Irga - the benefits and harm of an unusual berry. Photo of serviceberry berries

Everyone's favorite summer is coming to an end, and every self-respecting housewife begins to think about Of course, you can't do without jam. It is not only tasty, but also very healthy and can help with colds.

Raspberry and currant jams are considered the healthiest. Unfortunately, yurga has been forgotten - a berry with no less useful qualities. You can meet her in summer cottages and in the forest, because she is very unpretentious. This plant can live more than 40 years, and begins to bear fruit as early as three. It grows quite tall, up to 4 meters. Yurga is a berry very similar to It has many healing nutrients, vitamins (B, C, P), trace elements (copper, lead). And also it contains a large number of carotene, which is considered one of the powerful antioxidants. These substances help a person fight diseases and improve immunity. A decoction of the bark of this plant is used to heal various wounds, burns, to disinfect the oral cavity, and for sore throats. Yurga is a berry that has a calming effect, so it is better not to consume it in the morning, especially for those who drive a car. It also helps lower blood pressure, so hypotensive people should not get carried away with its fruits.

Jam recipe

This plant mainly bears fruit closer to autumn, so jam from yurga berries should be prepared at this time, so that in winter you can enjoy it at any time. To prepare it, you need to take: 1 kg of yurga, 200 g of sugar, 250 ml of water and 1 g of citric acid. The berries must be carefully sorted, all stalks removed, rinsed with water and left to drain on a clean, dry towel. Next, you should cook the syrup: mix water with sugar in a saucepan and put on fire so that only one side of the pan is heated. Foam will collect on the other side and must be removed. As soon as the foam stops forming, you need to put the pan on high heat so that the water evaporates until you get the syrup of the thickness you need. Pour this syrup over the yurga, bring to a boil and cook for 5-6 minutes. Then it should be left for 6-7 hours. Then cook with the addition of citric acid. The cooled jam should be spread into

Other recipes

In addition to jam, there are various healthy and equally tasty treats (recipes) made from yurga berries.

For example, fruit drink. To do this, you need to wash the fruits, squeeze the juice out of them and set it aside. At the same time, the squeezed yurga should be poured with 1 liter of boiling water and left to infuse. Then mix it with juice, add sugar. It is better to refrigerate before use.
Compote from yurga: for the base you will need yurga itself (berry - 700 g, ripe, undamaged) and 300 g of currants. Selected and washed fruits should be placed in jars and filled with syrup, which must be prepared in proportions of 1: 2 (500 g of sugar per 1 liter of water). Place the jars in boiling water for about 5 minutes, and then roll up the lids.
Yurga raisins: peel the berries from the stalks and dry in air or in the oven. Box or cardboard box Line the inside with paper and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cover the top of the berries with gauze to place a small press. This product is very convenient to use in making muffins or pies.
Yurga kvass: crush 1 kg of ripe berries and add 10 liters of water. Bring to a boil and cool. Strain the resulting broth and add 2 cups of honey and 25 g of yeast. Let it brew for 10-11 hours and pour into a bowl. Should be stored refrigerated.

In North America - Canadian medlar, in Russia - currant, sea buckthorn, sparrow cherry and wineberry, in Europe - rock pear and willow berry, and translated from Provencal - “bringing honey”. All this is serviceberry, a berry with not the richest history, but with a variety of beneficial properties and very wide applications.

A little history

They began to grow shadberry only a few centuries ago, but even in our time there is no exact information about how this fragrant plant appeared in European gardens. sweet berry. It is known that in the 16th century, the serviceberry spread first to England, then to Holland and further across Europe.

In the 18th century, the serviceberry also conquered North America - it is not known for sure whether the European conquerors brought it there or whether it always grew in those latitudes. However, the aromatic fruits were consumed quite actively - mixed with rhubarb and lemon to improve the taste of wild meat - buffalo, deer, bison, added to baked goods, and made into jams and preserves. Since the 19th century, industrial plantings have already appeared. Today, in the USA and Canada, the shrub serviceberry is a recognized and popular crop. They collect from her good harvest, she decorates lawns and personal plots as an ornamental bush - not only in the West, but also in Asia Minor, and even in North Africa.

