Nightshade from seeds at home. Practical Tips for Growing Nightshade at Home

Many tend to grow at home not simple flowers, but interesting and unusual plants. Those interested in decorative window sill dwellers should be interested in nightshade. This plant has an unusual appearance, the decoration of which is berries, giving the bush an elegant look. In order for the culture to grow and bear fruit properly, it is important to be able to grow it correctly.

plant description

Nightshade is a plant that belongs to the Solanaceae genus and has over a thousand varieties. It was distributed from Ecuador, Peru and the island of Madeira. A large number of this culture can be observed in South America. Nightshade can grow in almost any climate, but prefers regions with warm climates. In Australia, the amount of nightshade has become so large that it has been transferred to the category of a weed crop and is actively fighting it, which is not so easy.

In nature, the plant usually grows up to one meter, at home it slightly exceeds half a meter, but the most common option is dwarf nightshade, which is considered a flower and grown in apartments. Its parameters do not exceed thirty centimeters, but otherwise it differs little from the wild variety. A feature is the foliage, which remains green all year round, its color is dark green, and the edges have a wavy shape.

Nightshade blooms with white flowers, which can be collected in small inflorescences or grow singly. The flowering period can take place in any season, and the berries usually appear and turn red in winter. The fruits have sizes from one to one and a half centimeters and a color range from red to rich orange. If we talk about the decorativeness of this flower, then it lies precisely in the combination of dark leaves and bright fruit beads, which are kept on the branches for a long time without fading or falling off. Those who are interested in breeding nightshade should know its main varieties.

peppery- grows about half a meter in height, has green foliage, the flowering process is carried out by pale white flowers, from which poisonous berries appear, changing color from yellow to deep red.

False transverse- the main indicators are similar to the previous version, only the height of the plant differs, which can reach one and a half meters. The variety blooms all year, alternately forming fruits that ripen over time. The dwarf variety, which is grown at home, usually has a height of no more than 30 centimeters.

jasmine- characterized by a curly stem and complex oval-shaped leaves, flowering occurs with white flowers with a blue tint, which are collected in paniculate inflorescences.

Curly- has a curly stem that can reach five meters in height with oval dark leaves and purple flowers that are collected in inflorescences.

Variety "Rantonetti"- is a dwarf tree with small blue flowers.

papillary- which received the name of the owl due to the original shape of the fruit, which have an elongated appearance. The bush reaches one meter, has leaves of a soft structure, which are somewhat similar to burdock, and the stems are dotted with thorns. Flowering occurs with white or purple flowers, and the fruits turn red or orange.

Indoor nightshade will decorate the window, especially in winter, when the shrub is completely covered with berries that look like New Year's lights. Since there are a large number of varieties, the type of fruit and flower can have different sizes, colors and shapes, but the differences are not too significant, so it will be possible to determine whether they belong to the Solanaceae genus without any problems.

Wild-growing and decorative options usually differ in the size of the plant, if in nature nightshade is a real tree, then indoors it looks more like an ordinary flower. Since this shrub is a weed in some regions, it is important to properly breed this crop. False nightshade and pepper nightshade are the most popular varieties of the plant, because they are most often seen both in sales and in people's homes.

These varieties differ in many ways. Different dimensions, different inflorescence, but almost identical fruits. Three-flowered nightshade is especially valuable in decorative design, as it produces a whole brush of beautiful uniform berries, which serve as a wonderful decor for landscape design or a room.

To grow nightshade at home, it is important to know exactly how to plant and grow it, as well as familiarize yourself with the culture, which poses a certain danger, especially if there are small children in the house.

Can it be eaten?

It is impossible to eat nightshade, this is due to the fact that all its parts are dangerous to human health. It is especially poisonous when ripe fruits appear, which often attract small children and pets. The use of several berries will entail significant disruptions in the work of the stomach, but from excessive eating of fruits, a fatal outcome can occur.

