An unusual gumi berry, cultivation features, including in different regions. Goof multiflorous

Gumi, or multi-flowered sucker - a shrub with fragrant flowers, delicious and healthy berries, undemanding in care. It is surprising that such a culture is not popular and even unknown to many gardeners. But many varieties have been bred that grow well in all regions of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

Description of culture

Gumi is originally from Asia, the plant has spread around the world from China, Korea and Japan. In Russia, the multi-flowered sucker has long been grown on Sakhalin, where the Japanese brought it. This berry shrub is well-known in Ukraine; jam from its fruits mixed with mulberry is especially popular here.

The shrub belongs to the sucker family, which also includes the well-known sea buckthorn. When compared with her, the gumi adopted all the best and is deprived of it negative qualities. In particular, goof multiflorous:

• not divided into male and female bushes, its flowers are bisexual;
• does not form shoots or there is very little of it;
• there are no thorns on the shoots or they are short and inconspicuous;
• berries hang on long stalks, ripe ones are easily separated from them.

Gumi fruits are similar to sea buckthorn berries, but red, speckled, hanging on long stalks

But there are also similarities. Gumi fruits have the same size (1.5–2 cm) and an elongated shape. However, at full ripeness, the berries turn red with golden flecks, they are sweet with a slight astringency. The taste resembles overripe dogwood, there are notes of pineapple, cherry, apple, grapes. Inside the fruit one elongated bone is hidden. Even at full maturity, it remains soft, you can chew it and feel the taste of the nucleolus (reminiscent of an unripe sunflower seed). Gumi berries do not crumble. They are eaten fresh, dried, frozen, processed into jams, compotes, jams, pie fillings, added to sweet and sour sauces for meat.

Gumi fruits contain essential amino acids, vitamins, tannins and pectin substances. In Japan, gumi is called the berry of longevity, used as a multivitamin supplement, a medicine for cardiovascular diseases. The fruits have tonic properties. Even the leaves are rich in vitamin C, they are dried, used to brew tea.

Gumi shrub grows up to 2 m in height and width. Like sea buckthorn, its roots are located superficially, go 1.5 m beyond the crown perimeter, and are able to capture nitrogen from the air. That is, the plant is able to feed itself and make fertile soil around the bush. Vegetation begins as soon as the ground thaws. Gumi leaves are cherry-like in shape, dark green on the upper side, silvery on the lower side. Flowering occurs in mid-late May. At this time, thanks to the gumi, there is an amazing aroma in the garden. The flowers are elongated, depending on the variety, snow-white, yellow, cream. And after 30-45 days, in late June or early July, the fruits ripen. Fruiting lasts about a month. Productivity - 8–13 kg per bush.

Gumi grows as a bush, there is no stem, during flowering it is very beautiful, exudes a strong pleasant aroma

Seedlings begin to bear fruit at 5–6 years, seedlings from cuttings - at 3–4 years. Of the minuses - the slow growth of seedlings in the first 2 years and poor winter hardiness. All shoots can freeze to the ground. But the culture has a high regenerative capacity. In 3–4 years, a lush bush will again grow in place of the frozen one.

Video: about the features of the multi-flowered sucker

Gumi cultivation technology

You can grow this amazing culture using the technology loved by everyone: plant and forget. Gumi does not get sick and is not even affected by omnivorous aphids. The main thing is to choose the right place and plant it, and in regions with severe winters, protect it from frost. Everything else is watering in drought, mulching, sanitary pruning.

Gumi place and boarding

Although the sucker has bisexual flowers, that is, each has both a pistil and stamens, the bush bears fruit better when there are 1-2 more seedlings of a different variety in the neighborhood. Gardeners often complain that their gumi has been growing for 5–6 years, blooming well, but does not set berries. One of the reasons is that a variety is planted that is unable to self-pollinate. When planting several seedlings, leave a distance between them of 2–3 m. Choose a sunny place where there are no drafts. In the shade, the sucker also bears fruit, but not so abundantly, the berries will ripen longer, accumulate less sugar.

Transplant gumi seedlings by transshipment without destroying a clod of earth

Buy seedlings no older than 1-2 years, until their root system has grown and remains compact. Older specimens are hard to take root. Gumi is recommended to be planted in spring. In autumn, the bush does not have time to properly gain a foothold in the ground, the bark on the shoots and buds does not ripen well. As a result, young plants are severely damaged by frost in winter.

Landing steps:

1. 2-3 weeks before planting or in the fall, dig a hole with a diameter and depth of 50 cm.
2. Lay a layer of drainage on the bottom. It is advised to use stones, but you can lay pieces of tree branches. Drainage is needed only for young bushes so that their still small and weak roots do not rot. By the time the gumi is well established in a new place, the roots will go far beyond landing pit, the drainage from the branches will rot and turn into fertilizer, and the stones will remain, but already as unnecessary ballast.
3. Mix the earth taken out of the pit (upper 30 cm) 1: 1 with humus, add 0.5 l of wood ash.
4. Fill the hole with the prepared soil mixture. Time must elapse before landing, so that nutrients with the help of bacteria and earthworms, they passed into an accessible form and mixed.
5. On the day of planting, make a hole 6-7 cm deeper than the length of the root, this is how much you need to deepen the root collar.
6. Plant gumi, water and mulch.

