Varieties of sea buckthorn: what are the characteristics of each?

Until recently, sea buckthorn was considered a wild plant growing exclusively in Siberia. However, modern breeders have deduced a fairly large variety of yellow berries that can grow in different regions of Russia.

A general description of the plant is a shrub or small tree, often prickly, reaching a length of up to 3.5 m. The berries are bright yellow, orange, reddish in color, have a spherical shape, attached to the branch densely, as if stuck to it. Hence the name. It is an extremely valuable food product, widely used in cosmetology and medicine. The leaves are long green.

The bush blossoms at the end of spring, the inflorescences are small, rather unsightly. Sea buckthorn is a dioecious plant: female flowers grow on some bushes, subsequently forming fruits, male flowers on others, the pollen from which with the help of the wind reaches female individuals and pollinates them. Growing areas are extensive: Europe, a large distribution in the territory of Western and Eastern Siberia, Asia, India, Pakistan.

The main value are the fruits of sea buckthorn, which have a specific sweet-sour taste, thanks to which they are called “Siberian pineapple”.

The composition speaks of the usefulness for itself.

Rich vitamin complex:

• Vitamin A It is responsible for the bright pigment of the berry, is a powerful natural antioxidant that promotes the excretion of slag and toxins from the body naturally. Participates in metabolic processes, the absorption of fats, restores damaged tissue, improves eyesight.
• B1 (thiamine) regulates lipid metabolism, helps to divide cells, stimulates the growth of the skeletal system and improves brain function, takes part in the process of blood formation, stimulates blood microcirculation.
• B2 or riboflavin necessary for the formation of red blood cells, antibodies, regulation of the reproductive function of humans, the thyroid gland. Increases iron absorption. Plays an important role in the nervous system.
• B3 (nicotinic acid) helps to synthesize enzymes that process carbohydrates, thereby improving the work of the intestines. It maintains the strength of blood vessels, normalizes the amount of sugar in the blood.
• B5 (pantothenic acid) It improves the function of the adrenal glands, which are responsible for the production of hormones. It accelerates fat burning, strengthens the immune system. It improves the digestibility of the body by other useful substances. Participates in the process of formation of antibodies.

• B6 (pyridoxine) prevents the penetration of harmful microorganisms into the body. It activates the redox processes in the cells. Thins the blood by adjusting the hemoglobin level. Displays decay products, slags, toxins.
• B9 (folic acid) necessary for the proper development of the immune, circulatory systems. It is extremely important at the stage of intrauterine development of a person. Improves the reproductive abilities of men.
• C (ascorbic acid) stimulates the formation of collagen and elastin. Strengthens the immune system, combating inflammatory processes. Normalizes the gastrointestinal tract, acting on the pancreas and thyroid gland.
• D affects the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the cells, enhances the activity of vitamin A. Controls the formation of tissues. It has anti-inflammatory properties.
• E (tocopherol) stimulates the nervous, endocrine, cardiac systems. Protects against free radical damage. Prevents skin aging. Prevents the development of cancer.
• TO - anti-hemorrhagic component, plays an important role in the formation and restoration of bones, in the regulation of redox processes.
• P (rutin) strengthens vascular walls, reduces inflammation and allergic manifestations, improves immunity, has antioxidant properties.

Mineral components are also included:

1. Manganese stabilizes the digestive process, is directly involved in the synthesis of physiologically active substances that transmit impulses between nerve cells, has a beneficial effect on the growth of bone tissue.
2. Selenium similar to the effects on the cells of vitamin E, contributes to the removal of heavy metals from the body, neutralizes free radicals, stimulates the production of its own collagen.
3. Iron takes part in the process of blood formation, formation of immune cells.
4. Copper causes collagen and elastin to form naturally, synthesizes hemoglobin. It is part of the melanin pigment, affects the absorption of vitamin D.