Our country appreciated the taste and benefits of serviceberry quite late - only in the 19th century did overseas merchants begin to sell it in capital markets, often passing it off as... again, . Yes, not simple, but Corinthian, from Greece itself - so that the locals would certainly believe it. Since then, the name “korinka” has taken root in Russia and neighboring republics. During the Soviet period, Ivan Michurin made sure that the shadberry was recognized and loved in different regions of the Soviet Union - it was he who began to propagate this previously not particularly well-known shrub.

How to grow irgu

Today, the irga is an indispensable resident of the Caucasus, Crimea, the Urals, Siberia and some other regions. Corinna grows mainly in the wild - on forest edges and even near roads. However, irga is often found in gardens - mainly as fruit bush, although more and more gardeners are beginning to appreciate the serviceberry as an elegant decorative tree(besides, all its varieties always have tasty and juicy berries).

The berries ripen unevenly - from July to early September, and are harvested in several batches. A ripening shadberry looks very beautiful - photos usually show a beautiful cluster containing ripe dark blue berries, red ones just picking up juice, and multi-colored ones.

About 25 varieties of serviceberry are grown in the world, but only a few are common in Russia:

Round-leaved (or common serviceberry) . On the territory of our country, this is the most common species - a spreading shrub up to 2.5 cm high, with a voluminous crown and ovate leaves. Inflorescences are graceful, with long petals white. The berries are almost black, covered with a bluish coating.
Canadian . It is practically a tree (up to 6 m), with graceful leaves and large sweet berries. This irgu is most often used for decorative purposes - at any time of the year it looks incredibly beautiful.
Spiked . Up to 5 m high, ideal for creating hedges, planting in parks and even for fixing soils.
Alder . It grows up to 2-4 m, has beautiful creamy-white inflorescences, and the berries are very dark. Unlike other varieties of serviceberry, it tolerates shade very well.

If you decide to refresh your area with a shrub such as serviceberry, planting and care will be quite easy. Irga is a completely unpretentious berry, easily tolerates frosts down to minus 50, during flowering - down to minus 5. It is undemanding to the soil - it tolerates both drought and long rains. However, it loves the sun's rays - if you expect juicy and tasty berries from the serviceberry, be sure to plant it in the sun.

“Korinka” is propagated by cuttings and grafting. If you decide to “start” several bushes at once, plant them at a distance of at least 2 meters from each other - the serviceberry grows very actively. But this is only if you don't plan hedge– then closely planted bushes will give a very beautiful effect. And the shadberry also needs to be pruned every fall - again, if you hope for a good harvest. The fact is that the fragrant “sparrow cherry” was named so not by chance - birds have long considered shadberry an excellent delicacy and thoroughly eat it from the upper branches.

Irga: healing properties

If irga grows in your garden or in the forest next to your dacha, beneficial features You will be able to appreciate this berry. Irga is not just a very tasty delicacy with a sweet, slightly tart and unique taste, it is also a storehouse of vitamins P and C, carotene and, healthy acids, rare macroelements and. The peculiarity of currant is that it contains no fats or proteins, only carbohydrates – as much as 12%. But the calorie content of shadberry is small - 45 kcal, so this dessert will not harm your figure - within reasonable limits, of course.

Irga is useful for almost all body systems:

(both fresh and dried currant - vitamin tea);
helps with gastritis and indigestion (irgi juice and infusion of leaves);
calms nerves and improves sleep;
an infusion of shadberry has a local anti-inflammatory effect for sore throats (even purulent ones);
heals wounds and stops bleeding.

The main wealth of serviceberry is carotene, one of the strongest antioxidants. It thins the blood, increases the body's resistance to infectious diseases, juices and infusions from dried shadberry significantly alleviate the condition of seasonal allergies. And carotene in serviceberry is an excellent prevention of eye diseases.

Vitamin P in serviceberry berries is a salvation for blood vessels at any age, especially for older people. Infusions and juices from currants will strengthen the walls and improve the elasticity of blood vessels, save from premature varicose veins and prevent heart attack. An infusion of irgi flowers reduces blood pressure well and also strengthens blood vessels.

Not only berries, but also juices will help with insomnia, stress and chronic fatigue. You can mix serviceberry juice with - this drink both tones and at the same time strengthens the nerves.