Root neck - the place from which the uppermost roots extend, deepen by 6-7 cm

Care for young and fruiting bushes

Loch multiflora is a drought-resistant crop, only young bushes need regular watering, in the first year after planting. Give them water (10-20 liters) every time the ground under the mulch dries out. Water fruit-bearing bushes only in drought, when it costs about a week hot weather without rain. Irrigation rate - 30-40 liters per plant. Always keep the soil loose, as the mulch rots, lay a new one.

Gumi himself extracts nitrogen, which means that in nitrogen fertilizers and does not need organic. However, gardeners have noticed that on poor soils, large lentils form on the roots, absorbing nitrogen from the air, and on fertilized lands they are either absent or very small. This means that by fertilizing the earth, we make life easier for the shrub, it feeds from the earth, more forces can be directed to building up shoots and a rich harvest.

Nodule formations on the roots of gumi allow you to bind atmospheric nitrogen, absorb and mineralize organic matter from the soil, convert them into an easily digestible form

No need to deposit under gumi mineral fertilizers, it is enough to regularly lay humus, compost and even cut grass as mulch. All this will rot and enrich the earth. In spring and autumn, you can scatter 1-2 cups of wood ash under a bush and loosen it. Pruning is required only sanitary, that is, annually remove only dry, crooked and broken branches. After 13–15 years, rejuvenate - cut off all the stems near the ground. A young bush will grow from the root.

Features of cultivation in different regions

In the northern regions and in the middle lane, the removal of frozen shoots is a lot of trouble. But this can be avoided if all branches are bent to the ground for the winter, like raspberries or covered like grapes.

• In Siberia, where the winters are snowy, it is enough to bend the branches so that in winter they are covered with snow.
• In the middle lane, the Moscow region, the Leningrad region, Belarus and other territories, where there are often thaws in the middle of winter, and then frosts come again, the gumi needs to be covered. Lay the trunk circle with a thick layer (10-15 cm) of fallen leaves, spruce branches, hay. The branches can be tied together and wrapped with agrofibre or bent down and covered with the materials already listed. The main requirement is that the insulation must be lightweight and breathable.
• In Ukraine and southern Russia, there is no need to bend down and cover. Local gardeners say that gumi freezes extremely rarely - once every few years. But in such regions there are often droughts, which means that the bush will have to be watered several times during the season.

Video: gumi in Ukraine

Of course, you need to buy zoned varieties: for southern regions drought resistance is important, for a harsh climate - winter hardiness. Many gardeners who have been growing humi for several years are perplexed at how tight lignified branches can be bent to the ground. This bush is taught annually and from youth. In June, still flexible young stems are tilted to the ground, to the level at which snow lies in winter, pinned or tied to stakes. By the way, this method is also useful for those who want to propagate their sucker. After all, rooting by layering is the most effective way, and drooping branches are very convenient to dig in.

Reproduction of a multi-flowered sucker

There are three popular ways to propagate gumi. Rooting layering gives a 100 percent result. Gumi is very easy to propagate by seeds, the germination rate is 50–90%. With green cuttings, the yield of seedlings is 50%. As a result seed propagation you will get seedlings that do not repeat varietal properties. Cuttings and layering are devoid of this drawback.

In spring, bend young flexible shoots to the ground. In those places where they touch the soil, make grooves 10–15 cm deep. Lay the shoots and dig in, the tops should remain on the surface. If branches tend to straighten up, pin them down with wire or bricks. By autumn, roots will grow on the shoots, but it is better to postpone the transplant until spring.

The shoots in the dug part have given roots, along with the tops left outside, they will become your seedlings.

Let the future seedlings overwinter with the mother bush. In early spring, free the branches from the load or studs, carefully dig out of the ground, cut off from the bush. You can plant in a permanent place or grow small gumi in a separate bed.

Video: digging horizontal branches with bark trimming

Sowing gumi seeds

Few people dare to laborious stratification, when the seeds are placed in a humid environment (peat or sand) and kept from autumn to spring in the refrigerator (+0.5 ... +1.5 ⁰C), periodically checking and airing. You can do without these manipulations. Gumi gardeners sometimes notice shoots obtained by self-sowing under adult bushes. This means that it is possible to grow this crop by sowing seeds directly into the ground.

Gumi seeds do not germinate themselves, they need stratification or wintering in open ground

Gather ripe goumi berries. Take out the seeds and sow them immediately. Can't be dried. If it is not possible to plant now, wrap in a damp cloth and store in the refrigerator. As a result of direct sowing in the ground, germination is low. Some bones lie in the ground for 2-3 years and only then germinate. And then, provided that all this time they were in a humid environment, for example, in the shade of the dense crown of the mother bush. Experiment with different sowing dates, perhaps you will develop your own technology for growing gumi from seeds.

In the shade of adult gumi bushes, self-sowing can sometimes be found.

