Rosehip has been known in Russia for a long time. Already in the XVI century. they began to grow it on pharmaceutical beds as a valuable medicinal plant. No wonder popular wisdom says that a rosehip is worth seven doctors. Its fruits are the record holders for vitamins among all known fruit and berry crops in the world. Rosehip, or wild rose (as it was popularly called) is a perennial shrub of the pink family, the genus rose. Distributed throughout Russia. In total, there are about 90 of its species.
In nature, wild rose grows as a shrub. Its stem is densely covered with thorns. Flowers are single. The petals are varied in color from white to dark red. The fruit is juicy berries of ovoid, pear-shaped, fusiform and other forms, with an average weight of 0.6 to 15.0 g. Rosehip blooms much later than other berry crops - in mid-June.
Reproduction
Rosehip can be propagated in several ways: by seeds, layering and green cuttings.
Green cuttings are the most successful breeding method for rose hips. Shoots are harvested at the end of June, early in the morning, then, avoiding drying, they are cut into cuttings 2-3 internodes long and planted in hotbeds or greenhouses. The planting pattern is 5 × 10 cm with a planting depth of 4–5 cm. The main condition for the survival of cuttings is to ensure regular watering in the first 25–30 days. This is achieved by watering 3-6 times from 8 am to 8 pm. If these conditions are met, the rooting rate of cuttings can reach 98%.
Layers are also good planting material. Cuttings can be obtained both in autumn and spring. For this, strong annual shoots are pinned to the soil in pre-prepared pits filled with humus. As the shoots grow, they are huddled.
With seed reproduction - seed germination is not very high. To increase germination, seeds are stratified at a temperature of 3-5 ° C in a humid environment for three months.
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Agrotechnics
It is advisable to plant plants in elevated, well-lit areas with light sandy soil. It grows well on loamy black soil. Rosehip grows poorly on swampy and saline soils.
Pre-planting soil preparation, which hardly differs from that for other berry crops, is of great importance for the long-term high productivity of wild rose. The only difference is that considerable attention is paid to deep digging and clearing the soil from weeds. The best predecessors for rose hips are sea buckthorn and honeysuckle, since they do not have common diseases and pests with the rose hips.
Rosehip can be planted in autumn and spring, but with spring planting, a prerequisite is the presence of planting material with unblown buds. In autumn, planting is carried out after dropping the leaves.
In summer cottages, the generally accepted planting scheme is considered to be 3 × 1.5 m.It is very convenient to use a dog rose as a hedge.
Rosehips are planted with two-year-old seedlings. The size of the planting pits, depending on the fertility of the soil, can be different, but not less than 50 cm in width and depth. 8-10 kg of humus, 200 g of superphosphate, 250 g of wood ash are introduced into each pit.
Before planting, the roots are immersed in moist soil, preferably with the addition of heteroauxin (100 mg per 10 L of water). Then the seedlings are placed in a hole, the roots are straightened, sprinkled with earth and carefully tamped. After planting, the plants are pruned, leaving 1/3 of the aerial part. Then it is poured abundantly with water and mulched with peat or sawdust.
For normal fruiting on the site, it is better to plant a rosehip of two or three varieties blooming at the same time.
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Care
In the first years of life, care consists in watering and weeding. From the third year, it is desirable to apply mineral fertilizers: ammonium nitrate (20–30 g per 1 m2 of soil). When entering fruiting, every two to three years, 20 g of potassium salt and 50 g of superphosphate are added per bush.Fertilizers are best given before watering, evenly scattering them over the entire projection of the crown and embedded in the soil with shallow loosening (12-15 cm). This agricultural practice contributes to a significant increase in yield.
Pruning is also part of the rosehip care measures. Bushes are pruned from the first year of life, expanding them at the base of the bush. In the future, pruning of diseased and dry branches is carried out. To accelerate fruiting, pinching of young shoots is carried out.
Fruiting begins in the second year, the commercial harvest is harvested in the fourth year (from 2.5 to 5 kg per bush). The most productive varieties are Yubileiny, Globus, Rubin, Titan, Traffic light, Russian.
On a personal plot, the rose hips are harvested by hand. The first sign of fruit ripening is a dark orange or red color and juicy flesh.
At present, the most large-fruited varieties are Yubileiny, Yablochny, Titan, Darleta, Oval, Globus. When evaluating the taste of fruits with a high score, one can distinguish the varieties Vitaminny, Globus, Kapitan, Rumyany, Ural Champion, Yubileiny.
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Pest control
The most common pests of rose hips: aphids that damage young growth; raspberry-strawberry weevil, from which buds suffer; rosehip variegated fly damaging the flesh of the fruit; spider mite eating the leaves of the shoots; sawflies that spoil the stems of the shoots.
Protective measures are carried out during mass reproduction of pests. Against the raspberry-strawberry weevil and rosehip variegated flies, use kipmix (0.15 - 0.2 l / ha) or actellix (0.6 - 0.8 l / ha). Against leafworms in the phase of regrowth of shoots, the bushes are treated with bitoxibacillin (3 kg / ha) or lepidocide (2 kg / ha). In case of mass reproduction of spider mites, seedlings are treated with neoron (0.8 l / ha) or karate (0.1–0.15 l / ha).
Of the diseases, rust is the most dangerous, damaging the trunks of branches, stems of shoots; black and brown spots and powdery mildew.
Healing properties
The main wealth of rose hips is its fruits containing vitamins C, B1, B2, B9, K, P, carotene, tannins, pectin substances, carbohydrates, organic acids, etc.
In folk medicine, rose hips have long been used for the prevention and treatment of kidney and urinary tract diseases, hepatitis, gallstone diseases, anemia, etc.
In addition, rose hips are used for the preparation of fortified juices, mashed potatoes, multivitamin concentrates in the form of extracts, syrups, and pills. Rosehip oil is prepared from the seeds, which is used to treat wounds, ulcers, and burns.
Since the fruits are not subject to long-term storage, after harvesting they must be immediately processed or dried.
Ripe fruits are selected for drying. They are laid out on a baking sheet in one layer and placed in an oven heated to 100 ° C for 8-10 minutes. Then the fruits are poured onto a sieve and, stirring occasionally, dried at a temperature of 60-70 ° C for about 7 hours.
After drying, the fruits are kept at room temperature for one to two days. Then they are poured into paper or cloth bags and stored in a dry and cool place.
VictoryDry fruits are brewed in a thermos. Two tablespoons of fruits are poured into 0.5 liters of boiling water, closed with a cork, insisted for 10-12 hours. Traditional medicine recommends the use of green tea along with rose hips for headaches.
For colds, osteoarticular pains, skin diseases, an infusion of petals on honey helps: 50 g of petals are kept in 500 g of honey in a warm place for 20-30 days.
Victory Products of rosehip fruit processing (jam, compotes, jam, etc.) are of great nutritional value. They are distinguished by their high taste and attractive appearance.
Fresh rose hips can be mashed. Freshly harvested fruits are sorted out, removing debris, cut in half, removing seeds and hairs, and washed thoroughly.
The fruits prepared in this way are put into a saucepan, poured with water, boiled until soft and rubbed through a sieve, sugar (200 g per kg) is added, mixed and brought to a boil. Then they are rolled into sterilized jars under metal lids. This puree contains a lot of ascorbic acid.
Rosehip is a miracle of nature. The aroma of its flowers and multivitamin fruits are fraught with an elixir of health and longevity.
