On personal plots you can often see a tall powerful bush with wide patterned leaves. This is a castor bean. Planting and caring for the plant does not require special skills, so growing a kind of palm tree in front of the house is quite easy. She quickly reaches up and attaches to the garden original look tropical forests.

plant description

Castor beans are native to African countries. In subtropical climates, it grows as a perennial and often reaches 9-10 m in height. In our country, the plant does not withstand harsh winter, and therefore it is planted every spring from seed and cared for as an annual.

The main decoration of the castor bean is bright leaves, consisting of several lobes and somewhat reminiscent of maple leaves. They create a unique atmosphere in the garden. In mid-summer, the plant produces small stems, which bloom inconspicuous flowers. Castor beans are wind pollinated, so the flowers don't have a strong scent to attract bees and aren't brightly colored. After flowering, balls appear, completely covered with needles. They contain many seeds that are collected in sunny weather, dried and stored until spring to be used for planting.

Do not forget that castor bean is very poisonous. Inside its flowers and seeds is ricinin, which is very dangerous for humans. Therefore, the cultivation and care of castor beans require compliance with safety rules. Always wash your hands after handling it and wear gloves when collecting seeds. Keep small children away from the plant and make sure that planting material did not fall into their hands.

Valuable is extracted from castor bean Castor oil. Experts do not advise doing this on your own by watching a training video on the Internet. It is possible to completely get rid of toxic substances only at a pharmacological enterprise using special technology. At home, it will not be possible to clean the seeds from the poison, and the cooked oil, instead of benefit, will seriously harm or even lead to tragedy.

Variety selection

In nature, there is one type of plant - castor bean ordinary. By crossing, scientists brought out different varieties that differ from each other in the color of the shoots and leaves. Therefore, each grower can choose their favorite color, ranging from bright green to burgundy.

The most popular undersized varieties:

• "Zanzibar" - grows up to 2 m and has red-purple shoots;
• "Gibson" - reaches 1.5 m and is distinguished by a metallic sheen of leaves;
• "Kazachka" - this variety, bred by domestic breeders, grows no more than 2 m. It stands out against the background of others with a variegated red-green color and bright red flowers.

Of the high varieties of castor beans, the "Northern Palm" is often planted, which has powerful green shoots and leaves.

How to plant seedlings

Castor oil is afraid of even minor frosts, so its cultivation will be more successful if seedlings are prepared. It should be planted at the end of March.

The seeds of the plant are dense, without careful preparation they germinate for a long time and have low germination. Therefore, you first need to do seed scarification. To do this, they need to be rubbed gently. sandpaper from all sides. This helps the hard shell to open up and makes it easier for the seeds to germinate. Then, overnight, the planting material is soaked in water or in a solution to stimulate growth. Suitable funds "Heteroauxin" or "Epin".

To make caring for castor seedlings easier, it is advisable to grow it in liter plastic cups. fill them up fertile soil half and plant 2 seeds in each, deepening them into the ground by 2 cm. Lightly fill with water, cover plastic wrap, put on sunny place and wait for the shoots. As soon as the first shoots appear, remove the film, providing the seedlings with complete care, which consists in regular watering and gently loosening the soil in cups.

The castor bean grows quickly. When she has a few leaves and she reaches a height of 10 cm, she can be transplanted into open ground. But this should be done not earlier than the last night frosts are over, otherwise the tender seedlings may die. Optimal time end of May or beginning of June.

Soil transplant

A week before planting castor beans, prepare the bed. Choose a sunny location for it, protected from wind and drafts. Loose fertile soil with constant moisture is ideal. Dig small holes 40 cm deep, 50 cm apart. Fill them a third with manure, sprinkle with earth and cover with oilcloth. For 7 days, manure will warm the soil. Such care will help the seedlings take root faster and facilitate cultivation.

1. Fill the glasses with castor bean sprouts well with water. This will form a wet ball around the root system.
2. Then carefully remove the plants along with a clod of earth and place them in the prepared holes, from which you first remove the oilcloth.
3. Cover with earth, lightly tamp and water.