Along with serviceberry berries similar properties It also has an infusion of bark: decoctions of dried bark are used to treat burns and wounds, and to gargle for inflammation. But if the wound is purulent, it will be more effective to apply a bandage with currant berry juice.

Irga: how to use this berry?

Fresh and juicy shadberry is freely available only a couple of months a year, but you want to enjoy this tasty and actually grape-like berry all year round. There are a lot of recipes from serviceberry: compotes, fresh and canned, fruit juice and jam (stored for years!), various jams.

A universal option is dried shadberry, you can make delicious tea from it and sweet filling for pies, add to jelly and porridge. Just remember - it’s better to dry the berries in the shade, otherwise all the beneficial properties of the serviceberry will be lost.

To get juice from serviceberry fruits, it is also worth remembering one trick: it will be very difficult to squeeze nectar out of fresh berries; it is better to keep them for 7 days in a dry room, spreading them evenly on paper. After a week, the fruits will become even more fragrant, and it will be very easy to obtain fragrant purple juice using a juicer.

Irga: contraindications

Before enjoying irga, it is better to make sure that you do not have individual intolerance. In addition, if you have low blood pressure, you should also limit shadberry in your diet. The calming properties of serviceberry should also be taken into account by those who are going to drive after a juicy dessert. However, all these tips are primarily for those who like to eat berries in large quantities; a handful or two of currants will not do you any harm, but they will fill you with vitamins and are guaranteed to lift your spirits.

Such an unusual and at the same time tasty healing berry can be found in many countries of the Northern Hemisphere that have a temperate climate, this also includes Russia. Here you can recognize the shadberry in the form of a shrub or small tree with rounded leaves and blue berries.

Most often, serviceberry germinates in the wild, without human help, but connoisseurs of this plant already have experience in artificially growing it in their own plots.

Irga is divided within itself into many types, but they are all used in Food Industry person. The most common shadberry is the common shadberry, which has large and juicy berries. of blue color, covered on top with a certain grayish (blue) coating. Unique medicinal properties serviceberries are known all over the world, so the plant is widely used in folk medicine.

These unique shrubs and small trees can be found on any six acres. And many Russians don’t even realize that the blue berries growing on their plot not only have unique taste qualities, but also rich in minerals and valuable vitamins.

Today, botanists and other flora specialists count about 25 species of this plant. All of them grow in sufficient quantities in Russia, in Europe (usually its southern and central parts), in Japan, as well as in the States (northern part) and northern Africa. All thanks to the fact that the plant quickly and easily adapts to new conditions and is an absolutely unpretentious shrub.

Since ancient times, Russians have used serviceberry berries to make jam and wine, similar to modern Cahors. Unfortunately, modern residents of Russia mostly use the plant as a decorative item for the site, since the shrub easily copes with frost and for many years pleases the eye with its aesthetic appeal.

Healing properties

In one serviceberry berry you can find a whole complex of vitamins and microelements, for example, vitamin B, A, C and P, sugars and flavonoids, pectins and tannins, as well as acids and a whole list of microelements. And the achene of the serviceberry contains fatty oils, which are indispensable in the treatment of many diseases.

So, what ailments can be treated with the fruits of a shrub or serviceberry tree?

In case of digestive disorders, berries have a binding effect. The functioning of the digestive system is significantly improved, the microflora is improved.

Due to the fact that the berries contain the active substance pectin, it perfectly reduces cholesterol levels in the blood and cleanses the body of waste and toxins.

Vitamin P, as an active component of berries, is the best preventive substance against heart attack, as well as against varicose veins. All this is explained by the fact that vitamin P strengthens the walls of capillaries and blood vessels, increasing their firmness and elasticity.

Due to the presence of substances in berries such as phytosterols and coumarins, the plant helps reduce excessive blood clotting.

Vitamin A in shadberry is an excellent preventative against diseases of the visual organs, such as cataracts, inflammatory processes, night blindness and chronic eye fatigue.

Irga is an excellent way to prevent atherosclerosis, as well as thrombosis, liver and kidney diseases. The plant saturates the body with vitamins during periods of acute vitamin deficiency.

