing in the shade developed worse than in the sun. Therefore, they had to be transplanted, to which they reacted very painfully - growth stopped for 1-2 years.
In the fourth year, seedlings of pawpaw began to form lateral branches.
Interesting feature pawpaw trees in that its skeletal branches are formed strictly in one plane, i.e. are a classic palmette.
In the photo: a small pawberry tree in summer; pawpaw in autumn.
Due to lack free space in the garden, I kept only three pawpaw trees for myself, and distributed the rest of the seedlings.
As pawpaw grew, over the years I began to increase the amount of dressing and fertilizer doses, and I used only.
It turned out that pawpaw is responsive to top dressing, especially to nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers.
Flowering and fruiting pawpaws
In the sixth year of cultivation on one tree paws began to form fruit buds. They were the size of a match head, and became clearly visible after leaf fall.
The next spring, pawpaw's fruit buds began to open in March, long before the leaf buds.
Flowers bloomed in April unusual shape and coloring - light brown, with 6 petals and large quantity stamens. The pawpaw flowers have a weak and very bad smell reminiscent of the smell of rotten meat. This smell attracts carrion flies, which in our conditions are the main pollinators of azimine flowers. And the bees are not at all interested in pawpaw flowers.
Azimina can be pollinated by its own pollen, but pollination within the same flower is excluded. The fact is that in the pawpaw flower, the stigma of the pistil first ripens. After 1-2 days, pollen from the anthers of the stamens begins to spill out, and by this time the pistil fades. That is why the first pawpaw flowers do not give ovaries.
In the first year, only 3 flowers bloomed on one pawberry tree, and pollination did not take place.
The following year, there were about 100 flowers on one pawberry tree, and about 70 on the other. Moreover, their flowering continued for 3 weeks, which made it possible to carry out both cross-pollination and pollination of flowers with their own pollen.
The pawpaw flowers are drooping, they are easy to pollinate - just tie a stiff wire to a piece of cotton wool and transfer pollen from one flower to another.
Despite the pollination of paws flowers by carrion flies, artificial pollination increases the percentage of fruit set. Even with artificial pollination, the ovaries produce about 60 percent of pollinated flowers, and of the resulting ovaries, about 80 percent fall off - this is normal.
Azimina flowers are often visited, but their participation in pollination is unlikely - these beetles are attracted only by the pollen of the plant, which they eat with pleasure along with the stamens, but do not touch the ovaries.
Immediately after pollination of the ovary flowers, paws began to grow very actively. Within a month and a half, the ovaries reached half their final size.
From 2 to 8 fruits (usually 2-3 fruits) were formed in pawpaw infructescences. There were also single fruits, but they were few.
Some seedlings of paws reached a significant weight, so it was necessary to bring props under the heavier branches.
In late August-early September, shortly before the pawpaw fruits ripen, they grew a little more and began to change color to lemon yellow.
When fully ripe, pawpaw fruits fell off. And if they were damaged when they fell, they deteriorated very quickly - after 3-4 hours at room temperature.
Intact ripe pawpaw fruits tasted best immediately after falling from the tree, and the next day they acquired the taste of burnt coffee ...
I tried to remove pawpaw fruits from a tree shortly before ripening. When they ripened in the mat, their juiciness was very low.
Interestingly, in the infructescence of paws, the fruits do not ripen at the same time. But the seedlings crumble only after the last fruit in it has ripened, which is why the first ripened fruits overripe on the tree. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly check the degree of maturation of each fruit in paw fruit seedlings after the beginning of the color change in the fruit.
Ripe fruits of pawpaw are easily torn off when touched, while unripe ones hold firmly.
In the photo: maturing fruit of pawpaw; harvested pawpaw fruit
It is necessary to use the pawpaw fruits immediately after they ripen. Their skin is very thin, translucent; it peels off easily, like a banana.
There is evidence in the literature that jams and compotes are made from pawberry fruits. But I only used them fresh because of the small harvests.
I must say that the yield of pawpaw in comparison with many other fruit trees is very low. Even in mature trees, the yield is from 25 to 40 kg of fruit per tree. But this disadvantage is compensated by the excellent taste of the fruit and the absolute resistance of this plant to.
In 26 years of growing pawpaw three-lobed, I have not noticed any damage to my plants. And from none of my acquaintances who grow pawpaw, I have not heard that it is damaged in any way.