There are some varieties that you can eat, but you should not do this without preparing the fruits correctly. This plant is very effective in the fight against various diseases such as tonsillitis, migraine, epilepsy. To get a sense of the nightshade, you need to collect ripe berries, flowers and leaves from it, dry them in an open space and store them in a dry room, wrapped in paper. Possible use cases could be:

twisting through a meat grinder and mixing with sugar or honey, which effectively helps against severe headaches and relieves epileptic attacks;
healing decoctions are obtained from the flowers, contributing to the improvement of patients with pulmonary diseases;
dried leaves that are picked and dried between July and September can also help with various ailments.

If there is a need to enhance the effect of nightshade, it should be used with a number of other herbs that are combined with it. Without proper knowledge, it is worth refraining from eating any parts of the plant and not growing it at all if children, as well as pets, are or live in the room.

Growing and care at home

It is not difficult to grow indoor nightshade, because it feels comfortable on almost any soil, the main condition is only a warm habitat, to which the plant is accustomed. Since the culture is decorative and takes up little space, it is usually grown in a pot and placed on a windowsill. To get good growth and the presence of bright fruits, it is important to create optimal conditions, which are in suitable soil. For planting to be successful, you need to prepare alkaline, loamy or clay soils, as long as they are fairly loose.

It is easy to care for the plant, you need to water it on time and provide it with enough light, but do not place it in direct sunlight. In late spring and summer, you can place the bush on a balcony or veranda, where there will be access to clean air and good lighting. Another feature that gardeners can learn about is the need to transplant a bush a year later into a new, larger pot. If you plant a nightshade in a container smaller than the one that suits it, then the root system will have nowhere to develop, and the culture will begin to wither.

Watering nightshade differs in intensity depending on the time of year and ambient temperature, quite a bit is brought into the coolness of the water, and quite a lot in extreme heat, plus an additional spraying of the foliage, which the bush perceives very favorably.

The most important is flowering and fruiting, therefore at this time it is worth paying special attention to the introduction of moisture under the bush so that the soil does not dry out. A relative problem in care is the flowering period, which often simply cannot be achieved due to ignorance of certain secrets.

In order for the plant to throw out color in the spring, you need to place it in a cool room in the winter and reduce watering. A properly overwintered bush can be cut and shaped as desired, giving it a wide variety of shapes. Another feature is the fear of drafts, therefore, for the time of airing, you need to remove the nightshade in a quiet and cozy place.

The temperature regime is no less important, if in summer there is no need to create any specific conditions, then in winter it is worth placing a bush in a room where there will be no more than fifteen degrees of heat. The window on which the nightshade will be located should also be changed from time to time, in the cool season the south side is ideal, where there will be the most light, and in summer, on the contrary, it is worth placing a bush on the opposite side.

For good crop growth, fertilization is necessary from time to time. The fertilizing period falls on spring and summer, when nutrients are applied to the soil twice a month. Complex fertilizers are best for nightshade, as for any flowering plants. In winter, it is not recommended to fertilize the soil, but if such a need arises, the procedure is carried out no more than once a month. And then it is enough to make only half of the amount that is usually used.

Plant care also involves pruning, which is carried out when the bush completely ceases to bear fruit. With the approach of spring, the nightshade can see the fall of yellowed leaves, in order to stop this process, it is worth using pruning, which helps to restore the plant's strength. A feature of pruning is the shortening of the main stem, which makes it possible to actively grow peripheral processes, on which it is recommended to pinch the tips.

Those who wish to breed this plant at home should know that cultivation is possible from seeds, which are obtained thanks to the fruits stored throughout the active growing season, as well as throughout the winter. To get them, you need to collect only ripe fruits, dry them and store them dry until spring.

To know that the nightshade is ripe, you just need to pay attention to the color of the berries, which turn from green to yellow and, ripening, acquire a full red color.

