Azimina three-bladed. Azimina: cultivation and care of a plant in the open field Agrotechnics of paws in the open field
Not so long ago, the inhabitants of the middle lane were lucky enough to adapt themselves to grow the well-known pawpaw banana tree. The process of planting and caring for a tropical tree is quite painstaking and requires a lot of patience and effort, but judging by the positive feedback from successful gardeners, the result of such an experiment will exceed all your expectations.
general information
Azimina is a tall (6 to 9 meters) dicotyledonous ornamental tree with a pyramidal crown, glossy, oblong-ovate leaves and bell-shaped purple flowers. A native perennial from North America, but, despite its ability to produce excellent, fragrant fruits, it can easily withstand fairly severe frosts (down to -30 degrees). 
Did you know? The inhabitants of America consider pawpaw fruits to be unique in their properties and even treat them with stomach poisoning. The inhabitants of the tropics believe that the grown "bananas" are able to remove all toxins from the human body in just 1 month of daily eating them. And such beliefs are not at all groundless, because it really has an antibacterial and even antitumor effect, and the healing pulp in the United States is even sometimes used to prevent cancer.
The banana tree genus counts from strength 9 varieties, but only one adaptable species is suitable for growing pawpaws in the middle zone of the Moscow region or in Ukraine - three-bladed.
Location selection
A place for growing pawpaw three-lobed should contain slightly loamy fertile, always with good, and be in an elevated, calm and well-lit area. When planting on a slope, a prerequisite for further good development will be the arrangement of gutters that will protect the plant from storm and melt water flows. 
Planting and reproduction
Banana exotic is propagated in three ways - using root processes and grafting. The presented division processes are very complex, but quite feasible if all the recommendations and rules are followed.
Growing from seed
So that the process of growing a full-fledged pawpaw from seeds was not difficult and immediately assumed good shoots (already in 7 weeks), planting material must initially be stratified at a temperature of 0 to 4 degrees for three to four months. The seeds of the plant are quite large (about 2.5 cm) and have a rich dark brown hue - they can easily be confused with seeds. The prepared material should be planted to a depth of at least 3 cm. The first shoots will appear in a month. It is important to remember that early and young exotic shoots have a very fragile root system, and therefore should not be subjected to the transplant process. Trees obtained from seeds, despite the low survival rate, begin to bloom together and bear fruit, starting from 4 to 8 years. The time for the implementation of these processes depends entirely on the quality of planting material, care and variety of future plants. 
Reproduction by root shoots
When propagating by root processes, before planting a banana tree on a prepared site, it is necessary to add sand to the planting pit and the root neck of the seedlings is straightened as much as possible, and then deepened:
- in loamy soil by 5-8 cm;
- in light soil by 10-12 cm.
Important! It is strongly not recommended to compact the soil mechanically or to trample down after planting. This will destroy all your plantings.
Graft
A banana tree is usually grafted in the middle of spring in a split with a lignified cutting. Manipulation is divided into several simple steps:
- rootstock is cut;
- splits along;
- the scion is sharpened, and then carefully inserted into the split of the stock;
- it can be traced whether the cambial layers coincided correctly;
- then the graft is tightly fixed with a polymer film;
- to protect the grafted place from moisture, a cap is put on it.
The North American tree is unusual, and, despite fairly standard care manipulations, it requires a special attitude. Let's look at some tips to get the best out of this process.
Watering, loosening, mulching the soil
The soil under the banana exotic should be in a constantly moist state, so you will have to water the tree often.
During the autumn dormant period of the plant watering should be reduced. Loosening and mulching the soil are also an integral part of proper plant care. The loosening process must be carried out periodically, a few days after watering, while the depth must necessarily be no higher than 1 cm. With mulching, everything is also quite simple, for the preparation of mulch, perennial grasses are most often used, which, after mowing, are treated with aisles and tree trunks.
top dressing
It is not necessary to feed the pawpaw in the first year after planting, but for the next year they are introduced in early April. Organic top dressings can also include and mineral compositions are chosen with a high content of nitrogen and phosphorus. During the season, it is advisable to carry out “feeding” every week, and in winter, during the dormant period, once a month. 
pruning
Since pawpaw berries appear on last year's shoots, it would be better to prune adult plants for replacement. And in the spring, you need to take care of cutting off all diseased and frozen branches.
How does pollination work
The flowers of the banana tree are protogenic (the pistil stigma matures before the anthers open), so pollination within a single flower is impossible. For proper cross-pollination, you should have at least 2 varieties growing in your garden.
Did you know? During the flowering period, pawpaw attracts flies to its brown flowers, which are the natural pollinators of the plant. They flock to the mild, but, to put it mildly, unpleasant smell of rotten meat, which exude future fruits.
To significantly increase the yield of paws, many farmers use this method: they collect ripe pollen with a brush and transfer it from one already pollinated flower to another.
How to endure winter and cold
Azimina has high frost-resistant qualities and can survive a strong drop in air temperature, even being in an open area, but when it comes to growing
Azimina is an unusual and yet little common fruit tree in Russia, which may well become a worthy addition to the collection of gardeners and flower growers who love all sorts of exotics. The culture is decorative, and with proper care it will delight the owner with a bountiful harvest of tasty and healthy fruits. There is nothing difficult in growing it in open ground, the only limitation is that the climate must be suitable. Those who are not lucky with this can cultivate paws at home.
What does pawpaw look like
Asimina is a small genus of deciduous trees and shrubs belonging to the Annonaceae family. At the moment, eight of its representatives are known, in nature they are all found only in North America. Some species can be found in France, Spain, Italy, Japan. The pawpaw is most common in the southern United States (Nebraska, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Georgia, Virginia).
In nature, pawpaw can grow up to 15 m in height, but in captivity its dimensions are limited - this simplifies care and harvesting.
