Feijoa is a sweetly sour fruit, has a taste and smell of pineapple mixed with strawberries. Will not you agree that a rather colorful combination? What is so useful about feijoa that they talk about it so much? First, this fragrant fruit is so saturated with iodine that it is comparable only with seafood. Feijoa is very useful for those who suffer from diseases and inflammations of the thyroid gland. Secondly, in the peel of the feijoa fruit contains strong antioxidants, which are used for the prevention of cancer. Thirdly, Feijoa has a beneficial effect on the state of the gastrointestinal tract, it helps with gastritis , pyelonephritis and vitamin deficiency. Fourthly, in dermatology, the oil of this remarkable berry (you did not misunderstand, feijoa called berry) is used as an anti-inflammatory drug. Fifth, decoctions of feijoa leaves perfectly help to cope with toothache. Sixth, feijoa berries reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. And this is only the smallest part of what this delicious fruit can be used for.
What does feijoa look like?
The tree of feijoa is so beautiful that it used to be used for decorative purposes in warm and hot countries. They were decorated with parks, gardens and gardens. On this tree, at a height not exceeding 4 meters, during flowering, beautiful "long-playing" large flowers appear. Leaves in feijoa have an unusual silvery color, which also attracts attention. But the fruit of the tree looks primitive enough and looks like ordinary small green squash.
How to eat feijoa?
As we said earlier, feijoa has a taste of pineapple and strawberry, so many people like to just eat it, not mixing it with anything. Only preliminary it is necessary to clean the peel, which although very useful, but has a specific astringent taste. You do not need to divide into feijoa parts, just cut it in half and, armed with a spoon, you can start eating.
Many culinary experts add feijoa to baked goods and a variety of desserts. From this berries you can brew compotes, make very tasty and fragrant jams and jams. Ripe fruit can be stored for not more than a week, but if you rub it with sugar, then this time will increase to several months.
Also very popular fillings for sweets and other confectionery products from feijoa. And in stores you can find canned food and juices.
Growing Feijoa at Home
For those who are interested in this tasty and healthy berry, we will tell you how you can raise feijoa from the seeds at home. To do this, you need to pick up the ripened fruit. Do not fit not ripe, not overripe berries. Seeds need to be removed from the adhesive mass by washing in a solution of potassium permanganate. After, of course, they need to dry properly.
Now let's prepare the soil. Mix 2 pieces of leaf land, 2 parts of peat and 1 part of river sand. Fill this substrate with containers and seed the seeds. Take care that they do not sink to the ground more than half a centimeter. When all the seeds are in the ground, you can spray them from the pulveriser. Usually, the seeds are planted in January and February, but the early spring is also not a late option. About a month later, the first shoots will appear. When they have 4 pairs of leaves, you can begin the procedure
Growing up feijoa at home, remember the basic rules:
- windows choose the south and south-east;
- In winter use fluorescent lamps;
- water the plant so that water seeps into the pan;
- The air in the room should be moist, for this do not forget to do daily spraying around the plants.