Orlyak is a beautiful perennial of the Fern class, the family of Dennshtedtievy. This beautiful plant is known for not only decorating the garden and home, but also used for food and for the treatment of a number of diseases. The bracken received its name for triple waii, which resemble the wing of an eagle. Some people distinguish the initials of Jesus Christ on a section of the stem, so the bracken can also be found under the name "Jesus Grass." Fern was widely distributed in the forests and steppes of Europe, Siberia and the Far East. Here it is regularly collected and harvested for future use. In order not to go to the forest for ferns, you can grow beautiful and useful bushes on your own site. Caring for them is quite easy, and the spreading crown develops very quickly.
Botanical Description
Orlyak is a herbaceous perennial plant 30-100 cm high. A powerful root system develops in different directions. The rhizome is horizontally located, from which young shoots appear annually. Vertical processes go far deep into the earth and nourish the plant. They can persist after fires or other disasters. Thanks to these roots, the bracken can safely grow in one place for hundreds of years.
In early spring, young shoots emerge from the earth. They are located individually at a distance of 10 cm from each other. The shoot surface is exposed, and the upper part is first curved in the shape of a snail. Later, sheet plates bloom from it. Twice and thisty foliage exudes a specific smell. Dense dark green lobes are rounded at the tops. At the base of the lower leaves are nectaries. Of these, a sweetish juice stands out that attracts ants.
Fused soruses are located by a continuous border along the edge of the sheet and are hidden by the bending of the canvas. Spores ripen by July-August, but they do not appear on the leaves every year. Ripe sporangia open independently and small, rounded seeds spill out. They are carried by the wind over long distances.
Most botanists consider the genus of a bracken to be monotypic and include only one species in it - common bracken. According to other scientists, there are still about a dozen varieties. All of them are quite similar to each other. Most varieties of ferns of this genus are common in the natural environment and are not cultivated.
Breeding methods
Breeding breeding produce spores or division of the bush. To collect the spores, it is necessary in September to cut off the sheet with soruses, dry it and scrape the spores on a piece of paper with a spoon. After drying, the seed material is put in a paper bag and stored until winter. In January, boxes with peat soil are prepared. The soil is moistened, and then small seeds are poured onto the surface. The pot is covered with glass and placed in a warm, bright room. Ventilate and spray the crops daily. After 8 weeks, the surface of the soil is covered with green moss. Now the shelter can be removed so that oxygen is better supplied to the seedlings. The grown seedlings are transplanted in separate small pots. In April-May, bracken is ready for transplanting into the open ground.
Dividing the bush is considered a simpler and more effective way of reproduction. The adult fern has a developed rhizome, which quickly recovers after pruning and transplanting. In mid-spring, when regular frosts are in the past, you should dig up the bracken rhizome. It is divided into sections with 1-2 kidneys. Delenki process in places of cut crushed charcoal and immediately planted in moist soil. In the natural environment, any part of the rhizome, when digging, is capable of sprouting, so the bracken in agriculture is considered to be difficult to eradicate. It is impossible to propagate this genus of fern with the help of cuttings.
Care Rules
Bracken is an unpretentious plant. It is suitable for growing in the house or in the open field. When buying an adult fern, you should pay attention to the appearance. The foliage should be intact, without dry and yellowed lobes. The purchased flower for a day is left alone in a shaded place, and then transplanted.
Transfer. Orlyak transplant is extremely rare. Garden plants do not need this procedure at all, and indoor plants are transplanted every 3-5 years. This is done when the old pot becomes too crowded. A new capacity is chosen deeper and more stable. Several large stones are necessarily placed at the bottom, then pebbles, and only then the soil is poured.
The soil. Orlyak prefers light, moderately fertile soils. On loams, it will grow worse. A mixture of peat, sand and deciduous land is suitable. Before planting in the garden, it is recommended to dig up the soil and make a significant amount of sand, brick chips and gravel. The presence of lime in the ground has a positive effect on plant growth.
Lighting. It is best to plant bracken fern in the shaded part of the garden. For indoor plants, choose northern rooms or carefully protect the crown from direct sunlight. In this case, the shade of green will become more saturated. But in the sun, the leaves brighten and become translucent.