Unsaturated fatty acids play an important role in the maintenance of the body:

1. Oleic increases the conductivity of tissues, promotes faster absorption of other nutrients in the cells.
2. Stearic increases the productivity of the nervous system and the brain.
3. Linoleic helps better digestion of proteins, normalizes metabolism.
4. Palmitic stabilizes the production of hyaluronic acid, regulates the digestive processes. Necessary for the proper development and growth of children up to one year.
5. Palmitoleic controls the metabolism of fats and proteins, has a bactericidal effect on the body.

Valuable berries are used to make oils, decoctions and infusions, juices and compotes. Each of the products has its own specific cooking and beneficial properties. The most famous of these is butter.

It is produced by cold pressing to preserve the maximum benefits of the components. It is used in cosmetology in order to produce various creams, masks, gels, and balms affecting various zones.

Application area:

1. For face. Allows you to cope with age spots, dark circles under the eyes, eliminates burn marks. Increases skin elasticity, oxygenates it, smoothing signs of premature aging. Relieves inflammation, peeling, allergic itching. Excellent moisturizes and nourishes the epidermis.
2. For body. Perfectly fights cellulite with regular use as massage oil.
3. For nail plates. It helps to part with the bundle and brittleness, increases the strength of the nail. Softens the coarsened cuticle, promotes rapid healing of the skin.
4. For hair. Intensively nourishes the curls, eliminates the shortcomings of the dermis of the head (dandruff, itching, dryness). Glues split ends.

For medical purposes, oily liquid is used for gynecological ailments (inflammation of appendages, cervical erosion, cervicitis), treatment of problems of the gastrointestinal tract, dryness and cracks of the dermis and mucous membranes.

Broths are taken inside to get rid of stomatitis, pulpitis, tonsillitis, diabetes, rheumatism, gout.

The infusion of berries (ingestion) is designed to strengthen the immune system, increase appetite. They can handle wounds, do rubbing, compresses.

Juices and compotes have a pleasant taste characteristics and an appetizing smell, perfectly quench thirst, saturate the body with beneficial substances.

The end of the eighties of the last century was marked by the development of breeding, so during this period a large variety of varieties of "Siberian pineapple" appeared.

In nature, there are only two types of plants:

• Ivolistgrowing in India, in Nepal, in the south of China, reaches a height of up to 15 m, a trunk about 30 cm thick. Berry is a drupe of rounded shape, yellow in color, up to 7 mm in length. Whitish leaves have a lanceolate form, up to 8 cm long, up to 15 mm wide.

• Krushenovidnayathat grows throughout Europe, the height of a small tree or shrub reaches 2-3.5 m.The root system is superficial, goes into the ground only 40 cm, but it grows very well in width. Narrow elongated alternate leaves on top - green, bottom - whitish silver. Inflorescences are not remarkable. Pale red, orange or yellow berries have a round or elongated spherical shape.

For the European part of Russia, cultures with certain characteristics are better suited. These include:

• "Augustine" It is considered a middle-ripe berry, ripening by the second decade of August. Bushes are low, moderately sprawling, form the umbrella-shaped crown. Elongated light orange berries have a pleasant aroma and sour taste. Productivity is high.

• "Nivelena" also applies to mid-season varieties. Trees moderately compact, the shape of the trunks of which are covered with rare single spikes. The fruits have an oval shape and bright amber color, they taste pretty sweet, and the aroma is very weak. The plant is well adapted to frost, resistant to diseases and pests.

Siberian varieties are quite hardy, winter-hardy. It:

• "Elizabeth" - Late-ripening, has a delicate aroma and sweet-sour taste, slightly reminiscent of pineapple. Orange berries are located on the elongated stem, easily detached from the brush, each weighing 0.7-0.9 g. The growth of the shrub is average, the crown is compact.

• "Aley" - male representative, not giving fruit, suitable only for pollination. Differs in tallness, lack of spines. It blooms for a long time, produces a large amount of pollen. Able to resist most known diseases and insects.