Green cuttings

This is the most complex and unreliable method. Cut the cuttings at the end of June, when the annual growths reach a length of 20–30 cm. For propagation, take their middle part (without the top) with 2–4 leaves and lower them into a solution of a root formation stimulator, for example, Kornevin, Epin, Energen or others.

The tops (a) are not suitable for rooting - they are still thin, herbaceous, the base (d) may already be lignified, so the middle part (b) is taken with 2–4 leaves

The substrate is loose, suitable sawdust, peat, old compost. The cuttings are immersed so that the lower buds are in the ground, and the upper buds are above it. Then you need to create conditions: heat (+25 ... +30 ⁰C) and humidity (90–95%). In this case, the substrate should be wet, but not flooded. In large farms, fogging installations are used; on a personal plot, you can build a mini-greenhouse from arcs and films. It is important not to overheat the cuttings! Adjust the temperature by ventilation.

Misting unit increases humidity to the desired level

The appearance of new leaves on the cuttings means that they are rooted. Gradually reduce humidity and temperature over the course of two weeks, gradually opening the greenhouse. For example, in the first days, open only one end, in the next two, then lift the film along the length of the bed, etc. In winter, the cuttings are stored in a cellar or refrigerator at a temperature of 0 ... +3 ⁰C. If you doubt such storage or there is no possibility, then leave them in place, cover them with spruce branches before the onset of winter, and plant them in the spring.

Video: green cuttings for beginners

Varieties of gumi for your site

In the register of breeding achievements, the plant is listed under the name goof many-flowered, and gumi is its Japanese name. Eight out of nine registered varieties are bred by the Sakhalin Research Institute Agriculture. The ninth variety - Taisa owes its appearance to the breeder Kolbasina E.I., but she also worked on Sakhalin Island. All gums from the State Register can be grown in any region of the Russian Federation, as well as Belarus and Ukraine.

Variety Taisa ties medium-sized egg-shaped berries

Taisa can be recognized by a small bush (1.5 m) and egg-shaped berries. The shoots are compact, there are thorns, but they are short and are located only in the lower part of the bush. The leaves are small, pointed at the base in the form of a wedge. Flowers also do not shine in size and color - small and pale. Each berry weighs about 1.2 g, the taste is sweet, sour, without astringency, rated at 4.5 points. An early variety, one of the oldest, bred on Sakhalin back in the 60s. Its main advantages are the dessert taste of berries and high winter hardiness. During the snowy winter, Taisa is almost completely covered with snow. But the yield is suspiciously low - only 900 g per bush.

Moneron gives larger berries than Taisa, they resemble barrels in shape

Moneron was registered in the same year as Taisa. It was created for the climate of Sakhalin with long and snowy winters, therefore it tolerates frosts well. Bush of medium height (1.5–2 m), slightly spreading. The leaves are larger than those of Taisa, forming a right angle at the base. Thorns are located at the bottom of the shoots. The weight of the berries is 1.5 g, they contain more sugar and acids, but there is astringency. Therefore, the score for taste does not exceed 4 points. The variety is mid-season. The yield in the State Register is indicated in centners per hectare - 120. On the websites of sellers they write about high yield- 8–12 kg from a bush, put a tasting score of 5 points.

Indeed, Moneron is the most fruitful of all gumis. The average figure for this crop is 90 q/ha.

Gumi Crillon: his outer distinguishing feature- strongly concave, folded almost in half leaves

Crillon - variety late deadline maturation. The shape and size of the bush does not differ from Moneron. It is also winter-hardy, the yield is lower, but remains high - 103 c/ha. Professional tasters evaluate the berries for the highest score - 5. The taste is sweet, with a slight astringency. The fruits contain 11% sugar and 110 mg of vitamin C in every 100 g of the product.

Gumi South attracts with large berries with silver speckles

Gumi Yuzhny is another excellent student with the highest mark for the taste of berries. They are even sweeter than Crillon, but contain less vital ascorbic acid - 0.93% (93 mg/%). The variety is mid-season, the shape of the bush is compressed, medium spreading. Berries are large - 2.3 g, dark red with specks silver color on the skin. leaves with reverse side also silver. The southern one looks very beautiful in the garden. Despite the name, winter-hardy. The yield is slightly less than that of Crillon - 90 kg / ha.

There are 4 more varieties with characteristics similar to the Southern:

• early ripe Shikotan (95 c/ha);
• mid-season Tsunai (90 q/ha);
• late Kunoshir (97 q/ha);
• late Paramushir (84 q/ha).

All berries weigh about 2 g, they are marked with a score of 5 points for taste. Varieties are winter-hardy. But there is another multi-flowered sucker, from which the cultivation of this culture began in Russia - Sakhalin First. It is already going down in history because it does not have the advantages of modern goumi. The berries are small (1.4 g), rather sour than sweet, refreshing. There are many acids, but ascorbic acid accounts for only 10.3 mg /%, that is, 10 times less than that of Crillon. Score for taste - 4 points. In winter, annual shoots freeze to half their length. There is one positive feature - the flowers of the Sakhalin first have a pink tint. This shrub will add delicate shades and subtle aromas to your garden. In addition, it is an early variety.