Planting castor beans in open ground is possible without preparing seedlings. It germinates beautifully from seeds right in the garden and grows well if night frosts do not interfere. At the end of May, dig shallow holes in the flower bed, soak them with water and put several prepared seeds in each. Cover with soil and water the bed. If the air temperature is high enough, the first shoots will not keep you waiting. When they grow up, leave one shoot in the holes, and carefully cut the rest under the root with a sharp knife.

Growing a plant from seed open ground has one major drawback. If the summer is cool, followed by early autumn, the castor beans will not have time to fully ripen the seeds. And next year they will have to be bought for planting in the store.

How to care for an exotic garden decoration

The plant is unpretentious, so caring for castor beans is easy. Pay special attention to watering. Small sprouts planted in the soil in just a month reach a height of 1-1.5 meters and continue to develop actively. They constantly need moisture. Therefore, the main care is regular watering. Spend it every 5-6 days, pouring 10 liters of water under each bush. When flowers appear, watering should be increased, especially if the summer turned out to be too hot.

So that weeds do not interfere with castor bean seedlings and do not drown out their growth, they must be systematically weeded. On the 2nd day after each watering, be sure to loosen the ground. Such care will prevent the appearance of a dense crust on the ground and enrich the earth with oxygen.

Since castor beans grow tall and branched, it is difficult for the root system to keep them upright. Many summer residents drive pegs around the plant, pull a tight thread and hold a young bush with such a support.

Do you need to feed castor beans?

Plant care will not be complete without regular feeding. For rapid growth and the development of castor bean shoots requires nitrogen. A week before flowering, be sure to apply a nitrogen-containing fertilizer. Organic bird droppings can be used as a good source of nitrogen.

Do not use fresh litter in its pure form. It has a high concentration uric acid which can damage the roots.

1. To prepare top dressing, draw water into a large iron bucket and dilute it in a ratio of 10: 1.
2. Leave the container for fresh air for 10 days, during which do not forget to stir occasionally.
3. During this time, the litter will ferment. Apply a half-liter jar of fertilizer under each castor bean bush. Such care will greatly improve her growth.

When the flower brush is almost formed, you need to fertilize the ground. A novelty called . In addition to phosphorus and potassium, it contains 9 substances that improve plant growth. The drug must be diluted and applied to the soil strictly according to the instructions.

Instead of purchased fertilizer, you can use wood ash. This top dressing fully enriches the soil with phosphorus and potassium. To prepare the solution, you need to mix 150 g of ash in 10 liters of water and carefully pour half a liter of liquid under each plant.

Diseases and pests

Castor bean is very hardy and practically does not get sick. If you notice that its leaves have begun to turn yellow and look inconspicuous, most likely they do not have enough moisture. Strengthen watering, after which thoroughly loosen the soil.

Rarely the bush is affected by gray or black rot, powdery mildew and other fungal diseases. When this happens, the timely removal of infected shoots, leaves and treatment with Bordeaux liquid will help.

Sometimes pests begin to undermine castor beans. The main ones are:

• sandy slow;
• caterpillars of the meadow moth and winter scoop;
• meadow bugs.

To prevent the appearance of a wireworm in the garden, before planting castor beans, pour a little weak solution of manganese into each well.

Collect caterpillars on castor oil with your hands and then treat with a solution of wormwood.

1. Gather half a bucket of fresh herbs. Cut it with a knife and fill the bucket with water to the top.
2. Insist 3-4 days, then strain and spray the leaves and soil under the castor bean.

Spices will help scare away pests from the flower bed. Plant near the castor or. Them strong smell will not allow harmful insects to settle in the garden.

Minimal care for castor beans in the open field will help turn your backyard into a chic exotic place. Many summer residents are happy to plant it along the fence. tall plant reliably hides the yard from prying eyes and also absorbs dust and smog from the road.

Use the cultivation of castor beans and in landscape design. It looks great in a flower bed along with other flowers.