• "Excellent" Sea buckthorn belongs to late ripening varieties that form medium-height shrubs. Thick crowns are spherical in shape, spines are absent. Fruits are orange-yellow, have the average size, taste sweet-sour. The plant is perfectly adapted to frost, but not resistant to pests.

Popular representatives of the culture for the Moscow region:

• "Favorite" forms a bush of moderate size, with a broad crown, the trunks are covered with spines. Orange berries have an oval shape, are famous for their high content of sugars and carotenoids. The culture is well adapted to the temperate continental climate. Resistant to parasites and diseases.

• Sea-buckthorn "Muscovite" favorably with other varieties pronounced sweetness of the pulp and a rich pleasant smell. Fruits are large, painted in bright orange color, mid-season. The plant is easy to resist pests and diseases.

• "Vatutinskaya" - srednerosloy tree having brownish shoots and compressed crown. There are not so many thorns. Acidic fruits of medium size - up to 0.6 g, oval, reddish. Breaking berries dry. Ripens by the end of August - the beginning of September.

The most productive crops have characteristic features:

• "Botanical" gives a wonderful harvest (12-14 kg from a plant), forms a medium thick bush of moderate spreading, there are not many thorns, they are in the upper part of the trunks. Winter-hardy, skoroplodnaya - by the first decade of August bright orange drupes with an acid taste are ripening. It is resistant to many diseases.

• "Chuy" Sea buckthorn can produce up to 9-12 kg of fruit per year. The tree is small, compact, the crown is formed is not very sprawling, medium density. Berries are oval, yellow, bright, have a sweet-sour taste.

• "Botanical Amateur" middleweight The shape of berries is oval-cylindrical, each weighing about 0.85 g. With proper care, you can collect 18-20 kg of crop from a tree. Sour-sweet fruit is very juicy and fragrant, precocious.

Large bushes perfectly combine various advantages:

• "Inya" forms a six-barreled bush of small height with a watery, but rather spreading crown. The fruits are elongated, resemble an orange in color, sweet and sour, exude a pleasant aroma, weighing up to 1 g. The yield is mediocre, but frost resistance is at a good level.

• "Giant" - a large bush, reaching a height of 3.5 m, conical crown. Shoots in summer grow almost without thorns. Berries weighing up to 0.6-07 g, have an elongated oval shape, rich yellow-orange color, the stem is short, sitting on the cob tightly.

• "Jam" forms a low-growth shrub with a rounded crown of medium density, ripen in late summer. The berries are painted in bright orange color with a blush on the stem and pith, weighing up to 0.6-0.7 g, come off with minimal effort. They are famous for their high content of vitamin C - up to 154 mg, oils - up to 10.2%, carotenoids - up to 29.3 mg.

• Tree variety "Openwork" has an elegant spreading crown, the branches grow without thorns. Fruits of a cylindrical form, when ripen, acquire an intense orange color, gain weight up to 1 g.

Late-ripening plants usually ripen by mid-autumn. These include:

• "Chulyshmanka" forms a bush of medium height with a strong and neat crown, has a weak thorniness. Shoots upright, leaves are dark green. Oval bright orange fruits grow medium size (up to 0,62-0,67 g). The berries are sweet-sour, with a pronounced delectable aroma, spiced quite late - until the first decade of September. It shows good resistance to mycosis, it has high winter hardiness.

• Panteleevskaya reaches a length of up to 2.5 m, has a weak thorniness. Berries are red-orange dense, large, sweet-sour, weighing up to 1 g. Shows good drought-and frost resistance.

Trees growing without thorns are safe and facilitate harvesting efforts. These are varieties:

• "Altai" Sea buckthorn is a late-ripening crop. The spikes are almost completely absent, the growth of the tree is medium, the crown is neat. Ripe fruits of intense orange color with a red mark, sweet taste and pineapple flavor ripen by the end of August, reaching in weight up to 0.7 g each.
• Perchik - winter-hardy plant, refers to mid-season. Drugs brilliant red-orange, sweet and sour, have a pronounced pineapple flavor. There are no spikes that gardeners appreciate.