The most frost-resistant (up to -30ºС) is the pawpaw (triloba), which grows mainly in Canada (Ontario). It is she who is cultivated on the territory of Russia. They began to grow it in "captivity" quite recently, about a century ago. The optimal climate for the plant is temperate, bordering on subtropical.
Azimina is known in her homeland by many nicknames. Most often it is called a banana tree, but there are other options - "Nebraska banana", "poor man's banana", "northern", "dog" or "Mexican" banana. She is also known as "pow-pow". This pawpaw is due to the similarity of fruits with papaya (papaya), and according to another version - their "bunches" with an animal's paw (paw).
In nature, pawpaw grows on average up to 4–5 m in height, under optimal conditions - up to 12–15 m. In "captivity", as a rule, it is limited at the level of 2-3 m. Its crown is sprawling, in the form of a wide pyramid. Under natural conditions, trees form almost impenetrable thickets on the banks of rivers, as well as wherever the soil is wet and loose. The trunk and shoots of pawpaws are grayish in color, the bark is smooth. Young branches are covered with thick "pile".
The leaves are large, hard to the touch, about 20 cm long and 7–8 cm wide. They resemble an ellipse in shape, gradually tapering at the petiole and more sharply towards the tip. The front side of the young leaf is bright green, as it grows older, it brightens, a grayish undertone appears. The underside is dull red or brick.
The leaves of pawpaw are dense and glossy, as if artificial.
Interestingly, the leaves bloom only at the end of spring. Flowers appear first. The buds open in mid-April, flowering continues for at least 20 days, although each individual flower lives for a maximum of a week. Flower buds rarely suffer from recurrent spring frosts, they are protected by a special shell, similar to a casing.
Pawberry flower buds are reliably protected from recurrent spring frosts
The flowers are very decorative. They are located in the axils of last year's leaves on long pedicels that bend slightly under their weight. They have three outer and inner petals, painted in rich dark scarlet, purple-violet, wine color. Their entire surface is covered with a well-defined pattern of veins. The base of the petal is yellowish. The average flower diameter is 5–6 cm.
The pawpaw flowers look very unusual and spectacular, especially when you consider that they are not covered by leaves.
Each of them has several pistils, so 3–5 and even 7–9 fruits can form from one bud. The plant necessarily requires cross-pollination, so if pawpaw is planted with the expectation of harvesting, at least two varieties will be required. The aroma of the flowers is not very pleasant, similar to the smell of rotten meat, but it is barely perceptible.
Up to nine fruits can form from each pollinated flower.
Most pawpaw flowers fall off in early summer. This means that they have not been pollinated. Closer to mid-July, the tree may lose a significant part of the fruit ovaries, especially if it is hot and there is no rain. Berries need at least 160 days with temperatures above 18ºС to ripen.
The term of the productive life of the pawpaw is 50 years or more. The first time it bears fruit 5-6 years after planting the plant in the ground. Harvest ripens in late September or early October. Azimina is called a banana tree, but the shape of the fruit is more like a papaya - elongated, oblong, slightly curved and "angular". Berries vary greatly in size and weight. The length can be 5-15 cm, width - 2-8 cm, weight - 50-350 g. The hotter and drier the summer, the smaller the berries.
The skin of pawpaw fruits is thin, pale green or yellowish, it is very easy to remove. In mature fruits, it appears translucent. The flesh is a shade of butter, sometimes light orange, soft, creamy. It is very sweet, but the taste is difficult to describe. It is a cross between mango, banana, pineapple and feijoa. But it smells almost like strawberries and cream. At home, in the USA, they say that the pulp tastes like custard.
The taste of pawpaw pulp is quite difficult to describe, but the vast majority of those who have tried the fruits claim that they didn’t eat anything better.
The pawpaw seeds are large, similar to persimmon seeds, but shiny, black-brown in color. In the pulp they are arranged in two rows. In each fruit there are from 8 to 14 pieces.
According to the chemical composition, paw fruit are similar to bananas. They are nutritious (350–360 kcal per 100 g), contain a lot of vitamin C (50–60 mg per 100 g), carotene, potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, phosphorus, and essential amino acids (lysine, tryptophan, arginine) . There is also an increased content of sucrose and fructose. Because of this, pawpaw should not be eaten by those who suffer from diabetes of any type, but this is the only contraindication. Allergy its fruits are extremely rare. In cooking, berries find the most diverse use - they are preserved, preparing compotes, preserves, jams, marmalade, ice cream are made, used as a filling for baking, added to creams.
Azimina fruits are not only tasty, but also very useful; unfortunately, the crop does not differ in productivity, even if you create ideal conditions for it
Video: pawberry fruit picking
Even if the climate does not allow pawpaw fruits to ripen, it can be used in landscape design as an ornamental leafy plant.
The culture is not devoid of certain shortcomings that prevent its wide distribution:
- Low yield. On average, about 25 kg of fruits are removed from an adult tree, in especially successful years - 35–40 kg, but this is already the limit.
- Difficulties with reproduction. Seeds do not germinate, a significant percentage of seedlings die. Azimina takes root very badly and for a long time in a new place after transplanting into open ground. Her vaccination is a rather complicated procedure that requires a lot of experience. But even in this case, success is not guaranteed.
- The fragility of wood. The branches and trunk very often break under the influence of gusts of wind, under the weight of snow. Even the harvest can be an "unbearable burden" for them.
- Harvesting. On the tree, the fruits ripen quickly, so they need to be removed on time. Otherwise, they immediately crumble, inevitably receiving mechanical damage. Even with the smallest pulp, the pulp deteriorates very quickly, acquiring an unpleasant aftertaste reminiscent of burnt coffee beans.
- Very short shelf life. Fresh berries will lie for a maximum of 2-3 days (in the refrigerator - 5-6 days), which makes transportation completely impossible. It does not make sense to shoot unripe fruits - they lose their taste greatly when they ripen. Accordingly, for those who grow fruits and berries on an industrial scale, paws are completely uninteresting. By the way, this property also applies to homemade blanks from paws. They are stored for no more than a month.