In all varieties of gumi, with rare exceptions, the flowers are pale in color, have a yellow or cream tint.

Each variety from the State Register is approved for cultivation in all regions of the Russian Federation. But in the edges and areas with a short summer it is better to grow early varieties, and for the southern territories, any gumi is suitable. If you buy not one, but several seedlings, then for better pollination, choose those that bloom at the same time, that is, with the same ripening period. In the middle lane, you can grow early, mid-ripening and late varieties. In this case, healing gumi berries will be on your table all summer long.

Gumi is a plant that is harder to find and buy than to grow. Culture, despite all its advantages, is little known and is not presented in mass sale. If you manage to get seedlings, propagate it and share it with your neighbors. Despite the declared winter hardiness, in regions with little snow and frosty winters hide escapes.

Very often, gardeners when planning their garden pursue many goals at the same time. So, plants should bring not only aesthetic satisfaction, but also produce tasty and healthy fruits. Especially this problem comes to the fore if the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe site does not allow planting a large number of trees and bushes. One of these plants is the gumi, or as it is also called, the multi-flowered sucker. beautiful shrub, bearing tasty and healthy fruits, will become a real decoration of the summer cottage. We will talk about what a multi-flowered gumi sucker is, how it is planted and cared for, we will tell further.

Loch multiflorous gumi: description of the plant

The birthplace of the multi-flowered sucker is South China. The plant grows in Japan, Sakhalin, China and other countries of Southeast Asia. Due to the fact that the natural habitat of the gumi has a mild climate, it cannot boast of frost resistance, so it makes no sense to plant a multi-flowered sucker in areas with severe winters, the plant may simply die.

Culture Characteristics:

• As already mentioned above, the multi-flowered sucker is a small shrub with a height of 1.5 m to 2 m.
• Its branches are slightly curved and have few spines on their surface. The bark of the shoots has several shades from light gray to dark brown.
• The leaves of the plant are slightly oblong in shape, green above and with a silvery tint below.
• Blooms many-flowered sucker with small bisexual flowers. For better pollination, it is recommended to plant more than one shrub in one area, but, in principle, gumi lives and bears fruit well and alone.
• The flowers are bell-shaped and very strong and pleasant aroma which attracts a large number of insects.
• The fruits of the goat multiflorous are a berry cylindrical shape, up to 2 cm red. They have a unique and very pleasant taste. They are successfully used as fresh, and in the form of compotes, decoctions, jams from them.
• According to nutritionists, the fruits of Loja multiflorum are very beneficial for health, as they contain more than 10 amino acids that are necessary for the human body. The Japanese do not in vain consider this plant the tree of youth. Even dried gumi leaves are used to make a decoction for colds. Quite often, a delicious tincture is prepared from the berries.

Goof multi-flowered gumi: do-it-yourself planting

Planting this crop is carried out in warm weather in autumn or spring. The most favorable periods for this are the second half of September or the second half of April. Before you begin the planting process, you need to select a site. It should be well lit, have a flat surface without stagnation of melt water. It is desirable that the shrub be protected from the wind with north side. Of the soils, sandy loam or loam is the most preferred for planting humi.

Boarding order:

1. Having chosen a site, it must be carefully prepared. The first thing to do is get rid of the weeds. Then the site is dug up to the depth of the shovel bayonet. In the process of digging, it is necessary to remove the remaining weed roots. Otherwise, after the first rain they will sprout again.
2. The size of the plot for planting a multicolor sucker depends on the number of bushes that will be planted. The distance between them for normal growth and fruiting should be at least 2 meters.
3. To plant a bush, they dig small holes half a meter deep. To their bottom without fail drainage is installed. As it is used pebbles or broken brick. If they are not there, you can pour a small layer of sand.
4. The next step is to pour a mixture of soil with humus in equal proportions into the pit. 0.2 kg of superphosphate and 0.7 kg of wood ash are added to it. The whole mixture can be poured in the form of a cone, so that when planting, its roots spread along the slopes of the cone.
5. Before planting, you need to look at the roots of the plant. They should not have noticeable traces of rot, damage. "Bad" roots must be removed, and the cut site should be treated with garden pitch.
6. The plant is placed on a cone, the roots are straightened, and filled with water. As soon as the water is absorbed, the pit is covered with soil and rammed, and a little water is poured on top. About 10-12 liters of water fall on one bush of a multi-flowered sucker.
7. After pouring, the soil must be mulched with sawdust, humus, peat, etc. Due to this, moisture in the soil will be retained for more long time that will help in the growth of gumi.