Features of culture propagation

Nightshade propagates in two ways: cuttings and seeds. With the help of seeds, the culture can sow itself, but this requires rather large dimensions of the pot in which it grows. Those sprouts that appear on their own, it is advisable to plant from an adult bush when they get a little stronger. You can sow on your own, for which they select a container of considerable size in which the seeds are placed. They do not need to be dipped into the ground, just crush the surface with a thin layer of sand.

In order for the planting material to germinate, you need to cover it with a film and place it in comfortable conditions. The most favorable temperature for this stage will be 20-22 degrees. Periodically planting is ventilated and watered. It is important to prevent stagnant water or severe drying of the soil.

If we are talking about the spring-summer period, then a more convenient option would be to use cuttings for propagation of nightshade. In order for the planting material to take root well, it is important to place it in a soil consisting of sand and peat mixed in equal proportions. In this case, it is also worth using a film and covering the stalk. It will be possible to get rid of it when more than four leaves appear, and the plant goes into active growth. Those who wish to have a nightshade with a lot of branches should prune the shrub often enough, which will be the impetus for increased growth of new branches.

In order for the stalk to take root faster in the new soil, after being cut from the main bush, it is additionally treated with Kornevin, which stimulates faster growth of the root system. For reproduction, it is worth choosing strong and developed branches that can give the same new plants.

About indoor nightshade, home care tips, see the next video.

The shrub grows to about 50 cm in height. On strongly branched shoots are dark green leaves. The leaf shape is oval or lanceolate, slightly wavy. The leaves are up to 10 cm long and 1-2 cm wide.

Small white flowers, about 1 cm in diameter, star shape. The flowering period is almost all year round. Inflorescences are located singly.

In place of the flowers, small fruits appear, about 3 cm in diameter. At first they have a green color. Then, in the process of ripening, they change it to orange and rich red. In appearance, the nightshade fruit resembles a cherry. That is why it got the name Jerusalem cherry.

On one plant, flowers bloom and fruits ripen at the same time. During the season, a large number of seeds ripen. Berries taste bitter and contain toxic substances. When ingested, they cause poisoning.

Photo

You can visually familiarize yourself with the false-transverse nightshade from the photo:

Home care

The false nightshade does not need special care, it is quite unpretentious.

Thanks to its appearance fell in love with gardeners. It attracts attention with bright foliage, delicate flowers and bright berries.

Post-Purchase Care

Jerusalem cherry, after the acquisition, you need to provide comfortable conditions. Otherwise, being in a stressful situation, she can shed her leaves.

The place of adaptation should be well lit, but without direct sunlight. The plant is also provided abundant watering.

It may take 7-10 days to adapt to a new place. Then you can transplant it into a new pot. Usually the soil in transshipment store pots is peat, not suitable for permanent growth, so it needs to be replaced.

pruning

Annually at the beginning of spring, it is necessary to shorten the shoots by 1/3 of the length. This procedure is performed after the ripening of the fruit. In autumn, pinching the tops of the shoots is done - this contributes to the formation of side shoots.

Watering

Nightshade in the spring and summer months needs abundant watering. Moderate watering in autumn and winter.

Important! The soil in a pot of nightshade should always remain moist.

During the winter period, watering should be done no more than once a week. The soil mixture should not dry out.

The coral bush loves high humidity. Therefore, throughout the year it must be sprayed with warm settled water.

To increase the humidity of the air, you can place the pot with the plant on a pallet with wet pebbles. With low humidity, flowering and fruiting stops.

Landing

For planting, ready-made soil can be purchased in advance or made independently.

To do this, in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1 is mixed:

soddy soil,
leaf soil,
peat,
sand.

After planting, the plant is placed in a warm room and provided with regular and abundant watering.

Transfer

Every spring, after pruning the shoots, a transplant is made into a new nutrient soil. Since during the process of flowering and fruit ripening, the plant draws all useful substances from the soil, after a dormant period it needs to be fed.

To the bottom of the pot Necessarily a layer of drainage is poured, at least 3 cm. Expanded clay and broken red brick have proven themselves as drainage.