Even slight mechanical damage leads to the fact that the taste of pawpaw pulp deteriorates sharply
Since recently, pawpaws have been paying close attention to breeders. Most of the new varieties are bred in the USA, but there are also Russian ones, for example, Michurinka, Sochinskaya. Of the foreign ones, the most popular are Pennsylvania Gold, Rebecca Gold, Davis, Sunflower. If there is a choice, it is better to purchase one of the early varieties. Practice shows that they are much tastier, as the fruit ripens at a higher air temperature.
Rebecca Gold is one of the most popular pawpaw varieties bred in the USA.
Video: pawpaw description
Landing procedure and preparation for it
Growing a new pawpaw is a rather difficult task. Seeds do not differ in germination, the plant rarely gives basal shoots. This is due to the structural features of the root system. Vaccination, on the other hand, requires some experience and does not always guarantee a positive result.
Seed stratification and planting
Azimina seeds are extracted only from ripe fruits, on which there are no slightest signs of damage by pathogenic fungi and pests. Their stratification is obligatory, otherwise the germination process may be delayed for 2-3 years.
If there are fruits, there is nothing difficult to get pawpaw seeds
Seedlings obtained from seeds rarely fully inherit the varietal characteristics of the "parent" plant. But practice shows: if the planting material is extracted from large fruits, the berries on new plants will also be large in size, and the harvest will be abundant.
Seeds extracted from the pulp lose moisture very quickly. This negatively affects germination. Five days of exposure to the open air is enough for the planting material to receive irreversible damage.
The pawpaw seeds do not differ in germination, so it is advisable to stock up on planting material in excess
The so-called cold stratification aims to imitate the natural conditions in which the seeds find themselves in winter. In this case, they start the mechanism of processing complex organic substances into simpler ones. This nutrition is absorbed by the embryo, which begins to develop.
The seeds collected in autumn are placed in a small container filled with a moistened mixture of peat chips and sand in a ratio of approximately 1: 1, deepening 4-5 cm into the substrate. The container is sent to the refrigerator for 3-4 months, in a special compartment for storing vegetables and fruits, where the temperature is maintained at the level of 3-5ºС. The substrate needs to be moistened every 2-3 weeks by spraying from a spray bottle. By spring, the seeds should hatch.
Cold stratification imitates the conditions of natural winter, this triggers the mechanism of seed germination
As soon as this happens, they are removed from the refrigerator and soaked for a week in a solution of any biostimulant, changing the liquid daily. Then the seeds are planted in the same substrate in individual pots, preferably peat, deepening by 2–3 cm. The soil must first be well moistened. The containers are covered with film or glass and placed in the brightest and warmest place in the apartment (temperature not lower than 25ºС). A south-facing window sill works well. Shoots pawpaw gives unfriendly. The first may appear in 6-8 weeks, the rest - for another month and a half.
To wait for the shoots of paws, you have to be patient
When the seedlings grow to 12-15 cm (this happens after about a year), they are planted in a greenhouse together with pots. The pawpaw is transferred to a permanent place only for the next season. But, in principle, you can leave the plant at home for this time.
The azimines obtained from the seeds of the tree in the first 2–3 years practically do not increase in growth, they tolerate transplantation very poorly. Flowering from them can be expected in 6-8 years.
Young pawpaw plants obtained from seeds, the first few years of life, add very little in growth.
Video: pawpaw seeds
Planting paws in the ground and preparing for it
The pawpaw does not impose special requirements on the quality of the soil, but the best option for it is a light, well-aerated, slightly acidic (pH 5.0–7.0) substrate. In heavy clay soil, it will also survive, but growth and development will slow down greatly, you can not count on abundant harvests. When planting several plants at once, a minimum of 3 m is left between them, and 4.5–5 m between rows of plantings.
The landing pit is prepared in advance, 3–3.5 weeks before the procedure. Azimina is most often planted in spring, even in warm southern regions. From the stress associated with transplantation, the plant departs, as from a serious illness, and in this state it will not survive the winter that comes in 2-3 months.
The average depth of the landing pit is about 60 cm, the diameter is 65–70 cm. At the bottom, a drainage layer with a thickness of at least 8–10 cm is required. Small pebbles, pebbles, expanded clay, clay shards and so on are suitable for this. The upper fertile layer of the soil extracted from it is mixed with fertilizers - humus or rotted compost (10–15 l), wood ash (liter jar). The latter can be replaced with simple superphosphate (40–50 g) and potassium sulfate (20–30 g). If the soil is heavy, clayey, add another 2-3 buckets of coarse river sand.
Azimin does not categorically tolerate moisture stagnation, therefore a drainage layer is required at the bottom of the planting pit (especially if the soil is heavy)
It is desirable to choose a place for pawpaw immediately and forever. She does not tolerate transplantation very well, in the process it is easy to damage the taproot, and then the plant will certainly die. It is generally undesirable to disturb trees older than three years. The best option for her is an open area well warmed by the sun. But at the same time, it must be protected from cold drafts. Ideally, if at some distance from the pawpaw there is a fence or a wall of a building that does not obscure, but obscures it from the north.
Any lowland and areas where groundwater approaches the surface closer than 2 m are categorically not suitable. Azimina has a very negative attitude towards the “swamp” at the roots, and water and damp cold air stagnate there for a long time.
Azimina is photophilous, but young plants under the age of two years easily get sunburn, so they need light shading. You can, for example, build a canopy over them from gauze folded several times or any white covering material.
The procedure for landing in the ground looks like this:
- About half an hour before the procedure, water the seedling abundantly. Carefully remove it from the pot (if it is not peat), trying to damage the earthen ball as little as possible.
- At the top of the mound at the bottom of the pit, make a small depression. Place a seedling there along with a clod of earth. It is advisable to plant Azimina at an angle of approximately 40–45º - this stimulates the formation of a greater number of adventitious roots.