The nervous system will improve after taking serviceberry berries, as its substances help improve its functioning and even treat insomnia.

By making vodka extract using shadberry, taking it treats high blood pressure and restores normal functioning of the heart.

If you prepare fresh juice from shadberry, it is used to treat stomatitis, sore throats, and also take 50 ml orally in case of exacerbation of gastritis. If you soak a cloth in serviceberry juice, this compress will help heal burns.

The leaves of the plant have enveloping properties and are used for external treatment of skin ailments. The antiseptic properties of the leaves help to wash and treat purulent wounds.

For overweight people, over-consumption of serviceberry berries can lead to greater weight gain, as they contain a lot of carbohydrates.

Contraindications for use

Despite such an impressive list of useful properties of serviceberry, the plant will not be useful and healing for all people. Of course, the list of contraindications is relatively small, but you should definitely listen to it.

Serviceberry berries are prohibited for people with low blood pressure. This is explained by the fact that due to the active substances inside the berries, the pressure can drop even more. We are talking about regularly taking berries or eating them in large quantities.
Frequent consumption of serviceberry berries is prohibited for people who are driving. The calming and relaxing effects of berries can provoke circumstances in which the driver can fall asleep while on the road. You can eat such berries only in small doses.
Individual intolerance to one or another component of berries, provoking an allergic reaction.

In general, any useful substance will benefit the human body only in moderate dosages, the same applies to serviceberry berries.

Rules for collecting and storing serviceberry

In order for treatment with serviceberry berries to be effective, you need to know the rules for harvesting and storing it. The fruits are collected no later than with the onset of the first autumn month. To do this, you need to pick fruits from a bush or tree that have rich color, juiciness and excellent taste. To do this, you can open the query “irga photo” in an Internet search engine and see exactly what ripe berries look like.

Rules for storing berries:

Drying. If the weather is sunny and warm, the berries need to be dried in the sun. If this is not possible, a regular oven in the kitchen will come to the rescue. The temperature in it is set no higher than 60 degrees; it is very important to ventilate the berries. As a result, you should get berries in the form of raisins, which can be used throughout the winter for prevention and treatment.
Freezing. Most often, housewives in the kitchen resort to using the freezer, where the berries can remain until winter. The washed berries are first dried and then placed in the freezer. Place the berries in a decomposed state for a couple of hours, then pour the berries into a bag and store until the desired time. This method of storing berries preserves everything useful material and properties of the plant.

Irga and traditional medicine

The benefits of serviceberry berries have also been proven from a medical point of view. In addition, according to doctors, this plant is indispensable for the human body in any form. But the most valuable contribution to health can be made if you eat the berries fresh.

Traditional and folk medicine have long been using not only serviceberry berries, but also its bark and foliage to treat a huge list of human diseases. Due to the presence of amelanchiera in the composition, all the valuable properties of the berries are preserved even after heat treatment and remain at the same level throughout the year, saturating the human body with valuable microelements and vitamins.

Many medicines for poisoning contain components of serviceberry berries. The astringent properties of the berries make it indispensable in the treatment of stomach disorders.

Irga is also used in medicine to treat thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, and fragility of blood vessels. You can prevent the formation of blood clots by taking irgi juice, which thins the blood. Medicines based on amelanchier are used to combat oncology.

Traditional medicine and recipes with irga

A plant such as irga, as well as its fruits, have found their calling not only in traditional medicine, but primarily in folk medicine. Today from the past from the sages and ancestors to modern society Unique miraculous recipes have arrived that cure various diseases.

Tincture recipe for the heart and hypertension

IN glass jar you need to place the berries so that they fill its third part. After this, the berries are pressed down a little wooden spoon. Next, fill the jar to the neck with vodka, send the tincture to a dark place for 3 days. After infusion, the mixture must be strained from the berries, the resulting liquid is stored in the cold and taken 5 grams before meals.

Recipe for bark decoction for diseases of the stomach and intestines

10 grams of crushed pre-collected shrub bark are placed in a saucepan. Cook everything in 2 glasses of water over low heat for 20-25 minutes. After this, the broth is covered with a warm towel and thus left for a short time until it cools. After this, the broth is filtered through cheesecloth and diluted with boiled water. The mixture is taken half a glass 4-5 times a day.

