Planting and care for Chinese lemongrass in the Urals

Lemongrass is a plant with medicinal properties, but this does not prevent it from fulfilling its decorative purpose. It exudes citrus fragrance, and looks like a deciduous vine.Culture gives berries that are collected in a brush and have a pronounced red color. More than a dozen varieties of this plant are known, they all have a different taste, and also differ in appearance and composition.

Lemongrass - is a vine, which can reach 15 meters in length. The thickness of the trunk to 2.5 centimeters, from him are the shoots. The leaves are dense, with small notches on the edges, keep on the red and pink petioles and change their color throughout the season. In the spring and in the summer, they are light green, with a bluish lower part, and in the fall, bright yellowness begins to predominate. When the flowering period comes, the plant is covered with white flowers, growing several in number.

The emerging fruits are in the hands, having a length of up to 10 centimeters, and are bright red sour berries that have a rounded shape. And the berries themselves, and the leaves, and even the shoots have a characteristic citrus scent.

In order for the plant to grow in the Urals, it must be properly planted and have full care. As for landing, if in the southern regions with a warm climate, this procedure is recommended to be carried out in October, in central Russia, the landing should be done from late April to mid-May. Experts advise to plant three or more plants at a time. The distance between them must be at least one meter.

As for the ground, it should contain humus and be sufficiently wet. Do not forget about the drainage. Despite the fact that the vine can grow in the shade, it is better to choose an illuminated area for planting. In the selection of seedlings should focus on two-year or three-year plants. The optimum height is about 15 centimeters, and the roots must be healthy and well developed. Before placing the plant in the ground, the shoots must be shortened, leaving 3 buds, and the roots should be carefully cut so that their length is no more than 25 centimeters.

The diameter of the hole should be about 60 centimeters, and its depth - at least 40. The bottom is drained, for this you can use broken bricks or crushed stone, which is filled with a layer of 10 centimeters. To fall asleep seedling, you must mix the humus, compost from the leaves and turf in equal proportions and add 200 grams of superphosphate, as well as a little wood ash.

The prepared mixture is poured over the drainage, a seedling is placed on it, the roots of which were previously lowered into a clay mash. The root neck should go flush with the soil surface. After that, the roots gently straightened and poured on top of the rest of the mixture. The soil must be thoroughly tamped, and then watered properly. After the water is fully absorbed, peat or humus is poured into the hole.

Caring for lemongrass does not cause much difficulty. It is necessary to water the plant regularly, to loosen the ground, to get rid of weeds in time, to carry out pruning and spraying. As for watering, the plant loves moisture, so at a time the vine takes about 6 buckets of water. A day after this procedure or heavy rainfall it is necessary to loosen the soil and pull out the weeds. If the weather is hot, in the evening it is worth spraying, especially in cases when it comes to young lemongrass.

As for fertilizing, they should begin in the third year of the life of the vine.Once or twice a month you need to water the earth with a solution of organic fertilizers. Perfect chicken and cow dung. As mulch, you can use the compost from the leaves or humus. After the lemongrass has thrown off the foliage, it must be fed by mixing wood ash and superphosphate in proportions of 5: 1. The composition should be placed in the soil, then watered. During flowering, Nitrophoska will help keep the plant strong. Once a couple of years under the vine should be put compost. Per square meter will need about 5 pounds.

In addition, planting lemongrass, you must install a trellis next to it. With its help, the access of light to the vine will be improved, which means that it will be more fruitful. In the absence of support berries can not wait at all. Tapestry should be located 2 meters above ground level. The poles are connected by wire and are located 3 meters from each other. The first guide is 50 centimeters from the ground, further - every 100 centimeters or slightly less.

First, the stems are fixed on the first guide, and in subsequent years all the higher. You do not need to untie them for the winter. When lemongrass is grown at home, the shoots are fixed on an inclined ladder. Pruning should be done from the third year after planting. At the very first required to leave no more than 6 shoots.

Chinese lemongrass is sufficiently resistant to pathogens of various diseases. Pests also infrequently attack it. If the trouble still happened, you need to know how to deal with it. Treatment should be carried out according to the disease. When spotting usually helps Bordeaux liquid and other compounds containing copper. For powdery mildew, use sulfur powder and soda ash solution. Fusarium, unfortunately, leads to the death of the plant and is not treatable. In this case, prevention measures are important, such as spraying fungicide and Trichodermine.

As for the preparation of winter, this question is relevant only with young lemongrass, adult plants are cold-resistant and even the Ural cold weather is excellent. Up to 3 years of the same vines should be covered with leaves, on top of which have a spruce branches.

About planting Chinese Schizandra, care, pruning and watering, see the video below.