Content
- 1 Description of Japanese medlar
- 2 Composition and calorie content of Japanese medlar
- 3 Useful properties of Japanese medlar
- 4 Harm of medlar and contraindications
- 5 How to eat medlar correctly
- 6 Growing Japanese medlar at home
- 7 When does Japanese medlar bloom?
- 8 Frost-resistant varieties of Japanese medlar
- 9 Conclusion
Japanese medlar is a plant that is not familiar to everyone in Russia. But in Asia it is a very popular crop; its fruits are in demand both in cooking and in folk medicine. The climate does not allow the tree to be grown in open ground in most of Russia, but it is quite suitable for cultivation in captivity.
Description of Japanese medlar
Medlar or officially - Japanese eriobotrya (Eriobotrya Japonica) is also known under the names “lokva” and “shesek”. This fruit tree of the Rosaceae family is very popular in Southeast Asia.
There are more than 800 varieties of Japanese medlar
Despite the name, its homeland is considered to be Central China, where the tree was “domesticated” more than a thousand years ago. It was from there that the culture was brought to Japan. Europeans “met” the Japanese medlar only in the 18th century.Nowadays, trees are grown in open ground in the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, South and Central America, Africa, and the Caribbean islands.
In nature, the Japanese medlar reaches 7-12 m in height, in captivity - no more than 1.5-2 m. Depending on the growing conditions, it can resemble both a “classic” tree and a spreading bush. The shoots and leaves are covered with “lint” of a grayish, brownish or reddish hue.
The plant is evergreen. The rounded crown turns into a tent-shaped crown with age. The shoots are densely leafy. The leaf blades are long (15-30 cm), but narrow (3-8 cm), lanceolate. At the base, their edges are smooth, and small denticles gradually appear.
Japanese medlar blooms very profusely. Small (1-2 cm in diameter) self-pollinating flowers are collected in dense panicle-shaped inflorescences 12-20 cm long, 30-80 pieces each. The petals are snow-white, cream or pale yellow.
The fruits are relatively small (5-8 cm long and 4 cm in diameter) berries. Their shape, depending on the variety, varies from ovoid to pear-shaped. The peel is light yellow, thin, but quite dense, even “leathery”. It has a “fleecy” feel to the touch and is easy to remove.
The cut fruit releases a light “apple” aroma
The pulp can be both hard and loose, but its juiciness is invariably preserved. It is painted in different shades of yellow-orange. Each fruit contains from 1-2 to 8-10 flattened, hard black-brown seeds.
The taste of Japanese medlar is sweet, with a slight sourness. Professional tasters highlight apricot, plum, cherry, pear, and strawberry notes in it. Unripe fruits are unsuitable for food; they are very sour.
Japanese medlar is no different in keeping quality. Fruits removed from the tree quickly turn brown and soften. Even if you immediately put them in the refrigerator, they will last for a maximum of 5-6 weeks.
Composition and calorie content of Japanese medlar
100 g of Japanese medlar pulp contains 47 kcal. There are very few “ballast” substances - only 1.7 g per 100 liters. The fruit contains a little more than 12 g of carbohydrates, 0.4-0.45 g of proteins, and approximately 0.2 g of fats.
The chemical composition of Japanese medlar is very rich. The fruits contain:
- amino acids, including essential ones;
- carotenoids;
- pectin;
- tannins;
- flavonoids;
- phytoncides;
- fruit acids;
- "natural" sugars;
- macro- and microelements;
- vitamins (A, C, E, K, group B);
- saturated, unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids
Nutritionists recognize “fasting days” with Japanese medlar as acceptable
Useful properties of Japanese medlar
Japanese medlar has a “multifaceted” beneficial effect on the body:
- restoration and strengthening of immunity, general resistance to pathogenic microflora and the negative effects of any external factors;
- normalization of digestion;
- removal of waste, toxins, even salts of heavy and radioactive metals;
- stimulation of metabolism;
- “relief” of inflammatory processes;
- “support” of the liver, pancreas, cardiovascular system, normalization of blood pressure and blood composition;
- prevention of vision problems and its restoration;
- preventing the development of tumors, including malignant ones;
- benefits for the reproductive system, both male and female;
- protection from the negative effects of free radicals;
- promoting the proper development of the embryo, preventing congenital diseases;
- restoration of healthy color and even tone of facial skin, fight against pimples, blackheads, acne, fine wrinkles, hyperpigmentation.
The fruits, seeds and leaves of the Japanese loquat have long been used in Asian folk medicine.
Harm of medlar and contraindications
Like any fruit, Japanese medlar is a potential allergen. In addition to individual intolerance, there are other contraindications for its use:
- increased acidity of gastric juice;
- chronic diseases of the digestive system, especially in the acute stage (gastritis, ulcers);
- problems with the pancreas.
Japanese medlar should be included with caution in the diet of pregnant and breastfeeding women. Children under three years of age are not recommended to try the fruit. To make sure there are no allergies, those who eat them for the first time can start with a maximum of 1-2 pieces.
How to eat medlar correctly
Japanese medlars are eaten in much the same way as apples or pears. The washed fruits are cut in half and the seeds are removed. The peel is handled at your own discretion: if it is very hard or you simply don’t like the taste, it is cut off. Although, in principle, it is edible.
The peel of the Japanese medlar tastes like pulp, but it is slightly tart
Growing Japanese medlar at home
It is possible to grow Japanese medlar in open ground in Russia only in the Black Sea region and the North Caucasus. But the plant has successfully adapted to existence “in captivity.” Japanese medlar is cultivated at home not only for its original appearance, it retains the ability to bear fruit.
