Sea buckthornis a deciduous shrub with decorative fruits. It finds itself perfectly in difficult conditions, it is easy to grow, and thehealing properties of sea buckthorn are appreciatedSee whatcultivation of sea buckthornlooks like in the garden and what can beuse of sea buckthorn berriesIn a moment you will learn how to guarantee abundant fruiting of sea buckthorn and how to use its natural healing properties!
Sea buckthorn
Sea-buckthorn(Hippophae rhamnoides) is an upright shrub with stiff, sparsely branched, thorny stems.Sea buckthorn leaves are delicate, gray-green, fall in winter. Sea buckthorn has very original orange fruits with juicy flesh.Sea-buckthorn berriesripen in late September and early October, remaining on the branches for a long time. Feminine, abundantly fruiting specimens are especially beautiful. Under the weight of ripening, colorful fruits, the branches of the bushes often bend to the ground.
Sea buckthorn - cultivation
Sea buckthorn is a shrubwidely cultivated in many countries due to low soil requirements, resistance to drought and air pollution, and quite high ornamental value.
Growing sea buckthornin the garden is not very absorbing. It is enough to plant the sea-buckthorn in a fully sunny position and in a slightly saline substrate. This shrub grows very well in calcareous soils.Sea buckthorn is widely usedfor trees in dry and sandy soils as well as industrial wastelands.On the other hand, it grows poorly on moist, wet, heavy, clay soils that are difficult to drain. Therefore, it should be provided with light, permeable soil.
Cutting the sea-buckthornis best done in the early spring, when the leaf buds swell and become well visible. We can then easily identify dry and diseased branches.Cutting the sea buckthornshould not be too strong - only remove weak, withered and crossing shoots.
At the beginning of the growing season, it is worth applying organic fertilizer. A dose of compost is perfectly sufficient.
In the cultivation of sea buckthorncare should be taken not to damage the roots, as this plant has a tendency to develop strong rootlets. On the one hand, the root suckers created by the sea buckthorn make it a dangerously expansive plant, but on the other hand, they make the sea buckthorn a great shrub for turfing and strengthening slopes and for creating dense hedges.
Worth knowing!You can expect abundant fruiting of the sea-buckthorn when planting female and male specimens next to each other, because the sea-buckthorn is a dioecious plant.
Sea-buckthorn seedlingsfor planting in gardens are not widely available in shops and garden centers. However, they can be ordered online easily and at an affordable price.
Sea buckthorn - healing properties
Sea buckthorn berriescontain a lot of vitamin C (1 teaspoon of fruit covers the daily requirement). In addition, sea buckthorn berries also contain vitamins B, E, F and calcium, magnesium, flavonoids, sugar alcohols, dyes, lycopene, carotenoids and organic acids, and, above all, fatty oil in seeds.
Good to knowVitamin C content in juicy sea buckthorn berries is seven times higher than in lemon fruits.
Due to the high content of vitamins, thehealing properties of sea buckthornhave been valued for a long time, as it is a proven remedy in states of exhaustion and susceptibility to colds.It also helps with weakened concentration, headaches and circulation problems.Sea buckthorn seed oilaccelerates wound healing and is successfully used in the case of sunburn and damage caused by X-rays.
Sea buckthorn - use
Thanks to numerous fruits, intensely colored and delicately silvery foliagesea buckthorn is a valuable ornamental shrubused for garden and park plantings, providing food and shelter for birds at the same time.
Sea buckthorn is used in the kitchenIn the period from September to October, sea buckthorn produces aromatic fruit, which can be used to prepare fruit sandwich pastes, ice cream, lemonades and other fruit drinks, as well as fruit curds and fruit salad dressings. For this, the cooked fruit is rubbed through a sieve, separating the flesh from the seeds. If the fruit is freshly pressed, you will get a he althy fruit mousse and juice.You can make tea from dried sea buckthorn berries.
The use of sea buckthornis not limited to domestic or industrial processing. The greasy oil obtained from its seeds is used in the production of cosmetics, and the dyes are used in the food industry.
MSc Eng. Joanna Białowąs