In its homeland, in Africa, castor bean grows as an evergreen shrub that can reach 10 meters in height. Since ancient times, people have used it as a living fence and used the oil of its fruits for dressing hides and skins.

General information

AT modern world castor bean is considered a highly ornamental plant with many garden forms and varieties, distributed far beyond the natural zone - up to the UK. However, along with its extraordinary beauty, castor oil has an important negative quality- toxicity.

Absolutely all parts of this plant are poisonous, especially seeds that contain ricin in an amount of 0.1% or more. Castor bean is so poisonous that it is enough to eat 6 of its berries to cause very serious damage to the body.

Varieties and types

(paradise tree ) — perennial shrub with wide spreading bushes up to 2 meters high. The shoots can be green, red and brown with a blue bloom, large foliage is green.

Against this background, the flowers look rather inconspicuous and are absolutely devoid of decorative value. Fruits in oval-spherical capsules are covered with thorns, up to 3 cm in diameter, 8-25 seeds per 1 gram.

red castor bean are varieties with red foliage, such as

• castor bean hot heart , is the most poisonous, and one of the most beautiful, with thorns flying far from the seeds;

• common domestic variety castor bean (with red-brown shiny shoots and red-purple foliage with white dots along the edges of the teeth);

• Gibson castor bean (up to 1.5 meters in height, with burgundy foliage).

No less common are castor bean varieties with a delightful bronze color of foliage, for example, Gibson castor bean with a characteristic metallic luster of sheets and castor bean impala bronze , which also has spectacular flowers of a bright red hue.

Several are separated from other varieties:

• Zanzibar - its red-violet foliage,

• Cambodian - almost black color of the trunk and leaves,

• oracle - the incredible ability of foliage to change shade depending on age and lighting,

• borbon - very tall and powerful with a tree-like rich red stem (up to 15 cm thick) and green gleaming leaves.

Castor plant planting and care in the open field

The cultivation of some varieties of castor beans is accompanied accelerated growth bushes. Castor planting in open ground is carried out in May, 3-5 individuals in group plantings.

Here it is very important to choose the right place for landing - it should be sunny, have a constant level of humidity and be protected from drafts and frequent strong gusts of wind.

Watering castor beans

Castor oil does not apply to capricious plants, however, it should still be watered regularly to ensure the forces for flowering.

The approximate volume of water that needs to be supplied to one plant every 5 days is 10 liters.

Soil for castor beans

Chernozem is the most preferred soil for castor beans. If a country cottage area contains other types of soil, it is recommended to fertilize them with humus and compost in large quantities before planting.

You should also make preliminary training soil, making it loose and water-, breathable.

Castor bean transplant

The best way to grow castor beans in our climate is seedling, which will be discussed below. Before that, you need to say a few words about the transplant, which castor bean tolerates very hard.

For sowing seeds, it is better to select in advance separate containers with a volume of at least 250 cubic cm. It is recommended to plant the seeds to a depth of 2 cm.

Thus, during further transshipment, before which it will not be superfluous to water the plant well to thicken the earthy coma, as well as during the initial development of the root system, the possibility of damage to it is practically excluded.

Castor bean fertilizer

Specialist gardeners advise fertilizing in the form of nitrogen fertilizers before flowering.

When the formation of flower brushes begins, fertilizers must be replaced with potassium-phosphorus.

Castor oil in winter

In our climatic conditions, the castor bean will not be able to live in winter, so at this time of the year it freezes and is grown as an annual.

Despite this, some gardeners manage to grow a whole “palm tree” up to 4 meters high during the season.

Castor bean growing from seeds

To grow castor beans by sowing seeds on open ground, at the end of spring, holes up to 10 cm deep are formed in the prepared soil and 2-3 seeds are laid in them, after which they are covered with earth.

After 3 weeks, shoots will appear, and when this happens, you need to carefully remove the oily peel that has stuck to the cotyledon leaves in order to prevent the seedling from rotting. The optimum temperature for seed germination is 12-14℃.