- Fill the planting hole with soil. It is absolutely impossible to compact it with your hands, and even more so, it is absolutely impossible to trample it.
- Water the plant abundantly (20-30 liters of water). When the water is absorbed, the trunk circle with a diameter of about half a meter is mulched with peat chips, humus.
Video: how to properly plant paws in the ground
Other methods of reproduction
Azimina rarely and in small quantities, but still gives basal shoots. Such a "seedling" is carefully separated from the plant along with part of the root. You can also dig up the soil and cut out a piece of rhizome 8-10 cm long.
They are planted immediately in open ground. Seedlings are placed vertically, rhizomes - horizontally, deepening by 3–5 cm. In the first case, the root collar must be in the ground at a depth of about 8–10 cm. To ensure the “greenhouse effect”, the plantings are covered with a glass cap cut off by a plastic bottle. After about a month, the plant should take root in a new place. This is easy to see by the appearance of new shoots. A prerequisite for success is abundant (but not too much) watering.
Those who have been growing paws for a long time are advised to cut the rhizome connecting it with the mother plant by about a third a year before transplanting the root shoots. In this case, the new seedling's own root system will develop more actively.
The fastest, but also the most difficult way to grow a new pawpaw and get a crop from it is grafting. Such plants bloom already in the second or third year after the procedure.
As a scion, the top of the shoot of an absolutely healthy plant at the age of five years and 12–15 cm long is used. It is important that it approximately coincides in diameter with the rootstock. The grafted cutting is cut obliquely on both sides so that a wedge is formed, the stock is horizontal.
Splitting is the easiest way to graft, but in the case of pawpaw, it does not guarantee success.
Next, in the rootstock, you need to make an incision about 1.5 cm deep perpendicular to the cut plane. A cutting is inserted into it. It should go into the split with some effort. The grafting site is securely fixed by wrapping it with several layers of plastic film and electrical tape. Everything must be done as quickly as possible - due to the high content of tannins, sections in the open air are oxidized. All lateral shoots located below are removed from the rootstock.
It will take a long time to wait for the result of the vaccination operation.
The graft on paws takes root within 1.5–2 months. As soon as new leaves begin to form on the handle, the fixing tape can be removed. Another sign that the operation was successful is the formation of callus. This is a kind of "influx" of connective tissue at the place of fixation of the cutting and rootstock.
Azimina is a rather unpretentious plant. But it can be grown with the expectation of fruiting only in regions with a warm climate. On the territory of Russia it is the Caucasus, the Black Sea. The plant successfully tolerates cold temperatures down to -30ºС, but if there are not at least 160 frost-free days in a year, the berries simply will not have time to ripen. In the Volga region, Moscow region, in the European part of Russia, pawpaw can only be cultivated as an ornamental leafy plant.
The main "requirement" of the plant is proper watering. Azimina is moisture-loving (in nature, it most often grows on the banks of rivers), but categorically does not tolerate stagnant water. If the weather is not too hot, one watering every 10-12 days is enough. An adult tree consumes 60-70 liters of water. After that, be sure to update the layer of mulch. It will help retain moisture in the soil, will not allow the soil to overheat. And the gardener will save time on weeding. From the end of August, watering is gradually reduced, reducing to nothing by mid-October.
Proper watering of paws is very important for the normal development of the plant.
Of the fertilizers, pawpaw reacts very positively to natural organic matter. The main macroelements that it needs are nitrogen (during the growth of green mass) and phosphorus (for the formation and ripening of fruits). If the landing pit was prepared in compliance with all recommendations, the first two years of pawpaw feeding are not needed.
Further, during the growing season (from about mid-April), once every two weeks it is watered with infusions of fresh cow dung, chicken droppings, dandelion leaves, nettle greens, wood ash. You can alternate such dressings with a solution prepared according to the instructions of any complex mineral fertilizer for fruit trees (Kemira Lux, Master, Agros, Good Power, Zdraven, and so on).
Azimina can be fed with universal complex fertilizers for fruit trees
From diseases and pests pawpaw suffers extremely rarely. The tissues of the plant contain many tannins that effectively repel most of them. For prevention, it is enough to water the tree once a month with a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate or spray the leaves with soda ash (5–7 g per liter of water).
Potassium permanganate is one of the most affordable disinfectants.
The main danger threatening her is root rot. Most often, its development is provoked by the gardener himself, by watering the tree too often and / or abundantly. Symptoms of the disease are a blackening and “weeping” base of the trunk, browning sluggish leaves, mold on the surface of the soil, an unpleasant putrefactive odor coming from it. Watering in this case is immediately stopped, allowing the substrate to dry well. The tree is treated 2-3 times with an interval of 4-7 days with a solution of any fungicide - Topaz, Skor, Abiga-Peak, Kuprozan. But the plant can be saved only in the early stages of the development of the disease. If the process has already gone far, paws are dug up and burned. The soil is disinfected by spilling a 2% solution of copper sulfate.
Root rot paws very quickly manifests itself on the fruits
Pruning paws is carried out in the spring. For sanitary purposes, be sure to get rid of all frozen, broken under the weight of snow, dried branches. She also needs pruning for replacement, because the plant bears fruit mainly on last year's shoots. About half of the branches with flower buds are shortened by a quarter. And a third of those without them are cut very short, leaving 2-3 growth buds.
The practice of growing paws is not yet too extensive, therefore, clear schemes for its pruning have not yet been developed. In order to facilitate care, the height of the tree is limited by pinching the top.
For pruning, paws use only a disinfected and sharply sharpened tool.
Azimina is not a self-pollinating plant. Therefore, in order for fruits to set, there must be at least two trees of different varieties on the site. You can also carry out pollination by hand, transferring pollen from one flower to another with a brush or cotton pad. To attract flies, which are the main pollinators of paws in Russia, you can hang small pieces of spoiled meat next to the tree.
