Recently, wolfberry berries have become very popular due to their effective healing properties and the presence of a large complex of vitamins. Only advertising and success brought them something else, chinese name is goji berries.
There are many species of wolfberry, but some species are poisonous.
In North America, this plant is known as Anderson Dereza, in China - goji berries, in Argentina and Chile - Dereza is Chilean, in southern Africa - African Dereza, in Russia - common dereza.
Table of contents
What is wolfberry
The plant belongs to the family Solanaceae, is a perennial shrub with a well-developed root system. The height can reach up to 3.5 m. It grows well, has soft stems and spines on the branches.
During flowering produces a pleasant aroma. The shape of the flowers resembles bells with a pink-purple tinge, light purple or lilac.
The leaves are elliptical, the fruits have a beautiful rich red, coral or scarlet color.
The fruiting period lasts from May to mid-autumn. During this period, may produce more than 12 harvests.
The taste of the berries is sweet-sour or sour.that once again confirms the findings of scientists about the content in a plant of a large amount of vitamin C.
Growing conditions
Plant in growing unpretentiousIt is taken easily and grows well. For planting, you can buy both seeds and seedlings, which are sold in specialized stores.
Dereza calmly tolerates any weather, be it a strong thirty-degree frost or a hot little rainy summer.
It is advisable to fertilize the plant in spring potassium nitrate and urea. If the plant grows in a strongly alkaline soil, it is desirable to add ash once a year, about 500 mg per hole with a seedling.
For winter it is recommended to put dry leaves under the roots and cover with snow.
Resistant to various diseases and pests, has good adaptive qualities, is not afraid of abnormal weather conditions. For preventive purposes, you can spray once a year with tincture of wormwood or garlic.
Dereza can be found on the forest edges, at the foot of the mountains, along the paths of forest landings. However, many summer residents began to cultivate the plant on their plots, wanting to improve and strengthen their health with the help of the wonderful healing berries of the plant.
In fact, wolfberry berries are the same goji berries.only the wilderness tree grows at home, in its garden plot, and not in distant China in a foreign land.
It has long been observed and proved that the fruits and berries that grew on their own plot, in their native land, bring the best health effect.
Brought overseas fruits do not have such a healing effect on the human body, as they grew in other soil, the chemical content of which differs from the native soil.
The fact is that the human body from birth has individual enzymes for the splitting of precisely those fruits and vegetables that grow in their native area.
What is brought from abroad, no matter how healing it would be, does not have such a healing effect for a person as that which is grown in his native area, surrounded by personal care and watered with his own water.
Healing and beneficial properties
In a plant, almost all parts are useful: berries, bark, roots, leaves.
Leaves and roots in order to preserve useful properties, they are collected during the blooming of flowers, dried in a dark place and stored for about 2 years.
They contain phenolic compounds, carotenoids, minerals and vitamins, biologically active substances, steroid saponins.
The most valuable raw materials are berrieswhich contain a rich complex of vitamins, minerals, macro- and microelements, amino acids, polysaccharides.
Thanks to its miraculous healing properties, the plant is called “a remedy for a thousand ailments”.
It is known for a long time, they were treated with many diseases. This plant had the greatest popularity among the monks of ancient Tibet.
Properties of berries wolfberry:
- Cleansing the body of toxins, wastes, pathogenic infections (eliminates E. coli, candidiasis; is used as an adjunct in the infection of the urogenital system).
- Improving the cardiovascular system, getting rid of headaches and dizziness, normalization of pressure.
- Increased visual acuity.
- Decreased blood cholesterol and sugar.
- Relieving symptoms of rheumatism, diseases of the muscular system and joints.
- Strengthening of sexual function, elimination of sexual frigidity and male potency.
- Normalization of the kidneys and gall bladder.
- Strengthening the immune system.
- Burning excess fat, losing weight.
- Improving memory, concentration.
- Toning, giving strength and energy.
The curative properties of wolfberry are so varied that it is very difficult and long to list them all.
No wonder doctors say she treats a thousand diseases, gives strength and energy, "pleases" the heart, enlightens the mind, is a powerful antioxidant, prolongs the years of life and rejuvenates the entire body.
Planting seedlings and plant care
The fastest way to harvest is planting with cuttings. The shoot must have at least 4 buds, the length of the buds should be about 20 cm.
Escape is cut by shears at an angle and planted in a greenhouse in a soil rich in fluorine. When the root system appears, the plant is transplanted into the ground.
For planting seedlings need to dig a hole about 50 cm deep and 60 cm wide. Add a mixture of wood ash (40 g), compost (80 g), superphosphate (200 g) to the hole. Sapling must be well deepened into the soil, water and prikopat.
Dereza loves the sunny side of the plot, does not like abundant moisture.
Dereza begins to bear fruit about 3 years after planting.
Goji berry or wolfberry. Cultivation and care:
Use of berries and roots in cooking and medicine
The recipe of the infusion of berries against excess weight and to promote health: 1 tbsp. l pour berries into a glass and pour boiling water, let it brew for half an hour.
To accept daily within a month 2 times a day on a half of a glass.
Recipe for neurological edema: take 1 dessert spoon of dry roots per 300 mg of boiling water, 20 min. on slow fire languishing, after insisting 40 minutes.
The decoction is filtered and taken in 250 ml 5 times a day until the swelling and neurological diseases are removed.
Vitamin soup for immunity with wolfberry: for preparation take 100 g of berries, feta cheese 50 g, 2 fresh tomatoes, one onion, 2 pcs. Bulgarian pepper, 100 mg of water, salt and oil to taste (preferably olive oil).
Before preparing the berries you need to soak in cold water for 15 minutes. Grind all components in a blender (except cheese), insist in a cold place for 1.5 hours.
Put in plates, add chopped cheese, add any broth or water (if the dish is vegetarian), salt to taste, you can add ground pepper, dill and parsley. The dish is ready to eat.
Protein shake with baking powder to recover from heavy loads: preparing a day before strenuous physical training: 3 tbsp. l berries are poured with a liter of skim milk, covered and put in a cold place to infuse.
After whipping until smooth, the cocktail is ready. You can add 2 leaflets of mint or at the tip of a spoonful of dry cinnamon. It will emphasize and improve the taste.
Cocktail should be consumed immediately after workouts or hard physical work. He will quickly restore strength, return the ability to work and energy. By the protein value of such a cocktail of berries wolf by a lot exceeds the hammer milk.
Same dried berries are added to meat dishes, casseroles, cakes, pies, any cereal. They make excellent tea and jelly, brew and drink instead of water as a prophylactic against many diseases.
It is noted that people who regularly use these berries feel great and are less sick. And recently Scientists have found in the drug component, which reduces the risk of developing oncology.