Planting castor beans for seedlings

The above-mentioned method of growing castor seedlings involves soaking the seeds for a day before planting, which will allow them to develop intensively even under conditions of low soil moisture.

In April, the seeds are placed for germination in bulk peat pots with a nutrient substrate (ordinary 20 cm in diameter clay pots with earth are well suited).

Seedlings are planted in the ground as usual - after the spring cold has passed. Any prolonged cooling can negate all the decorativeness of this plant.

Diseases and pests

Castor oil is rarely affected by any disease due to its toxicity. But pests such as wireworm and cotton bollworm can still harm her.

Against them, it is recommended to use broad-spectrum insecticides, and, in cases of damage by gray rot, seed mold or fusarium, seed dressing with granosan (80%) in terms of 2 grams per kilogram of seeds.

A greater effect can be achieved with the help of silicate glue, which should be diluted in water together with the preparation and, in the resulting mixture, pickle the seeds.

"The rosehip stood, turning its large flowers towards the sun, elegant, completely festive, covered with many sharp buds. Its flowering coincided with the shortest nights - our Russian, slightly northern nights, when the nightingales rattle in the dew all night long, the greenish dawn does not leave the horizon and in the deadest part of the night it is so light that the sky is clearly visible Mountain peaks clouds..." (K. Paustovsky in the story "In the depths of Russia")

Rosehip (Rosa) - genus wild plants rose family (Rosaceae). Grown in the garden as an ornamental flowering shrub, as well as for edible rose hips, because of its useful properties. It has many cultural forms bred under the name Rosa. Decorative wild rose is valued for the beauty of a large bush and an abundance of greenery. ”Wild” rose hips and their varieties are much more unpretentious than exquisite hybrid park roses ...

In our country, botanists have counted more than 80 species of wild rose. These prickly beauties are found almost everywhere, with the exception of the Far North. They are light-requiring, in a natural setting they prefer edges, forest roadsides, banks of rivers, lakes, bushes, mountain slopes, long freed from forests. Often they grow, forming large clumps, often penetrating into settlements, where they coexist near the fences with elderberry.

The plant got its name because of the sharp and durable thorns that can cause serious trouble to a careless person or animal. Rosehip blooms from May to July, the fruits ripen in August - September, remaining on the branches until winter. The flowers are large, up to 5 cm in diameter, solitary or 2-3. Corolla with five white, pink or dark red petals. Stamens and pistils numerous. By evening, rosehip flowers fold their petals, and in the morning they open again, and they do it with great accuracy in time. It is no coincidence that the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus included rose hips in the list of plants that indicate the time of day.

It bears fruit from 2-3 years of age, the plants give the greatest yield at 10-12 years of age. Rose hips are spherical or ovoid, smooth, bare, orange or red, fleshy, contain numerous fruitlets (nuts). The inner walls of the fruit are covered with hairs, sepals are preserved at the top of the fruit. For normal fruiting, it is better to plant rose hips of two or three species that bloom at the same time. Fruits can be dried, and in winter brew and drink 1-2 glasses a day, like a vitamin drink. Jam, compotes, jam are prepared from the fruits ... Rosehip is good in the form of syrups, mashed potatoes ...

Rosehip branches studded with berries look great in autumn flower arrangements and dry bouquets. The age of individual plants reaches 400 years.

Rosehip - the ancestor of all types of cultivated roses

Roses grown in decorative purposes: wrinkled rosehip, or rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa), virgin rose (Rosa virginiana). Outside its range in Europe, the musk rosehip (Rosa moschata) has taken root.