The soil in the trunk circle is never dug up. It can only be loosened very carefully to a depth of no more than 2–3 cm. Ideally, this should be done after each watering in order to improve soil aeration. The near-stem circle is also necessarily loosened at the beginning of the growing season, while at the same time applying top dressing - humus or rotted compost (25–30 liters per adult tree). Once every 2–3 years, any mineral nitrogen fertilizer (urea, ammonium sulfate) is added to it.
Grown in a subtropical climate, pawpaw does not need shelter from the cold, but in central Russia it is worth making sure. There, winter can be both quite warm and abnormally cold. Activities are no different from those that are held for other fruit trees. The trunk circle is cleaned of debris, mulched with peat or humus, creating a layer at least 10 cm thick. A mound 25–30 cm high is poured near the trunk. As soon as enough snow falls, it is raked up to the trunk. As the snowdrift settles, it is renewed 2-3 times during the winter, while breaking the crust of the crust on the surface.
Azimina is prepared for winter in the same way as any fruit tree
Young seedlings can be closed entirely by putting cardboard boxes of a suitable size on them and stuffing them with shavings, scraps of paper, straw. It is advisable to wrap the base of the stem with any breathable material - burlap, agril, spunbond, even ordinary women's tights.
Azimina at home
Azimina can be grown at home, regularly harvesting. In addition, there is a dwarf variety bred by breeders, not exceeding 20-30 cm in height. She blooms very beautifully. Fruits on such a tree are also formed, but small, no more than 3-4 cm in length.
As a rule, in "captivity" the height of paws is limited to 1.5–2 m. This is dictated by the dimensions of modern apartments. But in the presence of a winter garden, a greenhouse, and so on, it is absolutely not necessary to pinch the top.
Dwarf pawpaw, despite its size, regularly brings crops
Adult pawpaw is a very photophilous plant. The minimum daylight hours are 12 hours. Even direct sunlight does not cause her any harm. Trees under the age of three years can also be placed on the windowsill of a window facing south, southwest, southeast, but at the time of maximum solar activity they will need to be shaded.
The young pawpaw does not differ in growth rate, but this can be corrected. If, with the help of fluorescent or special phytolamps, the daylight hours are extended to 16 hours, a tree can grow up to one and a half meters in just 3-4 months.
The use of phytolamps can significantly increase the growth rate of paws
Azimina is planted immediately in a deep pot of large diameter. Capacity "for growth" will avoid transplants, which the plant does not like very much. They are carried out only as a last resort and exclusively by the method of transshipment. A mandatory requirement for the pot is the presence of drainage holes. Immediately after transplantation, paws are watered with warm water, then the soil is not moistened at all for 5–7 days.
Air humidity is not a critical indicator for pawpaw, but it is desirable to periodically wipe the leaves to improve its appearance
It is advisable to prepare the soil yourself by mixing rotted manure or compost, fertile turf and leaf humus in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. For each liter of finished substrate, a handful of coarse sand and a tablespoon of wood ash are added. At the bottom of the pot, a drainage layer with a thickness of at least 5-6 cm is required.
Azimina has nothing against fresh air. For the summer, if the dimensions of the plant allow, the pot with it can be taken out into the garden, onto an open veranda or balcony. Be sure to provide protection from wind and rain.
Pawfish treats the fresh air very positively.
The presence of a dormant period is a prerequisite for flowering and fruiting. The plant must spend at least 4 months at a temperature of 3-8ºС. Water the "resting" pawpaw once every 3-4 weeks, do not feed at all. Lighting requirements do not change.
Water paws so that the soil in the pot is constantly slightly moist. If the street is hot - once every two days. In other cases - once a week. The worst thing you can do is water the tree moderately and often. It prefers rare but plentiful watering.
The fruits of room paws are small, but no less tasty
Water is used only settled and heated to room temperature. The plant tolerates dry air well, but will be grateful for periodic spraying. Also, at least once a week, dust should be removed from the leaves with a soft, damp cloth or sponge.
Starting from April, pawpaw is fed every 10–12 days, alternating organic and mineral fertilizers (the same as for plants cultivated in open ground). About an hour before top dressing, the tree must be watered so that the prepared solution does not burn the roots.
Until recently, pawpaw was well known only at home, in the United States. But gradually this unusual decorative tree was appreciated by gardeners in Europe, Asia and Russia. The growth of its popularity is facilitated by unpretentiousness, high resistance to the vast majority of diseases and pests, excellent taste and benefits of fruits. Not devoid of culture and shortcomings, most often noted difficulties with reproduction.
pawpaw or banana tree, another exotic for your garden. She came to us from the USA where this tree grows throughout the country. The banana tree got its name due to the shape of its fruits, which are similar to a banana. It was brought to us in the last century, but did not gain popularity, unlike our days, when Azimina is gaining her popularity quite quickly and is winning the love of our gardeners.
pawpaw is a shrub or tree. The plant has a fairly average height of about 2-3 meters. The fruits are elongated, green. The leaves are large, which reach a length of 30 cm. Banana tree flowers resemble bells. A distinctive feature of this plant is that up to 12 fruits can grow from just one flower. The fruits are fragrant and sweet, somewhat reminiscent of a banana. Azimina flowers are very beautiful and large, purple-red.. After flowering, the plant looks no less beautiful, due to the beautiful large foliage, which looks impressive in the autumn, acquiring a rich yellow color.
In the wild, they grow near rivers and reservoirs, which indicates the plant's love for moist soils.
Most a suitable variety for growing in the regions of Russia and Ukraine is Azimina three-legged.
Planting Azimina (Banana Tree)
Azimina can be grown both as a seedling and from a stone. Of course, a simpler, more convenient and reliable method is planting a seedling, but you can work hard to grow it from seeds if you want to grow the seedling yourself.