Selection of pawpaws
Azimina was introduced into the culture a little over 100 years ago, and therefore there are few varieties of it.
In total, about 60 varieties of pawpaw three-lobed are known. At different varieties fruits differ in terms of ripening, size, size of seeds in fruits. Obviously, in the near future, breeders will eliminate such a disadvantage as the low yield of pawpaw.
Now I grow five varieties (more precisely, variety types) of paws in my garden. Of these, two varieties were obtained by me from the Institute of Mountain Horticulture in Sochi, where pawpaw is selected in Russia. One cultivar of pawpaw was bought on the market, and its origin could not be established. Another variety type of pawpaw was obtained from near Sukhumi, where pawpaw was selected during the Soviet era. And another one grew from my rootstock, which remained after the death of the grafting of the varietal pawpaw.
I must say that the taste of fruits in different varieties of paws is very different from each other. The sweetest were pawpaw fruits from my rootstock, the graft on which died. And the most unsweetened fruits are in Sochi varieties of pawpaws; but on the other hand, they ripen later than the others, which allows you to extend the period of consumption of fresh fruits.
At the end of August, the first fruits of pawpaw ripen - on the tree that I received from near Sukhumi. They are sweet, but dryish, and their weight rarely exceeds 100 g.
At the beginning of September, the fruits begin to ripen on the pawpaw tree, which I bought at the market, as well as on the tree grown from the rootstock. In these two larger-fruited varieties of paws, the fruit weight reaches 200 g.
And, finally, in October, the fruits ripen on the trees of the Sochi selection; their weight is also about 200 g. Below I will give the characteristics of these two varieties of paws.
Azimina three-blade "Sochi-17"- fruits up to 200 g, harmonious taste (but, in my opinion, they have little sweetness), average yield.
Azimina three-blade "Dessert"- the taste and size of the fruit practically does not differ from the previous variety. But it has very small seeds, which increases the volume of pulp in the fruit. The yield is average.
Inoculation pawpaw
I want to say a little about pawpaw vaccination. In one of the articles I read that it is difficult to plant paws - I cannot agree with this. From my own experience I can say that grafting pawpaw is no more difficult than or a pear.
I graft pawpaw at the beginning of sap flow (in March) with a lignified cutting split. I cut the stock and split it lengthwise by 1-1.5 cm, and I sharpen the scion in a wedge-shaped manner and insert it into the split of the stock. The cambial layers must coincide on at least one side.
I tightly wrap the graft with a polymer film, and cover it with a polymer cap on top to protect it from moisture.
The pawpaw vaccination usually takes root within 2 weeks, as can be judged by the time the buds awaken in the scion. After that, I remove the cap, but at first I do not completely open the place where the scion grows together with the stock (I just loosen the strapping). Only a month and a half later, when the vaccine takes root well, I completely remove the harness.
Of the six inoculations of pawpaw, five took root in me.
As a result of the vaccinations, now I have five varieties on three azimine trees: on one tree - three varieties, and on the remaining trees - one variety each.
Placement of paws trees in the garden
For better fruiting pawpaws, it is important to choose the most appropriate place for planting a tree.
As for the optimal placement of paws on garden plot: it seems to me that, at least in the southern regions, paws should be placed in partial shade.
In my garden, one pawberry tree grows near the forest on the border of the site, where the sun is about 4 hours a day.
Another pawpaw grows next to a tree that shade pawpaw in the morning.
The third pawpaw tree grows between trellises with lianas that protect it from the sun in the early morning and evening. As a result, this tree is in the sun for no more than 3 hours in the middle of the day, and it is on it that the best fruiting is observed.
In the garden season of 2015, when September turned out to be dry and hot for us (daytime temperatures were not lower than +30 C), on the pawberry tree, which was in the sun for half a day, all the fruits on the sunny side were baked. And on the rest of the paw trees, the fruits were not affected.
So far, the yield of my pawpaw trees is low: it does not exceed 10 kg per tree. But I believe that over time my trees will be able to produce more.
I think that Azimina deserves widespread on the household plots- at least in the south of our country.
Vladimir Vasilyevich Chernyak (Tuapse, Russia)
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Title: Azimina
Family: Annonaceae
Origin: North America
Humidity: Moderate
Location: Bright areas of the garden
Soil: Garden loose soil
Pests and diseases: Root damage due to high humidity
Growth height: 12 m
Bloom: April
The plant is called the banana tree because of its fruits.
