Rårörd aronia
Aronia is a genus of deciduous shrubs , the chokeberries , in the family Rosaceae native to eastern North America and most commonly found in wet woods and swamps. The lesser known Aronia arbutifolia red chokeberry and the hybrid form of the abovementioned species called Aronia prunifolia purple chokeberry were first cultivated in Central and Eastern North America.
Chokeberries are cultivated as an ornamental plant and as a food plant. The sour berries, or aronia berries , can be eaten fresh off the bush, but are more frequently processed. They can be used to make wine, jam, syrup, juice, soft spreads, tea, salsa, extracts, beer, ice cream, gummies , and tinctures. Chokeberries are often mistakenly called chokecherries , the common name for Prunus virginiana.
Further adding to the ambiguity, a variety of Prunus virginiana is melanocarpa , [ 8 ] and readily confused with black chokeberry because it is commonly referred to as "black chokeberry" or "aronia". Aronia berries and chokecherries both contain polyphenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins , yet the two plants are somewhat distantly related within the Amygdaloideae subfamily. Black chokeberry is grown as a common shrub in Central Europe where it is mainly used for food production.
The leaves are alternate, simple, and oblanceolate with crenate margins and pinnate venation; in autumn, the leaves turn a bold red color.
Gör egen måltidsdryck av aroniabär
Dark trichomes are present on the upper midrib surface. The flowers are small, with five petals and five sepals , and produced in corymbs of 10—25 together. The hypanthium is urn-shaped. The fruit is a small pome , with an astringent flavor.
Aroniasaft
Aronia has been thought to be closely related to Photinia , and has been included in that genus in some classifications, [ 9 ] but botanist Cornelis Kalkman observed that a combined genus should be under the older name Aronia. In eastern North America, two well-known species are named after their fruit color, red chokeberry and black chokeberry, plus a purple chokeberry whose origin is a natural hybrid of the two.
The chokeberry is a characteristic shrub of the northern hemisphere. Its climatic requirements are temperate and cool temperatures. Chokeberries are usually planted in early spring after thaw but autumn is also possible if the plantation is mulched or snow covered during frost. The chokeberry has a shallow and compact root system and thrives in humus and nutrient rich soils that are frost free, unflooded and with a rather low groundwater level.
While the plant is moisture -loving, it also tolerates dry periods.
Aronia - The Ultimate Chokeberry Growing Guide - Proven Winners
Depending on the timing and intensity, these dry periods are yield limiting. Chokeberries grows on medium-heavy soils , which can be neutral to slightly acidic. Before planting, it is advisable to promote soil structure and humus formation, which can be enhanced by green manuring using organic fertilizers and deep tillage of the soil. Planting chokeberries in an existing grass plot is not recommended, due to the strong competition of weeds in the understock area.
Commonly, two-to-three-year-old bare-root plants are set between October and November. Machine planting places about seedlings per hectare, each 20—25 cm deep into the soil. Plant distance is 60 cm and row distance is given by the harvest machine. If chokeberries are planted directly after a previous cultivation of other Rosaceae , an intercrop such as cereals is recommended, as well as staggered row planting, since chokeberries might suffer from a replant disease also: soil fatigue.
Everything You Need to Know About Aronia Berries
For the first two years, much attention should be given to keeping the understock area clear during maintenance. The understock maintenance can be done by machine hacking or by using a string trimmer with protection. Covering the plant strip with mulch also helps to minimize weeds. When maintaining the alley, it is important to cut it every 3—4 weeks. The young plants are sensitive to drought stress , so proper watering should be guaranteed.
At the beginning the plant needs to put its energy into vegetative growth, therefore it helps to remove flower buds. In order to achieve a balanced fruit quality in the long term, the plant, which grows as a shrub , should be trimmed regularly.