Let's start with planting from seeds. This process is very complex and troublesome. It is possible to grow seeds only while they have not yet lost their moisture, paws seeds dry out very quickly, within five days after extraction from the fruit, the seed will dry out and become unviable. It is necessary to start germinating immediately after extraction from the fruit, for this it is necessary to place the seed in a nutrient medium, for example, in special moss, put it in a bag and place it in a stable coolness from 0 ° to 5 °, a refrigerator is ideal. After 3 months, it is necessary to plant the substrate to a depth of 3 cm, seedlings will appear in 1-2 months. Sprouts need to be watered on time because this plant loves water. It is planted in the ground after the appearance of 4-5 leaves on a sprout. Before planting, it is necessary to first harden the plant, taking it outside for a while, gradually increasing the time spent outside. A plant grown in this way can produce a weak and unstable crop.
Growing from a seedling is naturally much easier . It is enough to choose a good nursery and purchase a seedling. It is best to purchase a biennial plant, then it will take root better. Planting is best done in the spring.
For the landing of Azimina, you must choose a sunny place. She prefers loose soil. For planting, it is necessary to prepare a hole of such depth and width that the roots freely decompose in it. At the bottom of the pit, it is necessary to pour drainage from gravel and sand, the earth that the pit will be filled with is best mixed with ash and compost. After planting, it is necessary to water abundantly.
Care for Azimina
In the care of Azimina (Banana tree) is not whimsical. It is enough to provide her with a sunny place and sufficient watering, she does not tolerate drought, but it is also not worth flooding, it can cause root rot. The soil under the plant is best mulched with peat. Do not allow weeds to grow around the tree. It is necessary to fertilize once a year with conventional organic fertilizers.
Pruning pawpaw
Pruning must be carried out in the spring before the movement of juice along the crown begins. It is necessary to prune only damaged and excess branches during the formation of the crown.
Wintering Banana Tree
Azimin survives the winter quite well, she can withstand frosts down to -30 ° without special conditions, but still a young plant for the first couple of years should be insulated for the winter period, wrapping the plant with a non-woven fabric, the lower part or the entire plant. The root system can be covered with foliage or straw. Mature trees, although they tolerate cold well, are still worth insulating the trunk for the winter to preserve the plant.
Pollination pawpaw
Pollinated by Azimina wind and plants. It is pollinated mainly by flies, they are attracted by the very unpleasant smell of flowers, reminiscent of something rotting. For more yield, it is recommended to plant 2 trees side by side, cross-pollination increases the fruit yield at times.
Azimina application and useful properties.Azimina in cooking
Azimina or banana tree plant is not only beautiful, but also very tasty. Of course, like any other fruit, it is preferable to eat it fresh only from the tree. But the long-term cultivation and eating of these fruits has proven that its use in cooking is very desirable and you can cook quite tasty and healthy dishes from its fruits.
It is believed that one of the first to use this fruit was the Indians living in America, they called this fruit "Pao-pao". In addition to eating it fresh, they baked it on coals, boiled it in stews and dried it.
Nowadays, a wide variety of desserts are made from it, used in baking and even ice cream is made from it, canned and various drinks are made from it.
It is a historical fact that the fruits of Azimina (Banana tree) were the favorite fruit of George Washington, he was very fond of eating it fresh, and also loved desserts that include this wonderful fruit.
You can also find recipes using Azimina on our website! Read the article
Useful properties of Azimina
The fruits of the Banana tree are not only tasty, but also very healthy, the fruits contain a large amount of vitamins and minerals. It contains a sufficient amount of vitamins A, B and C. The fruits are rich in iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese and zinc. The fruits of the Banana tree are not high in calories, which makes it a valuable dietary product, 100 g of fruit contains only 39 calories. 18g carbohydrates, 1.2g fat, 2.5g fiber and 1.2g protein.
The use of Azimina in folk medicine
Found my place Azimina and in folk medicine where its application is quite wide.
Azimina bark is a natural pesticide, the native people of the Americas use the bark extract to control flies and mosquitoes. Tinctures and decoctions of the bark and fruits are used as a natural remedy for helminthiasis in humans and animals.
Regular consumption of fruits lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels , helping to fight diabetes and obesity, which today have already become a problem of society. This property also helps to prevent stroke and atherosclerosis, attacks also strengthen the cardiovascular system.
The fruits have a pronounced antitumor property. . Helps fight carcinoma of the lungs, breast and intestines. It has a positive effect on 6 types of cancer cells, preventing their growth. The composition of the fruits has a positive effect on the recovery period of the body in the period after chemotherapy treatment. It has been proven that the indigenous population of America, who eat this fruit constantly, is much less likely to get cancer than the same Europeans, whose diet this fruit is rarely included.
Eating fruit regularly helps lower blood pressure especially if it is caused by high blood sugar.
It's believed that regular consumption of Azimina fruit pulp increases libido in men and helps increase the chances of conception in women.
Composition of fruits improves blood flow to the brain, which improves memory and enhances mental abilities .
Fruit decoctions help in the healing of external wounds, and is also an aid in the healing of ulcers in gastric ulcers. .
Rich The composition of the fruit helps to strengthen the immune system and increase the overall resistance of the body.
Contraindications when using Azimina
Whenever there is a benefit, there are also contraindications. These include, first of all, individual intolerance to the components. It is not recommended to use for pregnant and lactating women because the effect on the body during this period has not been studied. It is worth knowing that, despite all the benefits of Azimina fruits, you cannot overeat them, this can cause severe upset, nausea and vomiting.
Plant Azimina in your garden and enjoy exotic fruits!
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Azimina is a perennial fruit plant from the Annonaceae family. It is native to North America, especially the states of Nebraska, Texas and Florida. Although the plant looks like a tropical plant and produces delicious fragrant fruits, it is able to withstand frosts down to -30°C. Domestic gardeners should pay attention to this amazing tree in order to diversify the usual set of fruit plants. Among the people, pawpaw can be found under the names "Nebraska banana", "banana tree", "Mexican banana". It is enough to take into account a few simple rules for care and pawpaw will delight its owner for many decades.