All wild roses and wild roses (Rosa) bear orange, bright red, brown, purple, almost black berries. But not all types of roses are equal in terms of fruit quality. The most valuable (in terms of the content of nutrients) are the berries of the following types:

• Rosehip May(Rosa majalis Herrm.), or cinnamon(syn. Rosa cinnamomea L.). The most common type in middle lane Russia, so the exact number of its varieties has not been calculated. Separate rosehip bushes can be found in forest clearings and clearings. Rose hips, when grown in the garden, are extremely unpretentious to soil conditions, and species of temperate latitudes are distinguished by high winter hardiness and disease resistance. But despite this, do not forget the shrub, so that in the fall it will give you its wonderful fruits with unique medicinal properties ...
• wild rose or dog rose(Rosa canina). It is worth remembering the wild rose or dog rose, which is widely used as a hedge. In June, its fragrant light pink flowers bloom, and in autumn the branches are decorated with spindle-shaped orange-red fruits. The bushes are vigorous, sprawling up to 2.5-3 m with a powerful root system. The thorns are rare, strong, thorn-like-curved. The most common rootstock for garden roses. Gardeners love the common rosehip for its unpretentiousness, winter hardiness, and significant resistance to diseases that affect rose bushes.

She has many close relatives, often hardly distinguishable from her. Even experts are still not able to definitively figure out how much wild species Rose hips are closely related to her and how they differ from each other.

• French rosehip(Rosa gallica). Gallic rose, or French rose ... The ancestor of many, especially old, garden roses, including the famous in medieval Europe pharmacy rose. Grows in southern Europe European Russia, Crimea. Low-growing, less than a meter tall, low-branched bushes, growing at the expense of underground horizontal rhizomes and often forming continuous thickets. The stems and all branches, including the pedicels themselves, are densely covered with straight sharp spines and smaller spines and needles. Flowers are formed at the ends of the shoots, large, bright red. The sepals of the French rosehip are large, with large, inaccurately spreading lateral feathers.
• Rose prickly(Rosa spinosissima)
  Densely covered with thorns undersized wild rose. At the time of flowering, it is completely covered with snow-white fragrant flowers. domesticated garden molds often bred in squares and palisades: they are taller, bloom profusely with snow-white medium-sized flowers, and by autumn they form hard, dryish, blackening fruits when ripe.

Rosehip wrinkled, or rose rugosa (Rosa rugosa)

Rosa cattail and its hybrids (Hybrid Rugosa group, abbr. HRg) are among the most valuable species, have very good winter hardiness and therefore hibernate without shelter. Very attractive in the garden, among many other elegant wild roses, with its large orange-red, slightly flattened fruits and beautiful foliage that turns yellow in autumn. The main species and its hybrids are large, fragrant flowers various colors, simple or double, from 6 to 12 cm in diameter, single or 3-8 in inflorescences, with the number of petals from 5 to 150.

In spring, a sprawling shrub up to 2.5 m tall, completely covered with large fragrant pink or white (Alba form) flowers that appear almost all summer. After the first abundant wave, it continues to bloom again until frost, and even treats us with elegant and healthy fruits that have best taste slightly reminiscent of cranberries.

The leaves are strongly wrinkled, with gray-green pubescence on the underside, up to 22 cm long, with 5-9 leaflets. In hybrid forms, the leaves are sometimes shiny, glossy. Spines are reddish, bent down, numerous. The fruits are large, orange-red, fleshy, up to 2.5 cm in diameter. On the bush, you can observe buds, flowers and ripened fruits at the same time. Flowering both on the shoots of the current year and on the shoots of past years. The wrinkled rosehip shrub grows strongly, giving a lot of root shoots.

The natural habitat of rugosa rose is located on the Pacific coast of the Russian Far East, Japan, and Korea. It was brought to Europe in the 18th century, where it not only became widespread in culture and gave rise to numerous garden, mostly hybrid with other species, forms, but also naturalized in many places. Often wrinkled wild rose forms dense thickets, and in some places the creeping form prevails, covering the sand with a bright prickly carpet. It also took root on the American Atlantic coast, once brought by English colonists to North America.

Varieties and hybrids of wild roses

Rosa Moyesi "Geranium"(Rosa moyesii "Geranium")
How many wonderful varieties are obtained from these wild roses! They are indispensable for lovers natural style. With their help, it is easy to decorate any corner in the garden. Many of these roses have beautiful fruits that remain on the branches until late autumn. It is no coincidence that it is very popular abroad ornamental variety roses Moyesi "Geranium" (Rosa moyesii "Geranium") - originally from China, more interesting for its fruits than flowers.