Recipe for tincture of flowers for hypertension and heart disease

This recipe is suitable for those people who cannot tolerate alcohol tinctures. Place 2 tablespoons of dried or freshly picked serviceberry flowers into a bowl. After this, 2 cups of boiled water are sent there. After wrapping the container of decoctions as thoroughly as possible, you need to set it aside until it cools completely. Next, the raw material is strained from the remains of the flowers, and 1 sip of the infusion is consumed before each meal.

Tea recipe for nervous disorders and insomnia

3-4 freshly picked irgi leaves are placed in a mug, after which they are filled with boiled water. The tea is infused for 15-20 minutes, you can sweeten it with honey and drink it regularly before bed.

A unique recipe for serviceberry jam

Saskatoon jam is perfect for those people who do not tolerate high sugar content in their food and try to limit themselves from sweets. On winter evenings, a cup of tea and shadberry jam will be an excellent source of vitamins and protect the body from colds and colds.
To make jam you will need the following ingredients:

1 kg of collected berries;
300 grams of granulated sugar;
200 ml water;
citric acid (about 2 grams).

Mix water and sugar and prepare syrup for future jam.
Blanch the washed berries in boiling water for about 2 minutes.
The berries are transferred to the syrup, then the mixture is brought to a boil.
The jam is infused for 12 hours.
After that they put it in jam citric acid and close in prepared jars.

Most often, such jam is appropriate if shadberry is used for diabetes. A small amount of sugar will not harm a diabetic, so you can safely treat yourself to such a healthy dessert, but in small quantities, of course.

It just so happens that plants that require ongoing care and attention is always given the best place in the garden, and unpretentious modest bushes are always given a place in the backyard, because they absolutely don’t care where they grow. A similar situation very often occurs with irga, and yet this berry is not only a bottomless storehouse of vitamins, but also a wonderful ornamental shrub, capable of decorating any area. And all this combined with ease of care, cultivation and reproduction. You will learn from this article how to choose the right place for planting, which variety of serviceberry to choose and much more, including photos of the varieties of this berry.

Varieties and varieties of serviceberry

Most of all, the serviceberry has become widespread in European countries and North America. Only in Canada last years Breeders have developed many new varieties of serviceberry. They are not yet available in our regions, but there are several species that are considered the most suitable both as an ornamental and as a berry crop.

Planting serviceberry

Irga is considered a long-liver, because the shrub grows for about 70 years, and its trunks eventually become like trees. You can choose absolutely any place for planting, because shadberry is unpretentious and can grow in any shade; it is not afraid of winds and drought. If you have a sunny place for the shrub, then it will be ideal, because in this case the branches will not have to stretch upward in search of sun rays. But even if such a place was not found, the shadberry will easily tolerate it. This berry is also not demanding on soil. The main thing is that the place is not swampy. But it’s worth remembering that the more fertile the soil, the healthier your plant and the higher the yield.

Advice. Gardeners advise not to plant game near a car park, because falling dark berries can leave marks on the car. In addition, they leave marks on paths made of light stone.

The area for shadberry can be prepared in advance by clearing it of weeds. Before planting, the site is dug up with the addition of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. For 1 sq. m accounts for up to 40 g of each type of fertilizer.

Blooming serviceberry

Seedlings one or two years old are suitable for planting. If you plan to plant several bushes, it is recommended to plant them in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of up to one and a half meters from each other. The layer of soil dug from the hole must be mixed with sand and compost, maintaining a ratio of 3:1:1. You need to add a little humus, potassium and phosphate fertilizers to the bottom of the pit. The seedling is sprinkled with the previously made mixture and watered generously. When the soil absorbs moisture, you need to add soil, leveling the hole to the level of the surrounding surface, and mulch the soil on top. Afterwards, the bush must be trimmed so that no more than 4 buds remain on each shoot.

Plant care

Many gardeners claim that after planting irgi, you don’t have to remember about it until the time when you need to harvest. But it will still be nice if the bush receives minimal attention from you. It consists of regular watering. Sometimes the plant requires pruning so that the beautiful ornamental shrub does not lose its visual appeal. And the rejuvenation of the bush benefits the harvest. From time to time it is necessary to weed out weeds if they appear near the bush.