Asimina is a genus from the Annonaceae family. These are dicotyledonous plants. Mostly trees or shrubs with glossy, entire, leathery leaves, they are oblong-ovate. Bell-shaped flowers: brown, purple, purple. Fruits with tender pulp, edible. It is the only extratropical genus in the family. The most frost-resistant species is common in Russia.
Planting pawpaw
The soil is suitable for her ordinary garden, it is better if it is loose, permeable and slightly acidic. But the plant puts up with dense, heavy soil. The most important thing for paws is good drainage. For planting, it is good to purchase 2 summer seedlings. The optimal distance between plants is about 3 m.
You can add compost, humus, sand to the planting pit, wood ash. Be sure, when planting pawpaw, it is necessary to straighten its roots. After all the procedures are completed, it must be watered and mulched with peat.
Care for Azimina
The plant loves the light, and adult specimens feel great in the sun. But for the first year or two, it is better to shade young trees from direct rays. It is also desirable to protect the azimin from the wind, providing it with warmth.
After watering, you can loosen the soil around the plant, but very carefully and shallowly. And to preserve moisture, it is good to mulch the soil. In autumn in October, pawpaw enters a dormant period and the first sign of this is the shedding of foliage.
Watering
In the season, it is advisable to water pawpaws abundantly, but still observing the measure so that the roots do not rot. It is necessary to ensure that the soil remains moist, while not flooding the plant and maintaining a balance. Reduce watering during the dormant period in autumn.
winter hardiness
The three-lobed pawpaw is frost-resistant and tolerates winters down to -29 ° C and does not need shelter. In winter, she has a dormant period. Flower buds that appear in April are covered with a sheath that protects them from spring frosts.
top dressing
In the first year after planting, pawpaw is usually not fertilized. Then feeding begins in April, when she runs out of rest time. Mineral complex compositions are well suited here. Especially with a high content of nitrogen and phosphorus. You can apply fertilizer with water for irrigation. From organic matter, manure, pond silt is suitable. In the season it is fed every week, in winter it is enough once a month.
Pollination
Apply this method to increase the yield of paws. This is good for those who have several trees growing on the site, because the work is done manually. When the pollen is ripe, it is transferred with a brush from one tree to the flowers of another.
Bloom
Pawpaw blooms in April and may continue to bloom for about 3 weeks. The fruits ripen by the end of summer.
pruning
Azimina needs sanitary pruning, it is usually done before growth begins. The procedure is also carried out to form a crown.
Transfer
Azimin does not like transplantation very much and does not tolerate it well. If it is still necessary, then optimal time Spring. And only the method of transshipment of the plant is applicable due to the fragility of the roots.
Growing at home
Azimina can be grown in room conditions, a small tub is suitable for this. The bottom of the container must have drainage holes. And a layer of crushed stone or expanded clay is poured inside, like drainage. Sand is already placed on it, and then soil. Immediately after planting, the plant must be watered, it is better warm water. Then wait a few days for the substrate to dry. The soil in the tub can be loosened very carefully.
Inoculation pawpaw
It is best to graft a tree in early April in a split with a lignified cutting. The stock must be cut and split lengthwise, the graft sharpened and inserted into the split of the stock. It is important that the cambial layers match. Then the vaccine must be tightly wrapped, you can use a polymer film. It is good to protect it from moisture by covering it with a cap on top.
The vaccine takes about 2 weeks to take root. Then the buds appear at the scion. The protective cap can be removed, but it is better not to open the fusion site immediately. It is advisable to wait until the vaccine takes root completely.
Reproduction of Azimina
seeds
For best germination seeds need cold stratification for about 3-4 months. They germinate in about 7 weeks. If pawpaw is planted in the ground in autumn, seedlings will appear only in the middle of next summer. They are very sensitive especially their roots. optimum temperature for germination not lower than 20°C. If the tree is grafted, then it can bloom in 2-3 years, but bear fruit only in 5 years.
parts of the root
A piece of root can be broken off from the foot of the tree. Then they are planted in separate holes. The first shoots can be expected in about a month. As they grow, they are transplanted during indoor cultivation into larger containers.
Diseases and pests
Azimina is resistant to diseases and pests. But from improper watering, root rot can appear. In this case, the leaves turn brown and pawpaw grows poorly. A balance in moisture and watering is important. At room conditions, a plant transplant will help. The roots of paws should be washed well with water, removing diseased areas. For prevention from pests, paws can be watered from time to time with a weak solution of manganese.
