Rosehip is an old and faithful companion of mankind, which received the romantic name "May rose" due to the early flowering period. Strictly speaking, only one type of shrub has the right to be called that, namely Rosa majalis Herni, or brown rosehip. Although people call the rose of May and any of its other varieties.
Rosehip: plant description
Like any other subspecies, May rose is a shrub that, under favorable conditions, can grow up to two and a half meters. It has thin branches - at a young age they are covered with a reddish-brown glossy bark. As it ages, it takes on a brownish tint.
If we are talking about such a plant as wild rose, the description must necessarily include a mention of thorns. All rosaceans have them. The cinnamon rosehip is no exception. On young branches and at the bottom of the bush there are much more of them, they have a straightened shape. In the upper half, the spikes are slightly curved, thicker and less spaced.
BlossomsMay rose is very beautiful, and even in an uncultivated version. The flowers form quite large, not collected in brushes (single), consisting of five petals. Usually they are painted in pale pink, but scarlet is also found. The flowers produce fairly heavy fruits with a smooth skin, round or egg-shaped, bright red-orange color.
Medicinal use
As you know, wild rose is a medicinal bush, and its action is very versatile. Fruits are mainly used, which contain a significant amount of various vitamins.
In addition to the immunostimulating effect, rosehip drives bile, eliminates constipation, and has a diuretic effect. It accelerates wound healing and bone healing, eliminates anemia, and helps in the treatment of chronic liver diseases and malaria. Oil squeezed from seeds is used to treat burns, dermatitis of various origins.
Contraindications for use
With caution in the treatment and prevention of rose hips, hypertensive patients and people who are prone to thrombophlebitis and thrombosis should be treated with caution. Certain restrictions on admission exist for the kidneys and cores. And, of course, you should not drink decoctions instead of tea: an excess amount (two liters or more) will definitely only bring harm.
Planting a May rose
Despite the fact that it is considered by many to be a wild plant, it is often and willingly cultivated in household plots, and for decorative purposes, since rose hips bloom (photo can be seen in the article) luxuriantly and beautifully, and forpreparations of medicinal fruits. Moreover, if you choose the right living conditions for him and provide minimal care, he will give a very plentiful harvest.
The place for landing should be chosen well and lit for a long time. Preferably on a hill where the absence of stagnation of both groundwater and sedimentary water is guaranteed. For several years, the root system of the May rose fills the entire space around, so the bush must be protected with slate dug into the ground a third of a meter deep. Rose hips sit either around the perimeter of the site, becoming a natural hedge, or in the most inconvenient places for the gardener, such as compost heaps and outbuildings. The main thing is that the rosehip bush does not end up alone: the plant is cross-pollinated, and will not yield a crop without relatives.
May rose care
In principle, wild rose is an unpretentious plant. But, like any living organism, it responds with gratitude to care. First of all, it should appear in pruning. Thinning begins at 3-4 years of life of the May rose. Ideally, a bush is formed containing from 15 to 20 branches of different ages, but not older than seven years, when fruiting practically disappears. Pruning is carried out in the spring - autumn can kill the bush, because the cuts overwinter badly.
Regular watering wild rose (photo can be seen above) does not require - it has a high drought resistance. With a long absence of rain, the plant is watered at the rate of 3-5 buckets, depending on maturity andfruiting.
It is necessary to feed young plantings. In the second year of life, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied three times: in early spring, when the earth is completely thawed, in the first half of summer (during the period of intensive shoot formation) and before falling asleep - in September. An adult rose of May is fed every three years with compost or humus, followed by loosening, watering and mulching.
Reproduction of wild rose
Rose of May can reproduce in all ways available to plants. However, seed is not highly recommended: valuable properties are not always fully transferred, and fussing with seeds may be ineffective. The most reliable is seedling propagation, carried out in the fall. In central Russia, landing is carried out from early October to mid-November. A pit twenty centimeters deep is dug under the seedling. If the soils in the allotted place are sour, liming is carried out. Compost mixed with overripe manure is brought in. The seedlings themselves are shortened to 8-10 centimeters before rooting. Root cuts can also be made - so the survival rate will improve significantly. Next, the roots are dipped into a clay mash, and the seedling is buried in a hole with a neck deepening 6-8 cm below ground level.
To preserve the characteristics of the mother bush, reproduction by rhizomatous offspring is chosen. Their preparation is carried out either in late autumn or in the very early spring. There are two ways:
- The selected offspring at least a quarter of a meter in height is cut off with a shovel from the main bush and planted. Such actionsavailable both in autumn and spring, but not all offspring survive with them.
- The selected baby is not separated, but hilled and constantly watered. This stimulates the active growth of adventitious roots. The following year, in the fall, the offspring is separated, but not transferred to a new location, but left next to the mother bush. He settles only in the spring.
This method gives one hundred percent survival rate and a complete repetition of all the qualities of the original rosehip bush.
Harvesting
Rose of May is very reluctant to part with its fruits. Therefore, they should be collected exclusively with gloves, and not cloth, but leather or canvas. The berries begin to be removed approximately in the middle - the end of August, when they acquire a rich shade. Collecting everything at once is not the most competent approach: some will be already overripe, and the other is still unripe. You need to harvest the fruits as they ripen, and without delaying or postponing: if you do not have time to harvest before the first frost, you will greatly lose the quality of rosehips.
Harvest needs to be immediately sent for drying. For it, you can use the oven, heated to 90 degrees. Dry fruits are poured into cloth bags; if prepared correctly, they can last up to two years.
The most promising varieties
May rose is widely cultivated for its healing properties; in addition to wild varieties, there are also garden varieties of wild rose. There are more than sixtens. However, the following are considered the most successful:
- Tambovchanka. The bush is undersized, which facilitates the collection of fruits. Spiking is average, and the spikes are somewhat bent, have the shape of a hook. The fruits are quite large - up to 4.5 grams each. Productivity is high, up to five kilos from a he althy adult bush. Particularly attractive variety with very high winter hardiness. In flowering it is very decorative: the buds are large, bright red.
- Hedgehog. Blooms in large crimson cups. There are many thorns, reminiscent of needles. Height is average. The fruits are large, although smaller than the previous variety. It also bears fruit more modestly: on average, you can collect four kilograms per season. It is also very winter-hardy; quite resistant to diseases and pests.
- Anniversary Michurinsky. According to agricultural indicators, it is close to both varieties already mentioned. In bloom - white.
- The Shipless VNIVI stands apart. Unlike other varieties, it gives a tall bush, does not have thorns, the fruits are small (about two grams), bears fruit earlier - in early August, and in smaller quantities (a little more than one and a half kilograms). It even blooms in its own way: not with individual flowers, but with inflorescences of four pieces of pink tone.