Caring for a sucker with a multi-flowered gumi

This shrub does not require special attention:

• The main component of gumi care is watering. The plant does not tolerate prolonged drought and may simply die if it is stopped watering. That is why watering should be plentiful and timely. However, you cannot overdo it. If the soil drainage is very poor, too abundant watering can lead to the development of fungus and root rot. Therefore, in the issue of irrigation, the "golden mean" should be observed.
• The soil in the area near the trunk circle must be weeded and mulched. Do this after watering, when it dries upper layer. This will help retain moisture in the soil and provide air access. Be sure to pull out the weeds. This should be done with the root, as surface weeding will only give a short-term result.
• Particular attention should be paid to preparing gumi for winter. This is a very heat-loving plant, therefore, for the successful passage of the winter period in the middle latitudes, it should be insulated. To begin with, all the shoots are collected together and tied with twine. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the branches of the bush. After that, the whole plant is covered with wrapping material. It can be agrofibre or other insulation for trees. It is also secured with twine. Gumi roots are covered with leaves. This must be done very carefully, as pathogenic fungi or pests can accumulate under the leaves.
• With a sufficiently snowy winter, the plant can be covered with a layer of snow. This approach is used quite often. Snow is one of the best natural insulators. In the spring, with the first thaw, the wrapping material must be removed in time so that the plant under it does not rot, because this certainly will not benefit the shoots.

Goof multiflorous gumi - reproduction

The process of reproduction of this culture is practically no different from the reproduction of other shrubs. You can buy multi-flowered gumi sucker seedlings, but it is better to propagate it with your own hands.

As a rule, it is propagated in three ways:

1. Sowing gumi seeds.
2. Branches.
3. Overgrowth.

The first method is used extremely rarely, as it gives results only after a few years. Usually in this way seedlings are obtained by green farms in industrial scale. Gumi bones must undergo a stratification procedure before spring sowing. For autumn sowing this procedure is not required.

The order of seed propagation:

• In autumn, seeds are sown in holes at a distance of at least 20 cm from each other. The sowing depth should be no more than 3-4 cm. Otherwise, the sprouts will take too long to germinate.
• For the winter, the place of sowing should be covered with a film so that the seedlings do not freeze in case of a sharp cold snap.
• In the spring, after the emergence of shoots, they are carefully loosened. After the seedling has finally formed, it can be planted in a permanent place. If sowing is planned for spring, the seeds are stratified. To do this, in the fall they must be separated from the pulp of the fruit and washed thoroughly. Then they are mixed with sand and laid in the soil to a depth of no more than 30 cm until spring.
• About a month before sowing, the seeds are dug out and mixed with the substrate, after which they are carefully thin layer spread the mixture over polyethylene film. After small sprouts appear, they are sown in a greenhouse. The planting of seedlings of the multi-flowered gumi sucker is carried out only after several shoots appear on them.

The simplest method is propagation by taps:

• To do this, use the branches of the plant that grow closest to the soil. Choose the strongest of them and gently tilt to the ground.
• A small incision is made in the middle of the branch. The place of the incision is leaned against the ground, pressed and sprinkled with soil.
• You need to water the tap along with the mother plant. As soon as the root system is formed, it is dug up and separated from the plant. The field of which is planted in a new place.

Overgrowth reproduction. Any shrub lets out shoots around itself. Usually it is removed so that it does not take strength from the mother plant. However, such growth can become very good stuff for the reproduction of Loja multiflora. To do this, you need to carefully dig out the most developed sprout and cut it off from the maternal root. After that, it is planted in another place, as a separate bush.

Goof multiflorous gumi - diseases and pests

In its native climate, the multiflorous sucker gets sick quite rarely, but in the middle latitudes of the disease this plant happen quite often. The main catalyst for problems is improper care- rare or too abundant watering, lack of soil mulching or weed control.

The most common disease of this plant is phyllosticosis. It manifests itself by early twisting and falling of the leaves of the tree. If such a problem occurs, it is necessary to remove and destroy fallen leaves in a timely manner, and also spray the plant with fungicides such as Euparen.

Of the pests of all more problems gumi deliver:

• Polyphagous leaf beetle.
• Rose leaflet.
• Fruit flyer.
• Polyphagous bug.

You can cope with these pests with the help of drugs - Aktara, Aktarafit, Aktelik, Inta-vir.

Loh multiflorous gumi: photo

Goof multiflorous gumi, varieties: video

Growing experience in St. Petersburg

Photos and text by Alexander Shulekin, website

Multi-flowered sucker or gumi in Japanese is a Far Eastern plant and in our climate zone its cultivation is quite new. The warmth and duration of our summer is quite enough for the berries to ripen, but there may be problems with winter hardiness, since this plant is of a milder climate.

I have been growing gumi for a long time - since the late nineties, when I received a dozen leaf-bud cuttings of a selected form of sucker, known as Harvest Vavilov. About fifteen years have passed, and some results can be summed up.

Over the past 15 years, everything has happened - there have been different winters, the bushes both took shelter for the winter and wintered without shelter. As an experiment, the bushes were heavily pruned a couple of times. As a result, life has shown that gumi can be grown in our climate - all the bushes that were planted about 15 years ago are still alive.

Let's start with two photos giving general idea about the many-flowered sucker. In the first photo, taken in 2007, gumi bushes are about 6-8 years old, and this is the year of the first real harvest for them. To better see the berries, the branches are supported by slats and raised up. As you can see, the gumi fully justifies its botanical name - the many-flowered sucker - the bushes bloomed profusely and almost every flower tied a berry.

