Fascinating outdoor feijoa cultivation
Together with travelers and nomads, many exotic fruit and ornamental plants, including the amazing akka, “moved” to Europe. Growing feijoa outdoors in harsher climates is not fantastic. This is a rather picky culture originally from subtropical latitudes. It usually grows in the form of a bush or tree. The budding period is in mid-May, and the harvest is in the fall (November). Fruits of a green hue in shape resemble a miniature lime... The inside is represented by a creamy pulp that has a jelly-like texture. The berry tastes like a combination of kiwi, pineapple and strawberries.
We consider the cultivation of feijoa in the open field in every detail
Still, you can plant culture in the garden. To do this, you only need to carry out the procedure for hardening the seedlings at an early stage of development. In addition, the use of covering material will play an important role in this matter.
The most suitable regions for pineapple grass are the Crimea and the Caucasus. Also suitable are territories in which in winter it is not lower than -10˚С. This temperature is critical for Akka.
Choosing the right place
Before planting a feijoa, determine the exact location of the plant. The place should be well lit and as open as possible, with light shading in the afternoon. Without sufficient sunlight, the tree will not bear fruit and will lose its decorative properties. In some cases, the crop is planted near walls / buildings, but only on the south side. Pineapple grass does not react well to drafts.
For her, a suitable option would be sandy loam or loamy soils, which differ:
- looseness;
- fertility;
- moisture and air permeability;
- slightly acidic reaction (6.5 pH).
Plots with limestone soil will not work in this case. Sod and coarse sand must be added to heavy soil mixtures. Planting is carried out in April-May, when the threat of repeated night frosts has passed.
At the same time, farmers recommend to protect the battery from prolonged exposure to the scorching sunlight. Otherwise, burns will appear on the foliage, which will lead to deformation of the leaves.
Agrotechnics of planting seedlings
As a standard, feijoa seedlings are placed at a distance of 4-5 m from each other, so that there is enough space for full development. So that nothing prevents the exotic from growing, nothing else is planted near it, especially shrub species. Before the event, the tree is often lowered into Kornevin's solution for 15-20 hours, if circumstances permit.
Then they must follow the basic rules of planting:
- dig a standard hole 80 × 80 cm;
- at the bottom, a drainage layer (20 cm) is formed from broken brick, rubble or pebbles;
- fall asleep with a substrate until a mound 20 cm high is formed;
- drive in a stake as a support;
- lower the rhizome together with an earthen lump into the hole or gently straighten the processes;
- 2/3 filled with soil, shaking occasionally to fill the voids;
- pour with settled warm water (10 l);
- fill the hole with soil, leaving the root collar flush with the ground;
- water again (2 buckets).
Too powerful root (unusually overgrown) system is cut off. The remains are often used as new planting material.
The next step in growing feijoa outdoors is mulching... For this, dry grass, sawdust or peat are used. A small space is left near the trunk to provide oxygen to the plant. Mulch will protect the planting from pests, weeds, and drought. Further care comes down to regular watering and feeding. Fertilizers are applied every 2 weeks, using up to 40 liters of nutrient solution for each instance. Usually, phosphorus and potash compositions are suitable for such purposes. In addition, the soil of the near-stem circle is systematically loosened and weeds are removed.
Reproduction of feijoa or how to grow a seedling yourself
The most common method of growing a crop is seed. The event is held in February or March. Some people prefer to do it even in January. To do this, buy several ripe fruits. With the help of a teaspoon, take out the jelly-like pulp. The contents are dried. Then the seeds are separated and disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Small containers / cups are filled with soil mixture, which includes (in equal parts):
- sod land;
- river sand;
- deciduous humus.
Feijoa breeding process:
- Grooves / holes are formed on the surface with a step of 5-6 cm.
- The seeds are mixed with sand and sown as if food was salted.
- Then sprinkle a little with sand or soil so that the substrate covers the grains by 2-3 mm.
- The planting is sprayed with a spray bottle. The containers are covered with a plastic lid, glass or foil.
- They are sent to a dark room, where the temperature ranges from + 22 ... + 25 +С.
- Every day, the seedlings are ventilated for 15 minutes with spraying of the soil with warm water.
- In such conditions, the first shoots appear 3-4 weeks after sowing. Then they remove the shelter.
- The containers are transferred to a cooler room (20 ° C) and placed in a well-lit place.
The reproduction of feijoa by seeds does not end there. When full-fledged leaves of 2-4 pairs appear, the seedlings dive into small pots with possible root pruning. Some gardeners recommend keeping the exotic plant in the shade for the first 3 days after transplanting. And only then are they sent to normal conditions. This contrast stimulates more vigorous growth. In the summer, the culture is kept on the street. The next year, the seedlings are transferred to a permanent place in the garden.
Given the poor frost resistance of feijoa, they are pre-hardened. When it gets cold, the flowerpot is transferred to the veranda. Every day, the plant is taken out into the fresh air, gradually increasing the time that the exotic plant stays outside.
Entertaining cuttings
For gardeners who already have an indoor or garden specimen of pineapple grass, the option of propagating feijoa by cuttings will be the most suitable. This method allows you to preserve all the varietal qualities of the crop, which cannot be said about the seed. Nevertheless, this technique is quite complicated and painstaking, even risky. The event is planned in November or December, after the harvest.
It is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- a branch up to 15 cm long is cut off (it must have at least 3 full-fledged leaves), while leaving a "heel" from the trunk;
- the shoot is soaked in Kornevin's solution for 18-20 hours;
- planted in a prepared soil mixture under a slight slope;
- cover with a glass or plastic flask.
Every day, such a planting is ventilated and watered with warm water (18-20˚С). As soon as a new leaf appears on the branch, the shelter is removed, since the cutting has begun. Then follow the same care system. As the top layer dries, the bush is watered. In hot weather, the green mass is sprayed.Warm showers are made periodically to protect the soil from flooding.
A seedling is planted in a permanent place in the garden for the second year. Starting in autumn or March, they begin to harden the culture. Then the cultivation of feijoa in Ukraine, especially in the central regions, will bring the desired result.
The importance of pruning
In addition to the roots, pineapple grass grows intensively with a crown. In this regard, its growth is necessarily regulated. The first pruning of feijoa is carried out after planting the seedling. The plant is shortened by a third, leaving 30-40 cm of its growth. In the future, young shoots are regularly plucked at the same height in order to restrain the active growth of the tree.
A very dense crown is also thinned out. Branches of such a plan are especially removed:
- dry;
- improperly growing;
- sick.
You should not cut off an exotic culture very much, because such procedures will only reduce its fruiting.
Growing feijoa in the open field is quite a successful and exciting activity. Providing good lighting, as well as observing the temperature and irrigation system, specimens up to 70 years old and older can be obtained. Therefore, you should not deny yourself such a luxurious exhibit in a garden like akka.