Dwarf forms of the banana tree plant can be grown at home. True, in this case, it will be necessary to allocate a fairly large tub to the culture, because even a short pawpaw can grow up to one and a half meters.
What does the pawberry banana tree look like: photo and description
Banana tree (azimina) is a genus of dicotyledonous flowering plants belonging to the Annonaceae family. Deciduous tree, reaching several meters in favorable conditions (at home about 12 meters). Easily formed into a dwarf form. This is very ornamental plant with a wide pyramidal crown and beautiful smooth bark. The leaves of the banana tree are quite large (up to 30 cm long and 10 cm wide). Large drooping paws leaves are damaged when strong wind, which must be considered if you grow it on a balcony or in a garden.
Look at the photo, what the flowers of a banana tree look like - they are red-violet, monoecious, large (up to 4 cm in diameter):
The calyx has three leaves, the corolla has six petals. Blooms in spring before the leaves unfurl. Flowering is long (about three weeks). It is a cross pollinated plant. When growing a banana tree at home, artificial pollination is necessary with a soft brush or cotton wool.
The plant is native to the southern United States. It is currently distributed in Spain, France and Italy; it was brought to Russia in the last century. The plant is very frost-resistant and can tolerate even harsh winters with frosts (down to -29 °). Flower buds tolerate spring frosts quite freely.
As you can see in the photo, the fruits of a banana tree reach 12 cm in length and 5 cm in diameter, they are collected in seedlings of eight or more pieces:
Beneath the thin skin of the banana fruit is a pulp rich in fructose and sucrose with a very sweet taste and a delicate pineapple-strawberry flavor. The fruits contain all the essential trace elements for humans, which are found in tropical bananas and. The flesh of the fruit is whitish-yellow, the consistency resembles butter. With proper agricultural technology, the yield of this crop is high.
The fruits are covered with a thin green skin, which later becomes yellowish. Inside the fruit is a sweet light pulp, which has a peculiar strawberry-pineapple aroma. The taste is reminiscent of both banana and mango. The fruits of the plant are collected in seedlings, in each of which there can be up to 9 of them at the same time.
Pay attention to the photo - the fruits of pawpaw in shape have some similarities with bananas:
Similarities can also be found in the composition of these plants, the main riches of which are pectin, ascorbic acid and trace elements such as potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron. Each of the fruits is high in nutrients. The fruits are used freshly picked, they are also used to make jam, jam, marmalade.
In mid-autumn, the leaves turn yellow and fall, and new leaves grow. late spring, after flowering. Single flowers appear in the leaf axils of previous years, in March-May. Each flower contains several pistils, which explains the ability of one flower to form about 9 fruits. The flowers are bisexual, but not self-pollinating, so for fruiting it is necessary to carry out cross-pollination (for this you need to have two trees). Pollination is done when its pollen is brownish and friable, and the tips of its pistils are glossy green and sticky. The fruits ripen within 4 weeks - they contain 10-14 large brown-black seeds arranged in two rows.
Fruits are the most valuable food product. In addition to their nutritional and medicinal properties, fruits contribute to the production of endorphin - the “hormone of joy”.
Different parts of the plant have specific medicinal properties. The seeds contain the azyminine alkaloid, which is used in case of poisoning as an effective emetic that helps to remove toxins from the body. A decoction of young leaves is a good substitute diuretics, and freshly squeezed juice has a noticeable anthelmintic effect. Fruit extract strengthens the immune system.
Thanks to the beautiful large leaves and flowers, the plant is very decorative. Grows well below its natural height in a container.
The scientific name of the genus comes from "assimin" - the Native American name for this plant. Also, according to the description, pawpaw fruits are similar to papaya, which is why it is often called "American" papaw ".
Introduced into the culture a little over 100 years ago, and therefore there are few varieties of it. In total, about 60 of them are known, the fruits of which differ in ripening time, fruit size, and seed size. Selection is carried out not only in her homeland in the United States, but also in our country. At home, banana trees are grown only in dwarf form.
Growing and caring for banana paws in the open field
Grafted plants come into fruiting much earlier than seedlings - in the second or third year. Grafting is practically the only way to propagate varietal plants.
When growing paws in open field do not forget that this plant is photophilous, however, in the first two years of life, it requires light shading from direct sun. Mature plants prefer full sunlight.
