How to care for physalis in a greenhouse: growing and planting with photos and videos

Physalis has gained popularity among gardeners due to the difference in tastes, decorative fruits and an abundance of useful properties. In our open field, it can grow only in the southern regions, but growing physalis in a greenhouse is possible in the central regions, with proper care, the plant gives a good harvest.

Description and features of the plant

Physalis is a southern perennial plant of the nightshade family, its largest representative. He settled in Russian cuisine relatively recently, but has already gained devoted admirers. The fruits are used for preparations for the winter, they are pickled, s alted, added to jars with tomatoes and cucumbers.Jam is made from berry varieties, marmalade is prepared and used to decorate confectionery.

Important: before eating, the fruits must be blanched to get rid of the bitter taste

Depending on the variety, the length of the stem is from 20 to 120 centimeters, oval, opposite leaves up to 15 centimeters long, expanding towards the base. A large fruit is located in a box, shaped like a Chinese lantern. As the fruit ripens, the orange box loses color and dries up.

There are ornamental, vegetable, berry varieties. Decorative varieties are not edible, but serve as an excellent decoration for garden plots.

Vegetable physalis looks like a tomato. Depending on the variety, the fruit weight is from 20 to 150 grams.

Berry, characterized by small fruits with a pronounced taste, berries from 1 to 10 grams. From one bush, you can get from 2 to 5 kilograms of fruit. Most Popular Varieties:

Vegetables:

Korolek;
Moscow early;
Large-fruited;
Gribovsky.

Vegetable physalis is also called Mexican because Mexico is its homeland.

Berry:

Strawberry;
Pineapple;
Sugar raisin;
Peruvian.

Berry varieties are difficult to grow in the Middle Belt, they need more heat and light than vegetable varieties.

How to properly plant physalis

In the greenhouse, physalis can be planted in 2 ways: seedlings and cuttings.

Seeds for seedlings are pre-soaked for 30 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate. The time for planting seeds for seedlings is February-March. After that, the seeds are sown in the soil, which is pre-steamed and, covered with a film or glass, placed in a warm sunny place. The temperature should be maintained around +19 °C. Plants under the film need to loosen the soil.

Water the physalis with warm water, preventing the soil from drying out or waterlogging. Landing is regularly ventilated. After the emergence of seedlings, the boxes are opened, when 3 leaves appear, they dive. It is better to use peat pots for picking as an additional fertilizer. After the appearance of 6-8 leaves, the seedlings are transferred to the greenhouse. Low-growing varieties are planted at the rate of 6-8 plants per 1 square meter.For tall varieties, 2 plants per square meter is sufficient.

Physalis cuttings can be planted by cutting off the tops of the shoots. A stalk with 3 internodes is half placed in the ground. Do it in July.

Features of growing in a greenhouse

This is a very hardy plant. The abundance of heat and light guarantees a good harvest. The soil for it should be neutral or slightly alkaline, loose and light. Low-growing varieties are planted at the rate of 6-8 plants per 1 square meter. For tall varieties, 2 plants per square meter is sufficient.

It must be systematically weeded, loosened and watered once a week. High grades must be tied up. The greenhouse must be regularly ventilated. In regions where there is little sun, it is difficult to grow physalis berry varieties, but even gardeners in the Leningrad region grow excellent crops of vegetable varieties.

Care Tips

The plant does not tolerate weeds, regular weeding and care will allow you to get a good harvest. A complex fertilizer for tomatoes is excellent for planting, which should be used in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. Physalis does not like manure, it is better to use compost instead; the plant responds well to top dressing with a solution of wood ash.

As the physalis ripens, the pods dry out and fall off. Collect dried and fallen boxes. The fruits in them remain high-quality and tasty, the main thing is to harvest before the first frost.