Botanical characteristics
Azimina is a perennial deciduous plant. It takes the form of a tree or tall shrub. The average height is 4-5 m, although there are specimens up to 15 m in height. Young branches are densely pubescent with a long pile, which gradually falls off. After a year, the bark becomes smooth and takes on an olive-brown color. After a few years, the bark turns gray and becomes covered with warty growths.
In early spring, the branches are covered with fluffy red-brown buds, large leathery leaves develop from them. The length of the obovate leaf plate is 12-30 cm, and the width is 4.5-12 cm. Dark green leaves have solid edges and a pointed end. There is a reddish pubescence on the reverse side. In autumn, the leaves turn a light yellow hue.
In April-May, before the leaves appear, unusual flowers bloom on paws. Single buds on short, shaggy pedicels resemble large bells. The corolla diameter is 4.5 cm. It consists of six brown-burgundy oval petals. A mesh pattern of veins is visible over the entire surface of the petal. The column-shaped core contains many stamens and several pistils, it is colored yellow. During the flowering period, pawpaw is enveloped in a weak but unpleasant aroma. It attracts flies, they are the natural pollinators of the plant.
After flowering, 2-8 edible fruits ripen in place of each bud. The oblong juicy fruit reaches 5-16 cm in length and 3-7 cm in width. Its weight ranges from 20 g to 0.5 kg. Under the thin greenish-yellow skin is the pulp. It contains about a dozen large, flat seeds with a shiny light brown skin.
Types of paws
The pawpaw genus includes 10 plant species. However, only one of them is cultivated in Russia - Azimina three-lobed (triloba). Frost-resistant deciduous tree with a wide pyramidal crown grows 5-8 m in height. The branches are covered with large light green ovoid leaves. Their length can be up to 35 cm, and their width can be up to 12 cm. The upper side of the leaves has a shiny surface, and the lower side is densely pubescent with a reddish pile. Large flowers bloom on branches older than 1 year. The fruits ripen by the end of September.
A spreading shrub up to 120 cm high. The branches are covered with long, obovate leaves. Purple flowers up to 2 cm in diameter are located under the foliage.
Azimina Inkana (woolly papaya). Deciduous shrub with a slender crown. Its height does not exceed 150 cm. Narrow oblong leaves with a rounded end are light green in color. Leaves and flowers bloom at the end of March. White or cream corollas are located under the foliage. The fruits ripen in July-August.
Reproduction methods
Reproduction of paws is carried out by seeds or root shoots. Seedlings are pre-grown from seeds. Before sowing, the seed material is stratified by placing it in the refrigerator for 3-4 months. For planting use small boxes with sandy-peat soil. Seeds are deepened by 2-3 cm, watered and left in a bright, warm place (+20°C). Shoots appear unfriendly after 7 weeks. You can sow the seeds directly in open ground. Seeds planted in October usually germinate in the middle of the following summer. In the first year, seedlings are recommended to be grown in a greenhouse and transplanted into the garden only the next season. Flowering and fruiting is expected in 5-6 years.
The roots of paws are able to sprout. To do this, in the middle of spring, it is enough to separate a section of the rhizome located close to the surface and plant it in open ground. The root is placed horizontally in the soil, to a depth of 3-5 cm. Within a month, the first shoots appear and the seedling can be transplanted to a permanent place.
tree grafting
Reproduction and development of young plants is very slow. To get a flowering tree faster, use the grafting method. Grafting also helps to grow rare varieties. At the beginning of March, a split is made on the stock to a depth of about 1.5 cm. The wedge-shaped end of the scion is inserted into it. It is important to achieve the coincidence of the cambial layers. The grafting site is wrapped with a film, and the lower shoots on the rootstock are removed.
Within 12-16 days, the vaccination takes place, then the buds begin to bloom on the new shoot. The bandage can be slightly loosened, but it is completely removed after 1-1.5 months.
plant care
It is easy to take care of paws. She needs a bright place. In the southern regions, trees can be planted in partial shade to protect from intense heat. The optimal day length in summer is 14-16 hours and at least 4 hours in direct sunlight.
The soil for planting should be fertile and loose. You can plant a plant on heavy soil, but provide good drainage. Before planting, a thick layer of gravel and sand is poured into the bottom of the pit. Additionally, the earth is mixed with ash and compost.
It is undesirable to transplant plants older than 3 years. The tap root system is easily damaged. Between the trees, it is necessary to maintain a distance of 3 m. After planting, the soil surface is mulched with peat.
Azimina can be grown as a pot crop. In the spring, it is taken out into the street, where the plant lives until late autumn. Transplantation is carried out as needed by the method of transshipment of an earthen coma.
For paws, it is desirable to choose calm areas. This is especially important for young plants. In the first year, they even build a special draft fence.
Azimina loves water, it is grown in regions where the annual rainfall is at least 800 mm. In drought, the plant needs regular watering, but water should not be allowed to stagnate in the soil. In autumn, watering is gradually reduced to nothing. In the cold season, the plant is content with natural precipitation. In spring, the roots may suffer from excess moisture after the snow melts.
Azimina three-blade is resistant to frost up to -25 ... -30 ° C. She does not need shelter, however, in severe winters, flower buds can freeze slightly. The plant needs a dormant period. During 2-3 weeks a year the air temperature should not exceed +5…+10°C.
Azimina is resistant to plant diseases. Only with frequent stagnation of water in the soil and dampness can fungal diseases develop. Pests do not settle on the tree, so you do not have to worry about the safety of fruits and leaves.
Usage
Trees are distinguished by a slender, dense crown, which changes color during the code. In spring, the plant is covered with large unusual flowers. In summer, it gleams with large dark green leaves, and in autumn it acquires a rich golden color.