It develops slowly, but with an increase in daylight hours (up to 16 hours), the growth rate increases: in three months a young tree can grow up to 1.5 meters in height.
You need to water regularly from spring to autumn, constantly keeping the soil moist; however, stagnant water should be avoided.
The plant has fleshy, brittle roots, so it is not transplanted, but transshipped. Do this in the spring, when the plant starts to grow. For good growth, a deep pot is needed, as the tree develops a large root system.
The soil should be light, fertile and slightly acidic (pH 5-7).
During active growth, when caring for a banana tree, plants are fed according to the following scheme (for example, let's take June, but this must be done every month): June 1 and 15 - manure; June 8 - water-soluble fertilizer "Kemira-Lux"; June 20 - ash from straw or potato tops (scatter 1 tsp of ash over the surface of the soil and pour over); June 25 - pond silt (150-200 g per liter of water).
In winter, the plant enters a period of deep dormancy, during which it requires at least two weeks of cold and 160 days of cool maintenance.
Flowers and fruits are formed on last year's shoots, so adult plants are pruned annually for replacement. Also, before the start of growth, sanitary pruning of the tree is carried out.
Absolutely resistant to a variety of damage by diseases or pests. It is useful to water the plant with a weak solution of potassium permanganate 2-3 times per season as a preventive measure.
Growing a banana paw tree from seeds
Propagated by seeds and grafting. Seeds for good germination must undergo stratification at a temperature of 0 ° -4 ° C for 90-120 days. Seeds germinate within 7 weeks; landing late autumn into the ground, shoots can be expected in July next year. Young sprouts have a sensitive root system, so they are not recommended to be transplanted.
When growing paws from seeds, plants usually begin to bloom and bear fruit after 4-8 years, which depends on the quality of the seeds, variety and conditions of detention. A grafted tree can start flowering in 2-3 years. Easily grafted by any means, like other deciduous shrubs and trees.
Since the plant is tropical, it is better to stratify the seeds at a temperature range of +5 to +7 degrees. Stratification is the process of keeping the seeds of a particular plant at a certain temperature in order for them to germinate faster, in addition, such manipulation allows you to increase germination.
Before planting, the seeds should be soaked in water for five days. At the same time, the water is changed daily. After a five-day period, the seeds are planted in the ground to a depth of about three centimeters. The first shoots should appear a month after planting. Seedlings grown in this way should not be disturbed and replanted, because the plant has a very tender root system which is easily injured. Thus, it is better for a tropical tree to immediately determine the "permanent residence" on the site.
Care is not difficult. The main thing is sufficient watering, since the plant is moisture-loving. As for top dressing, then in the first year of life it is not needed at all. Then nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers should be applied to the soil. In addition, you need to loosen the root zone, but in no case dig it up, so as not to damage the root system.
Varieties of pawberry banana tree: three-lobed, triloba and others
There are about six dozen varieties of paws today. Almost all of them were bred in countries such as Canada and the USA, which, however, is not at all surprising, because it is North America that is the historical homeland of this exotic plant for us. Almost all varieties that are this moment grown in Russia, are of North American origin.
Davis- the fruits of this variety are quite High Quality; they have a pleasant yellow flesh and a sweet taste.
Martin – distinguishing feature of this variety lies in its high cold resistance.
Azimina three-bladed – deciduous tree. This is the most winter-hardy species from the Annonaceae family. Banana tree pawpaw three-lobed - the only fruit plant in the temperate zone, it is distributed to the Great Lakes, and therefore is of the greatest interest for cultivation in our country.
overlease– this variety has characteristics similar to the Davis variety.
Azimina dessert- the plant is medium-sized, its fruits are mid-ripening, in weight they reach up to 270 grams. Yellow color the pulp of the fruit takes up to 95% - it has a very pleasant mild taste.
domestic variety "Sochi 11"- the plant is vigorous, the fruits are early ripe. The fruits of this variety are large in size, in weight they can reach 350 grams. The flesh of the fruit is colored yellow-orange. Her taste is extremely pleasant.
Azimina triloba from the anon family rare plant. The pawpaw three-lobed banana tree is native to the southern and eastern coasts of the United States. This is a deciduous tree with an unusually beautiful bark and a pyramidal, rather wide crown, with large, up to 30 cm long leaves, able to withstand severe frosts of 30 degrees. Flower buds are covered with a thin protective shell that protects them from the damaging effects of spring frosts. The tree blooms with large, hanging bells, up to 3–4 cm in diameter. The flowers are painted reddish or purple. Flowering begins even before the leaves bloom and lasts about three weeks.