Temperature. The optimum temperature for fern growth is + 10 ... + 25 ° C. It is not necessary to specifically create daily or seasonal fluctuations. For the summer, you can put a houseplant in the garden, in a place protected from drafts and strong gusts of wind. In winter, you need to put the pot further away from the radiators. In the open ground, the brackets winter normally without shelter. Vayi fall, and the rhizome lies deep enough to hide from severe frosts.
Humidity. All ferns prefer high humidity. They need regular spraying of the crown. To do this, use purified water, which will not leave lime stains on the leaves. If necessary, you can place pallets with wet pebbles near the pots or plant a plant on the street, near streams and ponds.
Watering. The soil under the brackets should always be slightly moist. At the slightest drying of the soil surface, it should be moistened. It is important to prevent regular stagnation of water at the roots. In winter, watering is reduced.
Fertilizer. Fertilize brackets should be moderate. The first top dressing is carried out in the spring, with the advent of young shoots. Use mineral complexes for ferns. Further, it is enough to add the dose of fertilizer indicated on the package every month.
Diseases and pests. Bracken is resistant to disease, but suffers from parasite attacks. Most often, thrips, scale insects, whiteflies settle on juicy shoots. Insecticides help get rid of insects. However, it is important not to exceed the dosage so as not to harm the plant.
The chemical composition of fern
Orlyak contains a large number of biologically active substances, among them:
- proteins;
- vitamins (C, E, group B);
- trace elements (magnesium, calcium, potassium, manganese, iodine, sulfur, phosphorus, iron);
- glycosides;
- saponins;
- flavonoids;
- starch;
- tannin.
Useful elements in the maximum amount contained in young shoots. When the leaves begin to grow and ripen, the brack is saturated with cyanides and hydrocyanic acid.
Raw Material Harvesting Rules
Bracken is collected in mid-spring. In the people, the signals for its collection are the flowering of lilies of the valley or the shedding of cherry petals. If young shoots break easily, they can be harvested. As soon as they become stronger and begin to bend easily, the collection of raw materials is stopped. The optimal length of the stems with a twisted tip is 20-25 cm, and the thickness is 5-15 mm. They are cut off at the base and bundled. It is not necessary to completely trim the entire bush so that the fern can continue its development.
Even cut stems are lignified, so it is important to process in the first 3-12 hours. Most often, the collected raw materials are salted and used for food. You can also dry the sprouts in the open air for 1-2 days. A plant prepared in this way can be used throughout the year. In folk medicine, in addition to shoots, they use dried bracken root, it can be stored for several years.
The bracken is salted in tubs, where stalks are folded in layers. Each layer is sprinkled with salt. Its total amount is equal to a quarter of the mass of raw materials. The oppression is laid on top and the bracken is left for 2-3 weeks. After the specified period, the oppression is removed and the formed brine is drained. At the second stage, the upper layers are laid down, the fern is poured with brine. Salts are used 5 times less than the mass of raw materials. Above is placed oppression and left for a week.
Before use, the shoots should be soaked in fresh water for 7 hours, and then boil for 5 minutes. Now fern can be used to make salads or add to other dishes.
Brack in medicine
In folk medicine, bracken has been used since ancient times. Broths are prepared from dried shoots and roots, which help to combat such ailments as:
- vomiting
- diarrhea;
- the presence of worms;
- nervous disorders;
- weakened immunity;
- headache;
- respiratory diseases;
- hypertension.
Centuries ago, bracken was used in Europe to combat rheumatism, arthritis and cramps. It is a good expectorant, choleretic and stimulant. The use of fern shoots removes radionuclides from the body, increases stress resistance, normalizes metabolism and improves the regenerative abilities of the human body.
It is important to know the measure and observe the precautionary rules. Even young shoots contain a small dose of poisons that can accumulate in the body. Also, treatment with fern is contraindicated in pregnant and lactating women, children and people suffering from low blood pressure.
Cooking use
In many regions of our country, and of the whole world, bracken fern has long been a full-fledged food product. It is massively procured for the future. In lean years, the plant helped to avoid hunger, they replaced bread. After salting, the shoots resemble mushrooms to taste, although some compare them with asparagus.
It is important to remember that raw stems are forbidden to eat. They should be salted, soaked and boiled. Only after heat treatment does the fern become edible.
Bracken is not always used in salt form. In Japan, sweets, pies and other unusual delicacies are prepared from it. In various countries, chopped shoots and bracken roots are added to baking flour, seafood, salads and sauces. Leaves prevent rotting, so they shift vegetables during storage in the winter.
