Physalis ALKEKENGI

Physalis ALKEKENGI - Bladder cherry, Chinese lantern, Alkekengi physalis, Alkekengi OFFICINARUM.

Physalis is the largest genus of flowering plants in the family Solanaceae, uniting more than 120 species growing in tropical and subtropical zones of the Americas, Asia, and Australia. At least 46 species are endemic to Mexico.

They are perennial, much less frequently annual, herbaceous plants with an erect stem lignifying at the base, reaching from 30 cm to 3 m (12 in to 10 ft) in height. The leaves are petiolate, arranged alternately. Green leaf blades have a cordate shape, a rounded base, and a pointed tip.

White or yellowish flowers on drooping pedicels are bisexual and solitary. In contrast to the more than modest flowering, during the fruiting period the plant looks very attractive. The berry fruit is enclosed in a casing-like calyx resembling a Chinese paper lantern made of fused sepals. The calyx initially grows noticeably faster than the fruit after flowering. The green, red, or yellow casing dries out upon complete ripening of the fruit, and its color changes.

All species of physalis are divided into ornamental, vegetable, and berry types.

Bladder cherry is a perennial herbaceous plant 50-80 cm (20-31 in) in height with a branched stem. The leaves are ovate, and flowers are greenish-white, located in the axils of the upper leaves. Flowers are solitary, nodding, located in the axils of the upper leaves. The calyx is fused, five-toothed, the corolla is five-petaled, fused, greenish-white, 15-20 mm (0.6-0.8 in) wide, with 5 stamens attached at the base of the corolla, and a pistil of 2 carpels with a superior ovary. The fruit is an orange-red spherical berry, covered externally by a calyx that has grown secondarily into a bladder and is colored fiery red. Seeds are numerous. It blooms in summer.

Seeds are presoaked for 24 hours in warm water with the addition of stimulants (SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminozol, Epin, or Zircon), then sown on the surface of a light air-permeable mix and covered with a layer of soil 2-5 mm (0.08-0.2 in), moistened with a spray bottle, placed in a mini-greenhouse or covered with film, and germinated in light, but not in the sun, at a temperature of 18-22 °C (64-72 °F). Seedlings require ventilation. It is essential to avoid overwatering and drying out of the sowings.

Seeds germinate from 10 to 14 days. At the stage when 2-3 true leaves appear, pricking out of seedlings into individual pots is carried out. Grown and hardened-off plants are planted out into large containers or into pre-moistened holes in open ground.

Sowing for seedlings can begin in mid-April. By late May, young plants will be ready for transplanting into beds at a distance of about 50 cm (20 in) apart. Seedlings should be regularly watered, the soil loosened gently, and in the third week fed with complex mineral or organic fertilizers.

Sowing directly into open ground can be done in spring or autumn, which promotes strengthening and hardening off of the plants. However, using seedlings makes it possible to obtain a harvest significantly earlier.

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Physalis is quite simple in care and does not require constant attention, feeling comfortable both in sunny locations and in partial shade. In dense shade, the lanterns do not ripen and do not achieve the ornamental effect of a bright and rich color.

Any well-drained neutral or nutrient-rich soil is preferred. If necessary, poor soil can be enriched in autumn by digging it over with the addition of mineral and organic fertilizers. Mandatory care measures include weeding and loosening the soil.

Watering should be standard and regular, without standing water. After the fruits form, the amount of watering is reduced. During the growing season, it is recommended to fertilize physalis during flowering and during fruit formation.

Due to the vigorous spread of the plant, restriction of the root system's growth potential is required. To prevent breakage of stems from winds, tall cultivars of physalis should be supported by tying them to stakes.

For propagation or rejuvenating plantings, one can use division of rhizomes in spring or autumn, cuttings of young stem parts with 2-3 buds, and sowing seeds both directly and via seedlings.