Musk rose hybrids(Hybrid Musk Roses)
Decorative wild roses with dense semi-shiny foliage and burgundy young shoots, have red berries. Varieties: "Buff Beauty", "Felicia", "Penelope".

The most common types of rose hips:

• Rosehip (rose)
• May rosehip (Rosa majalis Herrm.), or cinnamon (syn. Rosa cinnamomea L.)
• Dog rose or dog rose (Rosa canina)
• Rosehip wrinkled, or cattail rose (Rosa rugosa)
• Rose hips (Rosa acicularis Lindl.)
• Rose hips (Rosa spinosissima)
• Rosehip French, or Gallic Rose, or French Rose (Rosa gallica)
• Rosehip Chinese, or Chinese Rose, or Indian Rose (Rosa chinensis Jacq.)
• Rose Damascus, or Rosa Kazanlak (Rosa × damascena Mill.) [= R. gallica × R. moschata]
• Rosehip Daurian (Rose Daurian)
• Stinky wild rose (Rosa foetida Herrm.)
• Rosehip red-brown, or rusty-red, or rusty, or Rose eglantheria (Rosa rubiginosa L.)

Growing conditions and caring for rose hips

Rosehip care consists of loosening the soil, fertilizing, weed control, watering and pruning. Being light-loving plant, wild rose is undemanding to the soil, but it bears fruit better on well-cultivated, rich nutrients, drained soils. With the timely removal of old shoots, the bushes quickly recover, bloom profusely, and retain their decorative appearance for a long time.

Pruning should be done only once a year, just before the start of growth (in late winter or early spring, depending on climate and weather). During pruning of the shoots at the bush, too old branches are also removed. A bush is considered productive if it contains shoots of different ages.

Species wild roses reproduce perfectly by root shoots, seeds, layering, root and green cuttings. The simplest and most affordable is reproduction by offspring. It is best to harvest them in the fall, from the most productive bushes. The length of the rhizome on a separate offspring should be 12-15 cm, the aerial part is shortened, leaving a stump no more than 5 cm. Such offspring can immediately be planted on garden plot on the permanent place, without growing.

You can collect fully ripe rose hips in the fall that have not yet begun to wrinkle and bury them in pots filled with moist soil. Leave seed pots outside in winter to ensure fruit exposure low temperatures This is essential for successful seed germination. After the end of the frost, dig out the berries from the pots, separate the seeds and check them for germination in a vessel of water. Sow sunken rosehip seeds in boxes and grow in a cold greenhouse.

The legend of the discovery of the healing properties of wild rose

What does the legend, widespread among the Kuban Cossacks, tell about. In ancient times, a young Cossack woman fell in love with a daring young man. They swore loyalty for life. However, the stanitsa ataman, who had long liked the young Cossack woman, sent the young man to military service. Parting with the bride, he gave her his small faithful dagger. As soon as the guy was sent to the army, the stanitsa ataman began to force the girl to marry him. However, the wedding did not take place. The bride jumped out from behind the wedding table and rushed into the courtyard, where she stabbed herself with a gift dagger. Where the scarlet drops of blood fell to the ground, grew beautiful shrub with beautiful flowers. When the ataman saw amazing plant, then wanted to pick a flower from him. But then the whole bush suddenly bristled with sharp thorns. The villain pierced all his hands with them, but he could not pick the flower. In autumn, the wild rose was covered with bright fruits. An ailing old woman stopped near him and suddenly heard a quiet voice: "Pick my berries, grandmother, make tea from them. Do not be afraid of sharp thorns, they are intended for evil people." The old woman picked up the fruits, drank the infusion prepared from them and felt as if she were ten years younger. Since then, rose hips have been used for medicinal purposes.