In general, gumi is a very beautiful and cheerful plant. Berries are especially good and unusual. In any case, our harvest is usually eaten as it ripens - the berries ripen gradually, over a period of about three weeks. The taste is quite exotic too, and it's hard to tell what it's like.

Gumi grows on my site in two places, in two groups, about 15 plants in total, which are planted tightly, about 50 cm apart.

Plants were planted so close for two reasons. Firstly, I have little space, and then I love the so-called "bouquet" plantings, when the plants are planted so that later they look like a single whole. By the way, I plan to make a selection of photos on the topic of bouquet planting. Especially bouquet planting is good, for example, for tui.

Perhaps more rare fit would give bigger harvest, but I use these plants primarily as a source of propagation cuttings.

In this photo, 2004, young plantings, the second group of plants. The first one is in the photo above. Three years later, in 2007, these plants will have their first real harvest.

Gumi grow quickly, it can be seen on next photo which was made in 2008.

Autumn 2008, the same plants as in the previous photo. Harvest (second) already harvested. The height of the bushes is more than one and a half meters.

For reliable wintering, gumi should be covered for the winter. The fact is that it is not known what winter will be like. In the winter of 2009, the uncovered bush overwintered perfectly, and the next year the uncovered bushes froze to the ground.

Autumn 2005. Plants are pressed to the ground with a shield left from the formwork when the foundation was poured. The top will be covered with foil.

Autumn 2008. Gumi grew up, and after the shelter turned out to be a "house" of several layers old film. It looks quite impressive, but if you have a film or other improvised materials, you can bend the bushes and cover them in 10-15 minutes. I do not leave vents for ventilation. A multi-flowered sucker, as practice shows, can be safely covered tightly with a film - there has never been a warming.

Spring 2010. The bushes were not covered for the winter - it was not before that, and before that, the wintering of the plant, which was not covered for testing, was excellent. The winter turned out to be very frosty, and my sucker froze almost to the ground. At the same time, the roots remained alive - snow and mulching with sawdust helped.

As it turned out, the gumi is perfectly restored from the roots. In the next photo - the same gumi for the next year.

Summer 2011. Gumi bushes not only grew, but also gave berries. As you can see, the main thing in a plant is the root system. No wonder the gardener, with whom I studied, called the above-ground part "decoration".

This applies not only to the many-flowered sucker, but also to all plants, for example, nuts, which can freeze slightly, but are perfectly restored due to root shoots.

More about hiding. The photo illustrates how far you can bend the gumi bushes without any damage to them. The only thing is that it is desirable to do it at positive temperatures.

Another way to facilitate shelter and reduce the likelihood of freezing is to form a gumi in the form of a low curb. This photo was taken last fall. Gumi are cut at a height of about 40 cm. I decided to see how the goof would bear fruit in this case.

I believe that the multi-flowered sucker is quite suitable for use to create fruit-bearing decorative borders. Its foliage is dense and tolerates frost well, and the fruits are tied at the base of annual growths, so regular pruning should not have a particularly strong effect on fruiting. How the flowers are located on the shoots - in the next photo.

In the center of the photo you can see the growing shoot of this year and the flowers located on its base. Accordingly, trimming the ends of the shoots is quite possible.

2013, A. Shulekin, site

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Gumi or multi-flowered sucker - unpretentious perennial berry deciduous shrub from the Lokhov family with very tasty and beneficial fruits red, round or cylindrical, reminiscent of several cultures at the same time - cherries, dogwoods, grapes and apples. In a garden or summer cottage, this plant can perform three functions at once - economic, decorative and melliferous.

Gummi demonstrates its decorative effect throughout the year. In winter, round large buds stand out on graceful olive-colored shoots. With the advent of spring, the shrub is covered with light cream inflorescences with a pleasant light aroma. In summer and autumn, the culture looks gorgeous, standing out with its leathery green, and then yellow-orange leaves. During the ripening period of the berries, the multi-flowered sucker turns into a real decoration of the summer cottage, showing off an abundance of juicy sweet and sour berries of various red hues with small golden or silver dots on the surface. Gumi is often called "silver cherry" among the people.

The average height of the shrub is 2-3 meters, the crown diameter is 100-150 cm. The branches are covered with numerous spines up to 5 cm long. proper care adult gumi gives high yield berries. In one season, more than 10 kg can be harvested from one shrub. The berries and leaves of this miracle plant are very useful and have healing properties. They are used in folk medicine to treat the stomach, intestines, heart, blood vessels, for colds and to increase immunity. The secret of gumi lies in the presence a large number useful substances, vitamins, microelements, biologically active substances, amino acids and much more. Loja berries are considered much richer in composition than blackcurrant, sea buckthorn and lemon. They retain their qualities even when dried and frozen, so they can be stored until the next season.

Popular varieties

The most common and popular varieties:

• Sakhalin First,
• "Moneron"
• "Tsunai"
• "Paramushir",
• "Shikotan",
• "Southern"
• "Kunashir".

For growing on summer cottages Two varieties are most suitable for the Moscow region - "Taisa" and "Krillon".