The tree should be planted in a place protected from strong winds. trunk circle sow lawn grass. In the spring months, fertilize with a handful of urea. In summer, do not forget to apply any combined fertilizer several times. Avoid scorching of the root neck in spring period winding the barrel with a bag of sugar, a piece of polypropylene will help. For the winter, the tree is covered with spunbond, agrofibre.
How to grow a banana tree at home: caring for a dwarf pawberry at home
dwarf pawpaw- very short, 20-30 cm. Distributed from central Florida to southeastern Georgia. It blooms from April to June with burgundy flowers 2 cm in diameter and fruits 3-4 cm long.
Dwarf varieties are designed for growing at home - they are less demanding on conditions and resistant to diseases. The homemade banana tree reaches a small height of up to 1.5 m.
For planting, choose small pots, with a diameter of about 10 cm. You can use long flower boxes for several seeds, keeping a distance of about 15 cm between them. Before growing a banana tree at home, prepare the mixture river sand and peat 4: 1, no need to use any top dressing, make good drainage. Distribute the seeds on the surface of the moistened substrate and press them down a lot without falling asleep from above, leaving access for light.
Cover the seed pots with foil and place in a bright place, but without direct sunlight. Air the pots every few days, spray the substrate with a spray bottle when dry. When caring for a banana tree at home, do not allow waterlogging and rotting of the soil. When mold appears, the affected area of \u200b\u200bthe substrate must be removed, and the entire surface should be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate.
When grown at home, seedlings will appear in about 2-3 months. After the appearance of sprouts, the rapid growth of the plant will begin, after about a week, the seedlings must be transplanted into the ground.
AT comfortable conditions and with careful care grows quickly. With the formation of 15-18 leaves at home, it usually begins to bloom and bear fruit.
pawpaw or banana tree, another exotic for your garden. She came to us from the USA where this tree grows throughout the country. The banana tree got its name due to the shape of its fruits, which are similar to a banana. It was brought to us in the last century, but did not gain popularity, unlike our days, when Azimina is gaining her popularity quite quickly and is winning the love of our gardeners.
pawpaw is a shrub or tree. The plant has a fairly average height of about 2-3 meters. The fruits are elongated, green. The leaves are large, which reach a length of 30 cm. Banana tree flowers resemble bells. Distinctive feature of this plant is that from just one flower up to 12 fruits can grow. The fruits are fragrant and sweet, somewhat reminiscent of a banana. Azimina flowers are very beautiful and large, purple-red.. After flowering, the plant looks no less beautiful, due to the beautiful large foliage, which looks impressive in the autumn, acquiring a rich yellow color.
In the wild, they grow near rivers and reservoirs, which indicates the plant's love for moist soils.
Most a suitable variety for growing in the regions of Russia and Ukraine is Azimina three-legged.
Planting Azimina (Banana Tree)
Azimina can be grown both as a seedling and from a stone. Of course, simpler, more convenient and reliable method this is planting a seedling, but you can work hard to grow it from seeds if you want to grow the seedling yourself.
Let's start with planting from seeds. This process is very complex and troublesome. It is possible to grow seeds only while they have not yet lost their moisture, paws seeds dry out very quickly, within five days after extraction from the fruit, the seed will dry out and become unviable. It is necessary to start germinating immediately after extraction from the fruit, for this it is necessary to place the seed in a nutrient medium, for example, in special moss, put it in a bag and place it in a stable coolness from 0 ° to 5 °, a refrigerator is ideal. After 3 months, it is necessary to plant the substrate to a depth of 3 cm, seedlings will appear in 1-2 months. Sprouts need to be watered on time because this plant loves water. It is planted in the ground after the appearance of 4-5 leaves on a sprout. Before planting, it is necessary to first harden the plant, taking it outside for a while, gradually increasing the time spent outside. A plant grown in this way can produce a weak and unstable crop.
Growing from a seedling is naturally much easier . It is enough to choose a good nursery and purchase a seedling. It is best to purchase a biennial plant, then it will take root better. Planting is best done in the spring.
For the landing of Azimina, you must choose a sunny place. She prefers loose soil. For planting, it is necessary to prepare a hole of such depth and width that the roots freely decompose in it. At the bottom of the pit, it is necessary to pour drainage from gravel and sand, the earth that the pit will be filled with is best mixed with ash and compost. After planting, it is necessary to water abundantly.