About rose hips, the people composed not only fairy tales, but also riddles. Here are some of them:

"There is a Khan's tree, a Shamakhan's dress, angelic flowers, devilish claws."
"A thorn sits on a pitchfork, dressed in scarlet, whoever goes will be pricked"
"There is a green bush, if you touch it, it will bite"
"He sits on a stick in a red shirt, his belly is stuffed with pebbles."

"Who will tell them: that beauty is in vain, frost will destroy it at dawn ...
They are wonderful! They are so beautiful that let the wild rose bloom in September!..

author Lavender English, photo of the author

Rosehip is valued by many gardeners for attractive flowers and fruits. Bright and eye-catching, rose hips are not only an exquisite autumn and winter decoration of our gardens, but also an extremely useful food supplement, a natural remedy and an antioxidant.

I will talk about how to grow rose hips, what types of rose hips have the most useful fruits, when to pick berries and how to store them, how to process and use the crop with the greatest benefit.

What is useful rosehip

Rosehip berries contain a whole complex of minerals and vitamins necessary for a person, among which the highest concentration of vitamin C (higher than in lemons, oranges, black currants). Rose hips contain iron, carotene, rutin, potassium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, magnesium, as well as antioxidants (pectins, flavonoids), tannins, phytoncides and organic acids. The use of wild rose helps to strengthen the immune system, increase the body's resistance to bacteria, helps to improve the digestive system, and helps slow down the aging process.

During World War II, hundreds of British volunteers went to organized rosehip harvesting, which was valued as a rich and affordable source of vitamin C for the undernourished population and the army.
In the United States, hundreds of acres of undergrowth were planted with prized wild roses under the Victory Gardens program, and the crop was shipped almost entirely to war-torn Europe. Now these wild roses have naturalized and captured vast areas in the forests, continuing to grow and bear fruit.

Unfortunately, now we often forget about the healing rose hips, preferring to buy expensive and less useful vitamins and supplements.

The best types and hybrids of wild rose for the production of berries

All wild roses and specific wild roses (Rosa) bear bright red or orange, or brown, purple, almost black berries. While a fascinating sight in autumn and winter in terms of garden design, not all types of roses are equal in fruit quality.
The most valuable (in terms of the content of nutrients) are the berries of the following types:

- Rosehip wrinkled, or rose rugosa (R. rugosa) has the sweetest fruits compared to other wild roses. This is a widespread plant that has long been successfully naturalized throughout Europe and America.
Fruits of rose rugosa are easy to process, rich in vitamin C and sugars. According to rosehip connoisseurs, rugosa rose fruits have the best taste, slightly reminiscent of cranberries.
The wrinkled rosehip shrub grows strongly, giving a lot of root shoots. It is very decorative in the garden with its large orange-red fruits and beautiful foliage that turns yellow in autumn. In spring, the shrub is completely covered with fragrant flowers, pink or white (form Alba). Attractive varieties of rugosa rose with simple and double flowers have been developed.

- Rose hip cinnamon , or rose hips(R. cinnamomea, R. majalis), as well as its varieties are considered very valuable due to the high content of vitamin "C" and medicinal properties. The fruits of the shrub are large, round, red. The plant is common in central Russia, as well as in northern and central Europe.

- Rose hip canine, or dog rose, or rose canina(R. canina) has the most valuable fruits from a medicinal point of view. The berries are very large, round or oval.

Decorative dog roses - GMusk rose hybrids(Hybrid Musk Roses) with dense semi-shiny foliage and burgundy young shoots - have red berries. Recommended varieties: "Buff Beauty", "Felicia", "Penelope".

- Rosa Moyesi (R. Moyesii) originally from China. The fruits are large, rich red. Recommended decorative variety "Geranium" with bright red flowers and berries.

- Rose hips originating from North America: wild rose wild rose(R. woodsii var. ultramontana),wild rose forest(R. gymnocarpa),wild rose Californian(R. californica), Rosa spithamea and other types.