• "Gnome" is a small tree with a restrained crown, large dark green leaves. Able to withstand many ailments and insects. The plant is male, planted for pollination of females, does not bear fruit.

There is an opinion about the presence of samoplodnyh plant varieties that do not need male pollinator. It is believed that this is a common misconception or trick unscrupulous sellers of seedlings. Breeders work in this area, but so far the reproduction of the “Siberian pineapple” is happening as before - the male bush pollinates the female bush with the help of the wind.

The key to the proper selection of varieties for terrain is the attention to the description of its characteristics.

The best crops for the Moscow region must withstand some vagaries of local weather: the absence of snow in winter, temperature fluctuations, a prolonged cold period. These include "Botanical", "Muscovite", "Excellent." Moscow weather is also well suited for the variety "Lomonosovskaya".

According to feedback from residents of central Russia, the Perchik, Chuy and Obilnaya varieties take root in their area.The climate is moderately continental, winters are snowy with light frosts, the summers are warm, there is a large amount of precipitation, therefore the survival rate of plants in this region is good.

For the North-West, winter-hardy varieties are not so important, because the cold season is replaced by frequent thaws. However, medium- and early-maturing varieties are better suited due to the short and cool summer: “Zyryanka”, “Chui”.

In Siberia, “Chechek”, “Tenga”, “Pearl oyster” are getting accustomed. The wild berry originally grew precisely in this area, the climate of which is diverse due to the vastness of its borders.

The territory of the Belgorod region belongs to the moderate-continental climate zone, in which there are relatively mild winters and dry summers with frequent dry winds. Therefore, “Openwork”, “Botanical amateur”, “Excellent” will take root here.

The cultures of “Podruga”, “Giant”, “Etna” feel well, growing in the Ural region with a continental climate. It is different in the mountains and the intermountain region, but this does not greatly affect the yield of local varieties.

Bearing bushes "Perchik", "Dwarf" are known for their unpretentiousness, because they are popular in the Leningrad region, the weather conditions of which are not always favorable.

Sea buckthorn is known to be dioecious. Often there is a situation where amateur gardeners do not get enough yield. This happens because males reproduce much faster, spending their strength only on their own height, while females, loaded with fruits, no longer have the strength to reproduce. As a result, the site is filled with male shoots that do not bear fruit.

To solve the problem in this case, according to the craftsmen, grafting the top of male plants with female cuttings will help. This method helps, as stated, to deal with several tasks at once:

• save space on the site;
• get self-pollinated plants;
• increase yields.

A large number of thorns on the bushes is also possible to change, planting thorny varieties to the studless. At the same time, it will be possible to create interspecific cultures, perhaps, to improve the taste.

The survival rate of plants on a certain area is also changed by the method of grafting. As a result of crossing resistant and unadapted to the territory of plants, new varieties are created that can survive in more severe conditions.

Experimental amateur gardeners often wonder if it is possible to get a hybrid of barberry and sea buckthorn. Unfortunately, this cannot be done, but sometimes the Shepherdia plant, which is a shrub of the Lochaceae family, is presented as a red fruit sea buckthorn or the result of crossing incompatible crops.

Recommendations on cultivation from summer residents who have a lot of experience begin with the selection of a site for planting culture. Wild bushes are quite unpretentious, but to get a good harvest, you should take care of the place of their growth. Soils are preferable to choose fertile, sandy, moderately moist, without stagnant water.

Saplings are best purchased in a reputable nursery, otherwise you can run into unscrupulous traders who can give out male plants for women, sell sore bushes or the wrong grade.

During the growing season, sea buckthorn needs feedings, and phosphate-potassium fertilizers are best suited for this purpose. Be sure that during this period it is necessary to water the bushes well so that the fruits have the necessary juiciness.

The first 3-6 years after planting is important formative trimming of the crown. To control pests and diseases, first of all, it is necessary to use mechanical methods, to apply folk methods.

To learn how to plant sea buckthorn, see the following video.