Strawberry
Scientific classification
Order:
Rosales
Family:
Rosaceae
Subfamily:
Rosoideae
Genus:
Fragaria
Species:
F. × ananassa
Cultivation
The strawberry can be propagated from seeds or by using the new shoots that mature plants make, usually after the plant has given fruit that year. The runners quickly make their own roots and when they have grown big enough, you can select the best ones and give them their own place.
Wild strawberries grow mostly on open places in forests, so give your strawberries a sunny place and make sure that the soil is rich of humus.
The best time to do this are the first few weeks of August. These plants will give harvest for the two consecutive years, therefore make sure that you renew your strawberry plants each year, for example half of them.
The strawberry fruits don't like to come in touch with wet soil. You can protect them by covering the soil around the plants with a layer of mulch, straw or sawdust.
They will reward a rich gift of compost with giving ample fruits, up to a few hundred per plant in each season.
Gardeners distinguish two main types of strawberry: The "June-bearing" strawberries, which bear their fruit in the early summer, and "ever-bearing" strawberries, which often bear several crops of fruit throughout the season.
Medicinal uses
Wild strawberry is anti-diarrhoeal, diuretic and astringent.
Anti-diarrhoeal
Leaves and roots of wild strawberry are traditionally used as astringent to treat diarrhoea. The astringent activity of wild strawberry is explained by its high content of tannins and proanthocyanidins.[1] A tea made from the leaves is said to check dysentery.[2]
Diuretic
The strawberry fruit is considered to have cooling, calming and diuretic properties. Strawberry fruits and leaves are used to treat urinary tract disorders.
Lower cancer risk
According to Phytochemicals.info
- "cultivated strawberries and phytochemicals from strawberry reduce the risk of cancer. Ellagic acid and isothiocyanates are two phytochemicals which have chemopreventive action. In vitro studies have shown that strawberry extract can reduce cell proliferation of breast cancer cells and colon cancer cells. Consumption of strawberries with meals rich in nitrate and amines can reduce the carcinogenic action of nitrosamines."
Mouth hygiene
The Strawberry is a useful dentifrice and cosmetic. The fresh fruit removes discoloration of the teeth if the juice is allowed to remain on for about five minutes and the teeth are then cleansed with warm water, to which a pinch of bicarbonate of soda has been added.[3] Tea from strawberry leaves can be used as gargle to treat mouth infections.
Gallery
Harvest of strawberries
Strawberry flower
Frozen strawberry leaf
Flower of wild strawberry
.JPG)
See also
References
External links
- Garden strawberry Wikipedia
- Strawberry A Modern Herbal by Mrs M. Grieve