The tree will not survive winters in regions with a climate more severe than subtropical, even with careful shelter.
Landing
Growing Japanese medlar from seeds is easy. But they need to be extracted from fully ripe fruit (preferably picked from the tree) and planted as quickly as possible. After 2-3 months, germination drops from 80-90 to 40-50%. During this time, seeds should be stored at a temperature of 4-5 ° C, in a constantly moderately damp linen or paper napkin.
Pre-planting seed preparation includes:
- test for germination (soaking in saline solution for 5-7 minutes);
- scarification;
- soaking in a solution of any biostimulant for 6-8 hours.
Planting seeds is a simple procedure:
- Fill cups with a diameter of 8-10 cm with universal soil for seedlings approximately 2/3 full. Drainage is required at the bottom.
- Sprinkle water on the soil and let it soak.
- Plant one seed in each container, deepening it by 1.5-2 cm. Sprinkle with soil.
- Cover with plastic wrap or glass. Place in a warm (24-27 °C), dark place.
The seeds do not germinate at the same time; the first seedlings appear about a month after planting. Before this, caring for them is limited to daily “ventilation” and maintaining the substrate in a moderately moist state.
With bottom heating, Japanese medlar seeds germinate faster and more “friendly”
Care
Normal growth and development of Japanese medlar (and even more so, flowering and fruiting) are possible only in a microclimate that is comfortable for the tree:
- Lighting. Japanese medlar is placed near a window facing south, southeast, southwest. The optimal length of daylight is ten hours; before flowering, it is recommended to increase it by another 2-3 hours.
- Temperature. Japanese medlar does not like sudden changes. Throughout the season, she needs a temperature of 20-24 °C.
- Air humidity. There is no need to specially raise the indicator; the plant is quite happy with the standard 50-60%.
- Substrate. Any soil with a neutral pH that combines looseness and fertility is suitable.
The plant does not mind direct sunlight; on the contrary, it promotes the active formation of flower buds
Caring for Japanese medlar at home includes only basic agrotechnical measures:
- Watering. Both “drought” and waterlogging of the soil are equally harmful to the tree. The intervals between watering depend on the outside temperature. In winter - once every 4-5 days, in summer - twice as often. You can focus on leaves that are losing their tone. For irrigation use soft water at room temperature. It is not recommended to spray Japanese medlar because of the “hairiness” of the shoots and leaves.
- Feeding. Any complex store-bought fertilizer for fruit-bearing garden and indoor plants is suitable for the tree. Before the first fruiting, Japanese medlar is fed monthly, after that - 3-4 times a year.
- Trimming.The plant does not need targeted crown formation. It is enough to limit yourself to sanitary pruning as needed. The best time is immediately after fruiting.
- Transfer. The plant tolerates the procedure quite hard. Before the first fruiting, it is replanted annually, then every 3-4 years. If the tree develops normally, it is enough to change the top 4-5 cm of soil in the pot.
It is undesirable to use natural organic matter for fertilizing - it increases the risk of developing diseases and pest attacks, and provokes an unpleasant odor from the soil
When does Japanese medlar bloom?
Among other “exotics”, native to the subtropics, the Japanese medlar is the only fruit tree that blooms in autumn or winter. When grown in Southeast Asia or other regions with a climate close to the “native”, the buds open in September-October. In Russia, Japanese medlar, growing in open ground in the North Caucasus region, blooms in November-December. The harvest ripens in March-April or May-June, respectively.
The flowers emit a pleasant, unobtrusive aroma, similar to the smell of almonds.
Frost-resistant varieties of Japanese medlar
Of all the natural varieties of medlar, Japanese is the least cold-resistant. This is easily explained, because its homeland is the subtropics of Southeast Asia. The critical minimum for a tree is -10 °C, for flowers it is even less (-5 °C). Breeders were unable to significantly improve this characteristic.The most frost-resistant varieties tolerate cold temperatures down to -15 °C.
Morozko
A tree no more than 1.5 m high, with a neat rounded crown. The fruits are the size of a large rose hip, the peel is bright orange. The pulp is sweet, very aromatic, without the slightest hint of astringency.
The Morozko variety is one of the most popular among Russian flower growers; it can be grown both in homes and in greenhouses
Tanaka
A very common variety bred in Japan. The shoots are drooping, the crown seems to be “weeping”. The fruits are pear-shaped, varied in size (50-85 g), densely pubescent. The taste is very pleasant, sweet and sour.
The fruits of the Tanaka variety have pink flesh that is atypical for the crop.
Champagne
The tree bears fruit very abundantly. The fruit pulp is tender and juicy, almost “creamy”, with a pronounced aroma. The skin is of different shades of yellow; in the sun it glows golden.
The shape of the Champagne fruit varies from oval to pear-shaped
Premier
Large-fruited variety of Japanese medlar. Experts “identify” it by the juiciness of its pulp and light, refreshing sourness in its taste. The shape of the fruit is somewhere between a pear and an oval.
From a distance, the fruits of the Premier variety are almost indistinguishable from apricots due to the yellow-orange matte skin covered with “fluff”
Conclusion
Japanese medlar is a tree with very tasty and healthy fruits. In Russia (with the exception of certain regions), the climate does not allow it to be grown on personal plots (this applies even to the most cold-resistant varieties), but amateur flower growers have successfully “domesticated” the crop. “Exotic” is relatively unpretentious in care; Japanese medlar does not require a specific microclimate.