Gumi propagates by seeds, cuttings, layering, root division. The seed method is very unpopular due to low seed germination and late fruiting. The first fruits will appear only 4-5 years after planting. Cuttings take root very difficult and take root in isolated cases, so this method is not reliable for procreation.

It is better to propagate gumi in the Moscow region by layering or seedlings.

Preparing for landing

planting material

By purchasing planting material in specialized retail chains, it is necessary to determine their number. The calculation must be made based on the available land area. Young seedlings (one or two at once) are recommended to be planted at a distance of 1.5-2 m from each other.

The main features of a quality seedling: age - 2 years, height 50-100 cm, 4-5 strong shoots, trunk diameter - 8-10 mm, fibrous root without dried small roots (preferably with earthy clod or in a container).

Layers are prepared for planting a year in advance. The lowest branch of a shrub in early spring cut across, sprinkle the incision with charcoal, tilt it to the ground and fix it with a special hairpin. Sprinkled with a small layer of earth, carry out abundant watering. The following year, a young seedling with its root system is separated from the main bush and planted.

Place and soil

The place should be open sunny, with long illumination during the day, without strong gusts of wind. Landing along the fence or near the building is possible. The composition of the soil may be different, but the most favorable is slightly acidic or neutral. In an area with high acidity, it is necessary to apply slaked lime. For each square meter it will take about 500g.

Combination with other plants

Cherry and dogwood are the most favorable predecessors for gumi. Goof multiflora goes well with almost everything. fruit and berry trees and shrubs.

Gumi planting

Planting seedlings is carried out in early spring or early autumn, spring is more favorable. The depth of the landing pit and the diameter is 50-60 cm. The distance between landings is at least 1.5-2 m. drainage layer from crushed red brick or medium-sized river pebbles.

The composition of the soil mixture: garden soil, compost, sand and humus (in equal parts), wood ash- 300-400g, superphosphate - 200g.

The root of the seedling is deepened by 8-9 cm. The seedling is located strictly vertically. In one hole, you can put 2 or even 3 seedlings. Sprinkling the plant with earth, it is necessary to carry out abundant moisture. Each bush will require about 10-15 liters of water. After watering, the soil surface near the plants is mulched. Peat, fallen leaves or sawdust are suitable as mulch.

Care rules

Watering can only be carried out during dry periods, using ordinary hose water or accumulated rainwater. Under each bush you need to pour at least 3-4 buckets. Water irrigation has a beneficial effect on the culture, the leaves of the sucker are cleaned and saturated with the necessary moisture.

AT additional food need young plants. Complex mineral fertilizers should be applied in spring to tree trunks (about 100 g for each bush).

Pruning in the first 5-7 years is carried out if necessary, if it is necessary to remove dried or damaged branches, as well as in case of strong thickening. Adult bushes over 7-8 years old require rejuvenating pruning, in which 1-2 old branches are removed. This procedure will stimulate the emergence of new shoots and increase yields.

Preparing for winter

In the first three years after planting the seedlings, it is recommended to tie the sucker bushes for the winter with twine and wrap them with agrofiber. The root space must be filled with fallen leaves or pine needles.

Diseases and pests

Possible diseases:

• coccomycosis,

Pests:

• caterpillars,
• pachyderm.

Harvest and storage

Berries are harvested in stages as they ripen within 15-20 days, starting from the second half of July.

Fresh fruits are stored in a cool place for no more than one week.

For quick freezing, the berries must be dried and laid out on flat trays in the freezer, after which they can be poured into an airtight bag and stored until the next season.

Dried gumi fruits also retain their qualities. You need to dry them first on a clean cloth so that all excess moisture, and then on baking sheets or trays in a well-ventilated room or under a canopy outdoors. Berries are stored in glassware or cardboard boxes in a dark and dry room.

Gumi berry bush, its other name is multi-flowered sucker, is infrequently cultivated in Russian gardens. The exception is the Far Eastern Territory. We especially love the gumi bush on Sakhalin, where the Japanese brought it before the Second World War.

The plant brings many benefits:

• decorates the site all year round, since in warm areas it does not shed foliage, it blooms beautifully in spring, and in the middle and end of summer it gives bright berries;
• brings an enviable harvest of tasty and healthy berries;
• improves the soil on which it grows;
• attracts bees, being honey-bearing.

Small in stature, no more than 2 meters in height, multi-stemmed multi-flowered sucker is a thorny, monoecious shrub, that is, it does not require pollination, although simultaneous cultivation of several plants on the site will significantly increase the yield. One bush will give up to 9 kg of excellent berries.

Gumi leaves are oblong long cuttings. Rounded at the base and spiky on the other side - shiny, as if coated with wax.

The fruits are bright red in the smallest light dot, from a distance they resemble cherries. However, they are not always round, often slightly oblong. Inside the berry there is an oblong bone, surrounded on all sides by juicy, transparent pulp. The immature fruits are green in color, which changes as they ripen, first to yellow, and then to a deep red.