Care for Azimina
In the care of Azimina (Banana tree) is not whimsical. It is enough to provide her with a sunny place and sufficient watering, she does not tolerate drought, but it is also not worth flooding, this can cause root rot. The soil under the plant is best mulched with peat. Do not allow weeds to grow around the tree. It is necessary to fertilize once a year with conventional organic fertilizers.
Pruning pawpaw
Pruning must be carried out in the spring before the movement of juice along the crown begins. It is necessary to prune only damaged and excess branches during the formation of the crown.
Wintering Banana Tree
Azimin survives the winter quite well, she can withstand frosts down to -30 ° without special conditions, but still young plant the first couple of years should be insulated on winter period, wrapping the plant with a non-woven fabric, the lower part or the entire plant. The root system can be covered with foliage or straw. Mature trees, although they tolerate cold well, are still worth insulating the trunk for the winter to preserve the plant.
Pollination pawpaw
Pollinated by Azimina wind and plants. They pollinate it mainly, as it is not strange, flies, they are attracted very bad smell flowers, reminiscent of something rotting. For more yield, it is recommended to plant 2 trees side by side, cross-pollination increases the fruit yield at times.
Azimina application and useful properties.Azimina in cooking
Azimina or banana tree plant is not only beautiful, but also very tasty. Of course, like any other fruit, it is preferable to eat it fresh only from the tree. But perennial cultivation and eating these fruits has been proven that its use in cooking is very desirable and you can cook quite tasty and healthy dishes from its fruits.
It is believed that one of the first to use this fruit was the Indians living in America, they called this fruit "Pao-pao". In addition to eating it fresh, they baked it on coals, boiled it in stews and dried it.
Nowadays, a wide variety of desserts are made from it, used in baking and even ice cream is made from it, canned and various drinks are made from it.
It is a historical fact that the fruits of Azimina (Banana tree) were George Washington's favorite fruit, he loved to eat it fresh, and also loved desserts that include this wonderful fruit.
You can also find recipes using Azimina on our website! Read the article
Useful properties of Azimina
The fruits of the Banana tree are not only tasty, but also very healthy, the fruits contain a large amount of vitamins and minerals. It contains a sufficient amount of vitamins A, B and C. The fruits are rich in iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese and zinc. The fruits of the Banana tree are not high in calories, which makes it a valuable dietary product, 100 g of fruit contains only 39 calories. 18g carbohydrates, 1.2g fat, 2.5g fiber and 1.2g protein.
The use of Azimina in folk medicine
Found my place Azimina and in folk medicine where its application is quite wide.
Azimina bark is a natural pesticide, the native people of the Americas use the bark extract to control flies and mosquitoes. Tinctures and decoctions of the bark and fruits are used as a natural remedy for helminthiasis in humans and animals.
Regular consumption of fruits lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels , helping to fight diabetes and obesity, which today have already become a problem of society. This property also helps to prevent stroke and atherosclerosis, attacks also strengthen the cardiovascular system.
The fruits have a pronounced antitumor property. . Helps fight carcinoma of the lungs, breast and intestines. It has a positive effect on 6 types of cancer cells, preventing their growth. The composition of the fruits has a positive effect on the recovery period of the body in the period after chemotherapy treatment. It has been proven that the indigenous population of America, who eat this fruit constantly, is much less likely to get cancer than the same Europeans, whose diet this fruit is rarely included.
Eating fruit regularly helps lower blood pressure especially if it is caused by high blood sugar.
It's believed that regular consumption of Azimina fruit pulp increases libido in men and helps increase the chances of conception in women.
Composition of fruits improves blood flow to the brain, which improves memory and enhances mental abilities .
Fruit decoctions help in the healing of external wounds, and is also an aid in the healing of ulcers in gastric ulcers. .
Rich The composition of the fruit helps to strengthen the immune system and increase the overall resistance of the body.
Contraindications when using Azimina
Whenever there is a benefit, there are also contraindications. These include, first of all, individual intolerance to the components. It is not recommended to use for pregnant and lactating women because the effect on the body during this period has not been studied. It is worth knowing that, despite all the benefits of Azimina fruits, you cannot overeat them, this can cause severe upset, nausea and vomiting.
Plant Azimina in your garden and enjoy exotic fruits!
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