The genus is represented by evergreen bushes and small trees. Their leaves are elliptical or round in shape, located opposite. Flowers are bisexual, solitary, located in the axils of the leaves. The calyx consists of four petals, lobed. Androzey is represented by numerous stamens. Fruit of berry.
Representatives.
Feijoa Sellova (Lat. Feijoa sellowiana (O. Berg) O. Berg.). The synonymous name is Acca Sellova (Latin Acca sellowiana (O. Berg) Burret). It grows in Paraguay, South Brazil, Northern Argentina and Uruguay. This evergreen shrub has a spreading dense crown, reaches a height of 3-6 meters. Dense whole leaves are located opposite; have a short elliptical shape; on top of green color, from below - silvery. The lower part of the leaf is pubescent and contains aromatic glands. Bisexual flowers have 3-4 cm in diameter, form zymoznye inflorescence, located in the sinuses. Outside the petals are white, inside - a light crimson color.
Stamens, painted in crimson or pink, a large number. The flowering period lasts about 2 months, begins in May. Fruit is a dark green berry with a wax coating, 4-7 cm in length, 3-5 cm in width. The sour-sweet berry has dense flesh, has the aroma of pineapple and strawberry. They ripen between October and November. For the formation of fruits in the home, artificial pollination of F. Sallov's flowers should be performed.
Feijoa Sellova is widely distributed as an ornamental, and even a fruit plant. Its fruits contain the following components (%): sugars - 5,1-10,5; malic acid - 1.5-3.6; pectin about 2.5; iodine - 2,1-3,9 mg per 1 kg of fruit. From them prepare jams, put wine; can be used also in fresh, not processed form. It is not necessary to store fruit more than one month.
It is grown in countries of the subtropical climate, as well as on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, in some regions of Central Asia. F. Sellova is often used in the greening of parks.
Adult plants tolerate a temperature of 2 ° C, are drought-resistant, do not tolerate excess moisture and lime in the soil, propagate vegetatively (by grafting and cutting) and seeds; fruits forms for 4-5th year.
Care rules.
Lighting. Indoor plants: feijoa refers to photophilous plants, but do not like direct sunlight, so it's best to pritenyat them. In summer it is recommended to take the plants to fresh air, to the balcony or to the garden. In the case of growing feijoa in the open, it should be protected from the wind.
Temperature regime. The optimum temperature in summer is 18-24 ° C, in winter - 8-12 ° C. In the cold season it is necessary to create cool conditions for the plant with good lighting.
Watering. At the stage of active growth of the feijoa plant, it is watered abundantly. In autumn and winter they switch to a moderate watering regime. During the time between the watering the top layer of the soil should dry up. Indoor plants that are in the vegetative period require regular spraying.
Top dressing. Top dressing is carried out from spring to autumn with a frequency of 1 every 2 weeks. Use mineral and organic fertilizers for indoor plants of standard breeding.
Formation. If you want to form a beautiful lush crown at feijoa, you need to trim the shoots of an adult plant by 1/3 of the height. Do this between the end of winter and the beginning of spring. At a young plant, one should pinch the tips of the shoots. In addition, it is recommended to cut thickening and weak shoots.
Transfer. Transplantation of young plants is performed annually. Adults feijoa is better not to transplant. They are transshipped every 4-5 years, while maintaining the integrity of the earthy coma. As a substrate, use a mixture of the following composition: leaf and sod land, humus, peat, sand in equal proportions. Another option: leaf and turf land, sand is also in equal parts.
Reproduction. Feijoa is a plant that is propagated by cuttings and seeds.
In the case of seed reproduction, there is a splitting of parental traits in the first generation. New plants practically do not receive varietal signs from their parents. Seed sowing is carried out in February-March to a soil depth of at least 0.5 cm. To do this, use a well-moistened and compacted substrate of sand and turf in equal proportions. For the germination of seeds, a temperature of 18 to 20 ° C, constant spraying, regular watering and ventilation is necessary. After 25-30 days there are shoots. Diving is performed when a plant has 2-4 pairs of leaves. Use small pots and substrate (sod, humus, sand - 1: 1: 1). Seedlings should be watered and sprinkled regularly. Young plants should not be placed in direct reach of direct sun rays. When shoots reach 25-30 cm in length, they are pricked, cut out thickening and weak shoots. Seedlings of two months of age are looked after as mature plants.
For the procedure of propagation by cuttings, it is necessary to choose half-aged shoots of 8-10 cm long. Root the cuttings in moist sand. For rapid and reliable rooting, cuttings can be treated with growth stimulants such as heteroauxin, rootstocks, succinic acid. Lower heating of containers with cuttings also contributes to their rapid rooting. The temperature should be within 25 ° C. Do not forget to regularly ventilate the room and spray the cuttings. After the roots are formed, the cuttings should be dived. To do this, use a substrate of the following composition: turf, humus, sand in equal proportions. After a month and a half, the rules for caring for a mature plant come into force.
Possible difficulties.
- If the plant has a gray fluffy mold, then there is a contamination with gray rot.
- Pests: scabies, mealybug.