Flowers are small, delicate cream color, with a pleasant smell, a bit like hanging bells. In late spring and early summer, the bush is covered with them and looks from afar like a blooming cloud. Its aroma attracts bees that produce excellent flower honey.

Approximately 45 days pass from the moment of flowering to ripening. Fruiting does not occur immediately. So, a bush grown from a seed gives a harvest in 5-6 years, from a layer - a little faster, but not earlier than 4 years of age. But having reached maturity, the bush will reward the gardener with 9-10 kilograms of selected berries.

The berries of the gooseberry are edible. Good fresh, frozen and in the form of compotes.

The plant does not differ in particular winter hardiness, although experts say that the root system can withstand frosts down to minus 30 degrees. However, young plants require mandatory shelter.

It is this moment that may be the explanation for the fact that gumi bushes are not very popular in Central Russia. The roots are located close to the surface of the earth and extend more than a meter from the crown, which must be taken into account when loosening the soil.

Chemical composition

It is amazing how a small berry has become a receptacle for a huge number of microelements necessary for a person. Berry gumi is the closest relative of sea buckthorn, which is loved by all gardeners, and another less well-known plant in our country - shepherdia - North American berry bush, contains:

• amino acids;
• carotene;
• tannins and pectin substances;
• salts of phosphorus, calcium and potassium;
• vitamin C (superior to blackcurrant);
• zinc, copper, cadmium;
• manganese, chromium, nickel;
• selenium, bromine, sulfur.

Gumi fruits are incredibly pleasant in taste and resemble five flavors at once: pineapple, apple, dogwood, cherry, grapes. Truly, a miracle berry!

Beneficial features

The healing qualities of the multi-flowered sucker can hardly be overestimated, which is why it is grown with pleasure in those climatic conditions that allow you to harvest a generous harvest. The fruits of the plant are useful for adults and children as a source of vitamins and trace elements.

They are most useful for problems with:

• stomach
• cardiovascular system;
• as an anti-inflammatory and tonic;
• in the fight against sclerosis.
• The Japanese and Chinese to this day consider gumi berries to prolong youth.

Active substances are found not only in the berries, but also in the seeds, leaves and flowers of the plant.

The leaves are the champions in the content of ascorbic acid. At the peak of the season, in July, they contain more than 250 mg of the vitamin, the flowers are not too much inferior to them - about 150 mg.

Harvesting berries

Berries do not ripen all at once, but over several weeks. After harvesting, it can be stored unprocessed for almost a week in a cool place.

Dried

Natural drying (in the air, under a canopy) allows you to save the maximum amount of valuable components. Arranged in one layer on a pallet, the fruits should be gently mixed from time to time. After complete drying, they are put into cardboard boxes.

Not being able to dry them outside, you can use an oven with a low heating temperature - up to 60 degrees C.

frozen

In the freezer at a temperature of minus 19 degrees, the berries will quickly become ice on the pallet, after which they are placed in transparent bags and the air is removed. Storage continues only in the freezer.

Jam

1 kg fruit, 1 kg granulated sugar, 1 cup water.

Each housewife has her own way of cooking, but the most delicious jam it will turn out if the berries are pre-filled with syrup and let stand overnight. Then boil for a few minutes, and again leave overnight. The next brew will be final.

Compote

The preparation is traditional. Sterilized jars, blanching, seaming.

Proportions: 500-600 grams of sugar per half liter of water and 2 grams citric acid(for better preservation). Delicious sweet berries are suitable for making liquor. It turns out thick, great color. Proportion: 1 kg of fruit, 500 grams of sugar, one cup of water, 1 bottle of vodka. The berries are mixed with the rest of the ingredients (sugar - in the form of cold syrup) and infused for 20 days in the dark.

Preparation of leaves and flowers

For medicinal purposes, brewed dried leaves and flowers are taken. They are brewed like regular tea and drunk throughout the day.

The leaves and color are cut off and dried in natural conditions, after which they are folded into glass containers or cotton bags.

Harm and contraindications

A rare case when the plant has no contraindications! This is exactly the case with the many-flowered sucker. To be absolutely precise, absolutely all plants and products have contraindications - this is personal intolerance.

Also, it should be remembered that oversaturation of the body with vitamins can cause a lot of harm. Therefore, the use of such biologically active berries as gumi should be reasonable. This is especially true for parents who seek to saturate their children with summer gifts in the summer. Do not overdo it!

Gumi or multi-flowered sucker is absolutely deservedly considered a shrub useful in all respects, thanks to its beautiful appearance and medicinal fruits. This led to the fact that gardeners became interested in him not only Far East, where the plant appeared more than 70 years ago, but also Middle lane Russia.

Successful growing experience takes place even in the northwestern zone. So, in the Leningrad region, craftsmen were able to cultivate shrubs and get a harvest. The main thing is to keep the plant in winter period. To do this, gradually, starting in early autumn, bend the branches to the ground so that the snow cover completely hides them.

In addition to the fact that the plant diversifies the table, heals ailments, it also improves the soil, since bacteria that fix nitrogen are formed on the roots - far from all cultures have such an advantage.

Undoubtedly, the future lies in the distribution of gumi throughout the country.