10-14 days after watering, fertilizer is applied to the soil, which is used to fertilize tomatoes. Follow the dosage according to the attached instructions. During the entire flowering period, top dressing is applied to the soil every 15-20 days.

Growing from seeds

For seed germination, leafy soil is used, which is poured with a layer of 10 cm into a seedling box.

Seeds are laid out on the surface at a distance of 2-3 cm. A layer of sand about 1-1.5 cm is sprinkled on top.

The seedling box is covered with a film and placed in warm a room with a temperature of 21-23 degrees.

Periodically, the film must be lifted and the surface sprayed from the spray gun. After 10-14 days shoots will appear. After the appearance of 2-4 leaves, a dive is made into separate pots.

reproduction

After the spring pruning of the plant, you can select the strongest cuttings and root them. To do this, they are placed in a container with water. You can immediately plant the stalk in a separate pot with prepared soil and moisten the soil well.

Note! From above, the stalk is covered with a glass jar. It will create a microclimate inside, and the rooting process will be faster.

Temperature

In the spring and summer months, the temperature should be 19-25 degrees. In winter, you need to lower the temperature in the room to 12-15 degrees.

In summer, it is advisable to take flower pots to the balcony or garden. You need to make sure that direct sunlight does not fall on it. Nightshade is also protected from drafts.

Lighting

Regardless of the time of year, nightshade needs good lighting. Optimal flower arrangement - windows that face east and west. When placing a pot on the south window, one should not forget about shading.

Benefit and harm

Attention! Berries should never be tasted.

Nightshade berries contain an alkaloid solanine which, when ingested, causes poisoning.

Even despite the content of toxic substances, nightshade juice in South Africa and India is used in folk medicine. It is used to treat boils, drowsiness and eliminate cutting pain.

Diseases and pests

Excess or lack of moisture adversely affects the plant. Leaves wither, flowering stops. It is also possible to develop root rot. Transplanting and regular watering will help fix the problem.

Of pests may be attacked whiteflies. It is located on the lower part of the leaf and sucks out the cell sap, yellowish spots form on the leaves. After that, the foliage curls, turns yellow and falls off.

Another pest... spider mite. It can be seen by the thin cobwebs that appear between the leaves. The tick infects not only leaves, but also young shoots.

To control pests, you need to use insecticides according to the instructions. After 10-14 days, it is necessary to re-treat the plant.

A small shrub with rich green foliage and bright red berries will be a wonderful decoration for the house. But do not forget that the bright berries of false nightshade, which are very similar to cherries, can cause poisoning. Therefore, watch out for children and animals and enjoy its beauty!

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Probably every gardener has come across such a plant as nightshade. Usually it is perceived as an annoying weed and ruthlessly weeded out. But few people know that this family has approximately 1700 species of various plants. Some of them also have a decorative value. Let's take a closer look at the nightshade plant - reproduction, planting and care in the open field will be of interest to many gardeners.

This plant can be both annual and perennial, it all depends on the species. There are even shrubs and trees representing the nightshade family. This species includes well-known tomatoes, eggplants and potatoes. There are many species that are not only weeds, but also poisonous. In the conditions of greenhouses and greenhouses, only some of the types of nightshade are grown. It is mainly bordered nightshade, dark brown and peppery. These varieties came to us from the tropics, so for their good growth it is necessary to create high humidity and temperature. In order for the plant to rest in the winter, the temperature is slightly lowered. Nightshade requires regular pruning to maintain its decorative qualities.

How to care for nightshade

Nightshade needs bright lighting. But it should not be direct sunlight. Nightshade loves diffused light more. To do this, in the daytime, when the light is bright, the plants need to be shaded. Therefore, it is best to plant nightshade in a place where direct rays will not fall on the leaves during the heat of the day. In the shade, where there is little sunlight, nightshade develops poorly, grows slowly and practically does not bloom.

Nightshade feels best at a temperature of 18 degrees to 26 degrees. If you grow nightshade in an apartment, then in winter do not leave nightshade in rooms with temperatures above 18 degrees. This can lead to leaf fall. For winter time, the optimum temperature will be no higher than 14 degrees.

