Growing Kuril tea for beauty and health benefits

Flowers

Kuril tea, botanically known as Potentilla fruticosa, can be both decorative and medicinal when grown properly in a garden. This plant, with its medicinal properties, is used to boost immunity, promote weight loss, improve blood sugar levels, and support gastrointestinal function. Its high ornamental value and long flowering period, when grown correctly, make it a perfect addition to a rock garden, front garden, or seating area.

Kuril tea: description

The natural habitat of Potentilla fruticosa extends to the forested areas of Southern Siberia and the Far East. On the Kuril Islands, the plant is used to make a hot beverage, hence the name "Kuril tea." It is a perennial plant with a dense crown formed by numerous reddish-brown branches. It grows to a height of no more than 1 m. The leaves are pinnate and green. During its long flowering period, which lasts from June to September, large lemon-colored flowers, up to 3 cm in diameter, bloom. They can be solitary or gathered in racemes. In the fall, nut-shaped fruits are formed.

The shrub is cold-hardy and resistant to many diseases and pests. In the wild, growth is slow, reaching no more than 30 cm by the age of 20. However, in garden plots, under favorable conditions, Kuril tea can reach 70-80 cm in 5 years. Besides its ornamental value, the plant boasts attractive medicinal properties (diuretic and immune-boosting). These properties have led to its use as a medicinal herb.

Features of growing on a plot

To decorate your garden with a shrub that blooms all summer long, which also boasts medicinal properties that help combat excess weight, high blood sugar, and stomach upsets, you need to create favorable growing conditions for Kuril tea. By planting cinquefoil in shady seating areas, gardeners risk not seeing any vibrant blooms at all. And if placed in scorching sunlight, the plant will lose its intense green color due to fading.

Planting nuances

Shrubby cinquefoil is a light-loving plant, preferring well-lit locations with plenty of mild sun. It thrives in fertile, light soils with a slightly alkaline reaction and a loose structure that allows for free oxygen access and moisture retention. If the soil is poor, enrich it with humus beforehand, adding sand to improve aeration.

For your information!

Since the crop is cold-resistant, the optimal planting time is early spring after the snow melts.

In the selected area, dig holes slightly larger than the seedling's root system and root ball. When planting in groups, keep the distance between the holes 30-40 cm.

Next steps:

A drainage layer of broken building material is placed into the hole. The thickness of the layer depends on the depth of the groundwater.
Half of the hole is filled with a substrate made from the removed arable layer, humus and sand in a proportion of 2:2:1 with the addition of nitroammophoska - 150 g.
The seedling is planted and covered with soil so that the root collar rises 2 cm above ground level.
The soil in the tree trunk circle is compacted, watered and mulched.

Secrets of care

Proper planting is only the initial step in growing this highly ornamental and medicinal plant. Kuril tea requires careful care. It's not difficult, but it does require regular maintenance.

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Table: Caring for Kuril tea

Event	Description
Watering	The plant is drought-resistant and requires irrigation only during prolonged periods of drought and extreme heat. Water the bushes at the roots at a rate of 10 liters of warm water per plant.
Soil treatment	To maintain soil aeration after precipitation or watering, the tree trunks are loosened while weeding. To extend the intervals between treatments and prevent rapid evaporation of moisture, the soil under the bushes is covered with a layer of mulch, which is renewed 3-4 times during the growing season.
Top dressing	During the season, the shrub is fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers three times: during the budding stage, flowering, and when preparing for winter. In early spring, ammonium nitrate is added to the trunk circle. The latter stimulates shoot growth.
Trimming	In the spring, the shrub is pruned to form an oval crown, shortening branches by a third of their length. In the fall, sanitary pruning is performed, removing damaged, thickening, and diseased shoots. Every five years, the shrub undergoes rejuvenation pruning.

For your information!

Diseases and pests are extremely rare in a plant with excellent immunity. If a gardener notices any, the crown should be immediately sprayed with a pesticide solution with the appropriate spectrum of activity.

Kuril tea is a versatile plant. When grown correctly, it delights gardeners not only with its beauty but also with its medicinal properties.