Advice. Irga has a very developed root system, so experts recommend watering it only during drought, using a sprayer, at the same time washing off dust from the leaves.

Fertilizer and feeding

The first fertilizers for the shrub begin to be given when the shrub reaches 5 years. Once a year trunk circle it is necessary to dig up with fertilizers. Necessary:

superphosphate - 300 g;
potash fertilizers without chlorine - 200 g;
humus - 1 bucket.

An unpretentious plant sometimes needs to be fed

In addition, from spring to mid-summer you can feed the game with liquid organic matter. Chicken manure diluted in water in a ratio of 1:10 works well. One bush requires about 5 liters of solution.

Advice. Liquid fertilizers It is best to apply in the evening, after watering the bush abundantly. Dry fertilizers are dug up along with the trunk circle, after which the plant is watered.

Reproduction of serviceberry

Saskatoon reproduces both by seeds and vegetatively, but one must remember that when propagated by seeds, only species characteristics remain, while varietal characteristics are lost.

At propagation by seeds It is enough to extract them from ripe berries and immediately plant them in the ground. You should not place seeds deeper than 2 cm. Also, be sure to water them well and leave a layer of mulch on top. In winter, the seeds will undergo natural stratification and young shoots will appear in the spring. By the way, shoots may appear this fall. Within two years it is necessary to remove weeds around the shoots, and in the third year the plants can be moved to their main habitat.

Serviceberry seeds

Another method of reproduction is green cuttings. To do this, cuttings up to 15 cm long are cut from an adult bush, on which all leaves are removed except the top two. The lower cut must be placed in a root-forming solution for the period specified in the instructions for the product, after which the cuttings must be washed cold water and plant it in a greenhouse at an angle. Sprinkle a small layer of sand on top. The distance between the greenhouse dome and the tops of the cuttings should be at least 20 cm. When watering the cuttings, make sure that the water does not pour onto the root part, but splashes. The temperature in the greenhouse must be kept at 25 degrees and ventilated periodically. It is also best to keep the soil slightly moist. After three weeks, the cuttings will have taken root sufficiently, and it will be possible to open the greenhouse during the day, and after some time, when the shoots have become stronger, at night. At this time, the cuttings can be transplanted into a small bed and add a little mineral fertilizer. Already next fall, young plants will be ready to be transplanted to their permanent habitat.

The easiest way to propagate irgi is green cuttings.

Another way to propagate irgi is layering. To do this, choose strong young shoots up to two years old. It's best to dig in in early spring. First you need to dig up the ground under the selected shoots, draw grooves in it and lay the shoots in them. The tops need to be pinched. When the young shoots from the buds of the buried branches reach 10 cm, cover them halfway with soil. After a couple of weeks, the shoots will lengthen by another 15 cm, cover them halfway with soil again. Already in the fall you can transplant the rooted cuttings to the place you need, or you can do this next spring.

Diseases and pests of serviceberry

Irga has a fairly strong immune system, but still gets sick from time to time tubercularosis. With this disease, the plant's leaves first turn brown, after which they begin to dry out and fall off. Following the leaves, the branches also dry out, on which small red tubercles appear. If symptoms are detected, it is necessary to cut off the diseased branches and burn them, and spray the plant with Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate. For prevention purposes, you can spray the bush in the spring.

Rust damage

In addition to tuberculosis, you can sometimes find phyllostictosis spot. It is also manifested by wilting of the leaves, on which brown spots appear. The leaves must be burned, and the plant must be treated with Bordeaux mixture before and after flowering.

The third most common disease is gray mold . It manifests itself as spots on the leaves that spread, the leaves begin to turn yellow, and then become covered with fluffy mold. gray and fall off. The cause of this disease is most often excess moisture, so first of all, eliminate the cause, if possible; if not, transplant the shadberry to a less humid place. For treatment and prevention, as in the first two cases, Bordeaux mixture can be used.

Digitalis moth

Irga, planting and caring for which will not bring you unnecessary trouble and will not take up a lot of time, will not only decorate your site, but will also reward you with a lot of tasty and healthy fruits.