Nightshade needs abundant watering from April to September. It is necessary to start watering the plant immediately after the soil dries out from melting snow. To create high humidity, nightshade must be sprayed. This is especially true for indoor nightshades. Pots with such plants must be placed on pallets with wet pebbles, while avoiding contact between the bottom of the container and the surface of the water.

From the beginning of May to the end of September, nightshade must be fed twice a month. In this case, it is possible to successfully use mineral additives suitable for feeding tomatoes or suitable for decorative flowers. They must be diluted as indicated in the instructions.

Perennial nightshade must be pruned every year in the spring. The length of the cut stems should be one third of their total length. You can prune the nightshade even after all the berries have ripened. For better bushiness, pinch off the shoots of the plant that did not produce flowers and fruits.

After pruning, nightshade can be transplanted into fresh soil. At the same time, be sure to make a layer of drainage so that the water does not stagnate. For planting, soil is required, consisting of peat, leaf and sod land, taken in equal quantities. After transplanting the plant, it needs to be watered, and after two weeks, fertilize.

How nightshade breeds

To propagate this plant, you can use the vegetative method. Parts of the stems cut in the spring do not need to be thrown away. They will make wonderful cuttings. Root the cut stems in a soil composed of sand and peat. After a few days, the cuttings will give roots. Then they can be planted in separate pots with soil from humus and soddy soil. After transplanting the nightshade, pinch it so that the plant forms a bush better. Then, during the summer, you can prune several times for the same purpose.

Nightshade can be propagated by seeds. For planting, it is necessary to spread the nightshade seeds on the surface of the prepared earth, and then sprinkle them with sand. The surface of the sand must be slightly moistened and the container with the plants placed in a warm place, covered with glass or film. After two weeks, you will notice the first entrances. As they grow, dive nightshade twice. Then the grown seedlings can be planted in a permanent place.

Possible nightshade diseases

You may notice that the plant is not producing fruit. In this case, it is more likely that he lacks sunlight. If the leaves of the plant began to fall off, then the weather is too hot. Room nightshade must be moved to a cooler room. If insect pests are noticed on the nightshade, then the reason for this is too low humidity. Water or mist the plant frequently.

Be aware that the nightshade plant is often poisonous. Especially varieties with large and bright fruits. Be careful and keep children and pets away from such plants.

Bred with seeds. Under laboratory conditions, seeds germinate best at a variable temperature of 20 and 30°C. In field conditions, when the soil at a depth of 4 - 5 cm (where the seeds lie) warms up to 16 - 18 °, they begin to germinate on the 10 - 12th day, and seedlings appear on the 15 - 18th day. When sown in early spring, when the soil has not yet warmed up enough, the nightshade sprouts on the 25th - 30th day. Planting nightshade with seeds that have already pecked, accelerates the emergence of seedlings by 4 to 5 days.

Plants develop very slowly at first. The first real leaf appears on the 4th - 6th day; Nightshade enters the budding phase in 60 - 75 days, and flowering occurs 75 - 85 days after the appearance of mass shoots. The growing season lasts 150 - 160 days. The end of the growing season is determined by the onset of stable autumn frosts with temperatures below -4°. Short-term frosts up to -4 ° adult plants usually tolerate easily.

Sowing preparation.

To grow a nightshade from a seed, 30 - 40 days before sowing, its seeds are checked for germination. Normally ripened seeds have a germination rate of 90 - 100%. Field germination is usually lower and is about 50-60%.

