Basella ( Basella ) is a herbaceous plant belonging to the Basella family, which grows naturally in different parts of South America and Africa. In the people it is called “overseas guest” and “Malabar spinach”. It is used in ornamental gardening for site decoration, as well as for food purposes. If desired, every gardener is able to grow this beautiful-looking, useful culture.
Description
Basella is a vine with long dense fleshy stems of a green or brown hue, 9–11 m long. The leaves are obovate, with a leathery surface, on which light green veins stand out. The color of the foliage is rich green. The leaves of this crop are edible. The taste is reminiscent of spinach.
The inflorescences are spike-shaped, consisting of small flowers of white or pale pink color. The flowering of this plant can only be observed in natural conditions, or when grown indoors. Basella or overseas visitor does not bloom in the garden.
The fruiting period begins at the end of summer. The fruit is a juicy berry with blue-black skin. The juice of the fruit is used as a natural dye, as it is very rich and persistent.
In open ground conditions, this plant is grown as an annual.
Cultivation
Anyone who wants to get an overseas guest – basella, can successfully grow from the seeds of this plant, observing certain rules. Seed material can be purchased at the store. Sowing is carried out by seedlings. This work is carried out in the middle of spring. For growing seedlings, wide containers are taken, a drainage layer is poured to the bottom, using pebbles or expanded clay. After that, the containers are filled with a soil mixture consisting of peat and sand.
For better germination of seeds, it is recommended to preliminarily soak them for 24 hours in water. After that, they are evenly laid out on the surface of the substrate, slightly deepening by no more than 1 cm. Using a spray gun, watering is done, covered with cellophane and stored in a room with bright diffused light and a temperature of 20-25 degrees.
When caring for crops, the shelter must be removed daily to ventilate the mini-greenhouse and remove accumulated condensate from the film. The first shoots will appear in a couple of weeks, after which the film is removed, the containers with crops are placed closer to the light. It should be borne in mind that young fragile plants should not be in direct sunlight, so if necessary, you will have to create shading.
Seedlings will begin to actively develop in 1 – 1.5 months. When a second full-fledged pair of leaves appears, the plants are seated separately, in small pots or plastic cups. By the second half of May, seedlings should grow to 12 – 14 cm. During this period, they are transplanted into open ground.
For growing basella, you should choose an open area where the plant will constantly be under the sun. Then the sheet plates will show their decorative effect as much as possible.
Benefit and harm
As already noted, the basella performs several functions: it serves as a decoration for a personal plot and is used in cooking. In addition, the liana is used in folk medicine. Stems and leaves contain vitamins that strengthen the immune system, support the work of the heart, and normalize metabolism.
Leaf tea relaxes, relieves nervous tension, helps the body cope with stress, improves sleep.
To the question of whether an overseas guest or basella, in addition to benefit, can harm the body, the answer will be negative, since this plant is recommended to be used to improve health even at an early age. Contraindication is individual intolerance.