The pawpaw fruits are rich in amino acids, microelements, vitamins, sugars. They are used to strengthen the immune system, remove toxins and restore the digestive tract. Scientists have found that some components of the fruit inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Drugs help to reduce even such formations that are insensitive to chemotherapy. Since fresh fruits are stored for only a few days, jams, jams, compotes, candied candied fruits are prepared from them.
The seeds of the plant are used as an effective emetic. They are insisted on alcohol, and then taken as needed. A decoction of the leaves is an effective diuretic.
The Annonaceae family contains more than 2000 plant species. Many of them are economically valuable - they give tasty fruits or aromatic oils. All Annonaceae grow in the tropics, as they absolutely do not tolerate frost. The only exception is the genus Azimina. Some of its representatives can go beyond the tropics. But at the same time they are still thermophilic.
The only plant of the Annova family that can tolerate frosts down to -30 o C is pawpaw three-lobed. This variety is common throughout the United States, up to the borders with Canada. It is this pawpaw that arouses the increased interest of Russian gardeners.
External signs of a plant
It is a three-lobed pawpaw, a very neat tree with a pyramidal crown. In the wild, this representative of the Annonov family can grow up to 15 m. However, when cultivated in the garden, the trunk length of pawpaw three-lobed usually does not exceed 5-10 m. Distinctive features of this plant, in addition to the crown of the correct shape, are beautiful smooth bark and rather large leaves .
Bloom
The pawpaw flowers are also large - about 6 cm in diameter. The six petals of the corolla have a very unusual - reddish-brown - hue. In this case, the flower has several pistils. Subsequently, each of them, in the case of successful pollination, turns into an ovary, and then into a fruit. The smell of pawpaw flowers is weak, but very unpleasant. In the wild, these are mostly scavenger flies. The fact is that the flowers of this smell of rotten meat.
Azimina three-blade (American pawpaw - another name for it), despite the spectacular appearance of the crown, is grown by summer residents, of course, not as an ornamental plant. Its value lies primarily in tasty and healthy fruits. You can eat them both fresh and canned.
Description of fruits
Pawpaw three-lobed blooms in spring - for at least three weeks. After that, the petals of the corollas crumble and fruits begin to set. The length of the latter is about 10 cm, diameter - 5 cm. Up to 9 fruits can grow from each flower. Their skin is very thin, and the pulp resembles soft butter in consistency. The color of unripe pawpaw fruits is green. After a while it becomes yellowish. The ripe fruits of this plant are dark brown in color. They keep very poorly. Therefore, they are either eaten immediately fresh, or directly on the day of collection, jams, marmalade, compotes, etc. are prepared from them. You can also pick yellow-green fruits from the tree and store them until ripe. But in this case, they will not be too juicy.
Actually, absolutely everyone who has ever tried them speaks with admiration about the taste qualities of pawpaw fruits. The reason for this is mainly the high sugar content. Americans believe that pawpaw fruits taste like custard. They also smell very pleasant.
Biological features
In our country, pawpaw is three-bladed, despite the fact that this plant can withstand very low temperatures, it is grown mainly only in the Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories, as well as in the south of the Rostov Region. In these regions, summer residents often do not even cover it for the winter. In the Sochi region, several high-yielding varieties of pawpaw three-lobed have been bred.
Sometimes this non-traditional fruit crop for Russia can be seen in gardens and in colder regions of the country. For example, sometimes pawpaw is even grown in the Moscow region. However, in cold areas, this crop, of course, requires careful shelter for the winter. After all, the air temperature in winter sometimes drops below -30 degrees. This fruit crop is planted in pairs. Despite the fact that each pawberry flower has both pistils and stamens, it cross-pollinates.
The fruits of the banana tree ripen unevenly. At the same time, mature ones hold on to branches very poorly and quickly crumble. They start to rot the very next day. Indeed, the very tender and juicy pulp of the fruit is one of the distinguishing features of such a plant as pawpaw three-bladed. The seeds of this plant are very large (like those of a watermelon). They are located in two rows. The pawpaw fruits ripen on the 5-8th year after planting. Vaccination can be harvested in the second year.
The value of paw fruit
The properties of the fruits of this plant are truly unique. In the homeland of pawpaws, in America, peasants treat poisoning with them. The inhabitants of the tropics are sure that after a month of eating the fruits of this plant, the intestines are completely cleared of all the toxins accumulated in it. And this, in turn, has a very beneficial effect on overall well-being.
In addition, pawpaw fruits have antimicrobial and even antitumor effects. In the US, they are often used to prevent and even treat cancer. According to the results of studies conducted by scientists, pawberry juice and pulp inhibit the growth of tumors even better than many medicines.
The seeds of this plant can also be used as an emetic. Many American women also make rejuvenating face masks from the pulp of the paw fruit. It is believed that in terms of effectiveness they surpass even many expensive chemical cosmetics.
Reproduction features
In the wild, pawpaw three-lobed can be found mainly on fertile soils along the banks of water bodies. It forms thickets very dense, because it gives a lot of growth. In the conditions of gardens and kitchen gardens, it is propagated only by seeds and root offspring. Gardeners advise grafting varietal paws on wild animals using the “split” method.
The root system of this plant is very sensitive. Therefore, seedlings of pawpaw three-bladed are not recommended to be transferred to another place. The same applies to seedlings.
Growing features
To the composition of the soil pawpaw three-blade is completely undemanding. It can be planted even on heavy clay soils. But the sun loves this plant very much. Shading seedlings is necessary only in the first two years of cultivation.
It is necessary to water the pawpaw three-bladed often. The soil under this tree must be constantly moist. However, stagnant water must not be allowed. The pawpaw is fed with both organic and mineral fertilizers. The same manure, ash or urea is excellent for this purpose. It is useful to prune adult plants for replacement, since pawpaw fruits are formed on last year's shoots. Of course, in the spring you need to remove all diseased, improperly growing and frozen branches. For the winter, it is advisable to cover pawpaw with spanbond.