3 days before sowing, the seeds are treated with granosan at the rate of 3 g of the drug per 1 kg of seeds. To get earlier and more friendly shoots, sow the seeds brought to the beginning of germination. In this case, they start dressing 9-10 days before sowing. The pickled seeds are kept for 3 days, washed with water from granosan and then germinated. Seeds on a plywood sheet or on the floor are mixed with clean sand in a ratio of 1: 2 by volume, evenly moistened with water, transferred to boxes and kept in a swollen state for 6-7 days at a temperature of 20-30 ° until single seeds appear. After that, they are dried in the shade in the wind to a free-flowing state, and then they are cleaned of sand on a sieve. Seeds brought to germination cannot be stored for a long time, and even more so, they cannot be brought to complete drying, as this can lead to loss of germination. When sowing with germinated seeds, seedlings appear 4-6 days earlier than when sowing with dry seeds, which has a positive effect on the yield.

Lobed nightshade is sown after spring grain crops so that its seedlings can use the moisture accumulated in the soil during the autumn-winter period. In the conditions of the Crimean region, good results are obtained by winter sowing, which is carried out late in the fall - before the onset of stable frosts. With winter sowing, seedlings appear earlier and plant development is accelerated.

It is sown with a tractor vegetable seeder in an ordinary way with a row spacing of 70 cm. On irrigated lands, sowing is carried out with simultaneous cutting of irrigation furrows. The sowing rate of seeds with a germination rate of 90 - 100% is 3 - 4 kg per 1 ha, the depth of their placement is 2 - 3 cm, and on light soils 4 - 5 cm. 50 - 60 g per 1 ha.

The first cultivation is carried out before or after the emergence of shoots of nightshade lobed, depending on the condition of the soil and the infestation of crops with weeds. In order to prevent the rows from being covered with soil, mounted cultivators equipped with protective discs or one-sided razor paws are used. Before germination and in the early phases of development, the aisles are processed at the first speed of the tractor.

Ordinary crops are bouqueted in the phase of 3-4 true leaves, if for 1 running. m row of at least 15 plants. According to industrial experiments, this technique reduces labor costs for weeding by 25-35% and often contributes to an increase in the yield of raw materials due to more powerful growth of plants in bouquets. This technique allows you to grow an increase in raw materials in the range of 0.8 - 2 centners per 1 ha. Only in dry years, bunching somewhat reduces the yield of raw materials, but in this case, this is more than offset by a reduction in labor costs and funds for caring for plantations. Cutouts and bouquets are made no more than 30 cm. With wider cutouts, the yield of raw materials is noticeably reduced. After bunching, the crops, as the soil is compacted and overgrown with weeds, until the rows close, the crops are cultivated in two directions. Cultivation is resumed after the first harvesting of the above-ground mass.

When cultivating nightshade lobed on irrigated lands, it is regularly watered. If after sowing dry hot weather has set in and the top layer of soil dries up quickly, then 1-2 feeding irrigations are carried out to obtain normal seedlings. From the moment of germination until the last harvest, vegetative irrigation is carried out, the number of which is determined by weather conditions and soil moisture. After each watering, the aisles are cultivated to retain moisture in the soil.

Particular attention in the care of plants has to be paid to the fight against pests and diseases. The most severe damage to the crop is caused by caterpillars of nibbling scoops and phytophthora disease.

Sowing in the ground for seeds.

In the conditions of Southern Kazakhstan, where the sum of positive temperatures during the growing season is much higher than in the south of the European part of the CIS, it is possible to grow nightshade for seeds by sowing seeds directly into open ground. Sowing is carried out in the same way as when growing on raw materials, but with a lower seeding rate - 2 - 2.5 kg/ha.

In the phase of 3 - 4 true leaves, crops are bouqueted according to the scheme: a cut of 45 cm and a bouquet of 25 cm. Bouquets are thinned out, leaving three plants. At the second thinning in the budding phase, one plant is left in each bouquet. The plants removed at this time are cut off at the very base and used for raw materials.

The types and doses of basic fertilizers in the seed plots are the same as in raw material plantations.

Seed plants are fed (N45, P60, K30 per 1 ha) 25-30 days after planting seedlings or roots in the ground.
In addition to everything written, since under natural conditions the plant grows in Australia and New Zealand, then in order to cultivate it in the CIS, everyone who wants to do this will have to familiarize themselves with a number