Rosehip in the garden

Rosehip is grown in the garden as an ornamental flowering shrub, as well as for edible petals and fruits.
Caring for rose hips is no different from caring for roses. Only with the exception that the "wild" rose hips and their varieties are much more unpretentious than their relatives - exquisite hybrid roses.

Rosehips are actually not affected by pests and diseases, do not require the removal of faded flowers, decorate the garden with berries until late autumn and attract birds to it - gardener's assistants. Rose hips look especially good in natural and wild gardens, where their natural distribution is almost unlimited, and shrubs feel here in their native element.
Rosehip branches studded with berries look great in autumn flower arrangements and dry bouquets.

Pruning rose hips should be done only once a year, just before the start of growth (in late winter or early spring, depending on climate and weather). During pruning of the shoots at the bush, too old branches are also removed.
The height of pruning rose hips depends on your desire and climate. For example, I prune my wild rose (rugosa rose) every season, leaving shoots only 30 cm long, and by autumn the bush reaches a height of about 2 m. However, in regions colder than England, you should not cut the wild rose too much.

Species wild roses reproduce perfectly by root shoots and seeds.
You can pick fully ripe rose hips in the fall that have not yet begun to shrivel, and bury them in old pots filled with moist soil. Leave the seed pots outside during the winter to ensure that the fruits are exposed to low temperatures - this is necessary for successful seed germination. After the end of the frost, dig out the berries from the pots, separate the seeds and check them for germination in a vessel of water. Sow sunken rosehip seeds in boxes and grow in a cold greenhouse.

When is the best time to pick rose hips?

The best moment for picking rose hips depends on what goals you are pursuing.
Over time, the amount of vitamin C in berries decreases, and the amount of sugars increases. These chemical transformations in fruits are evidenced by appearance berries: the fruits darken over time. Frosts and the first autumn frosts are especially conducive to changing the composition of wild rose.

Therefore, if you want sweeter berries, then wait for the cold snap and darkening of the berries. And if you want to collect more useful fruits rose hips, then remove the berries as they ripen.

Processing, preservation and storage of rose hips

Processing rosehip berries is laborious, time-consuming and patience-this is one of the reasons high price for finished products from rose hips.
If you do not have the time and desire to process rose hips, you can use berries cut in half. Be aware that the fine "hairs" in rose hips can be irritating to the digestive system. Therefore, use unpeeled berries only if the final product is filtered - for example, a decoction, syrup or rosehip tea.

Rinse rose hips before canning fruits; Cut off the top and bottom ends of each berry. Cut the fruit in half and remove the large seeds and fine hairy fibers from the inside. The berries are now ready for canning.

To dry rose hips, lay them out in a single layer on paper in a dark and well-ventilated area until they are completely dry. Remove dried berries in airtight containers. plastic bags or banks. Store dried fruits in the refrigerator for several months or in the freezer.

To do rosehip puree, chop the processed berries in a food processor. Transfer the puree to an airtight plastic bag and store in the freezer.

To do rosehip decoction, boil the berries in a closed non-metallic (!) pan for 20 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine sieve, chop and wipe the berries. Then pass the decoction through the same sieve again to maximize the beneficial substances from the rosehip in the decoction. Pour the decoction into ice cube trays and store in the freezer.

To do rosehip syrup, return the broth to the pan. Add sugar, stir and cook over low heat for another 5 minutes. Pour the finished syrup into a bottle and store in the refrigerator.
To make syrup for 4 cups of rose hips, take 2 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar.

The use of rose hips

Preserved in one way or another, rose hips can be used to add to fruit smoothies, as well as in breakfast cereals, as a light “snack” to increase energy, as part of herbal teas (dry berries).
Frozen rosehip decoction cubes are also an excellent cosmetic product that tones the skin and saturates it with vitamins.

To do rosehip tea, it is not enough to brew dry berries with boiling water - they should be infused for 10-15 minutes (it is convenient to use a thermos for this). Together with rose hips, you can infuse a couple of sticks of cloves or a little mint for taste. Honey can be added to the finished tea if you do not like the sour taste of rose hips.

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