An Introduction to the Benefits, Effects, and Ways to Eat Rose Apple

Although it is called "rose apple," it is not a fruit that grows in bunches on vines, but rather the fruit of a tree. The tree can serve as a windbreak plant and a garden landscaping tree, and the fruit it bears has many uses. So what benefits and effects does rose apple have? How can it be eaten?

I. What benefits and effects does rose apple have?

Rose apple also has many other names, such as water rose apple, wind drum, fragrant fruit, bell fruit, and ringing drum. It is a green plant that tolerates water and moisture. Moreover, the rose apple tree is not demanding about soil, and its well-developed root system gives it strong adaptability. Below is an introduction to the nutritional components of the rose apple fruit (see the table below) and its benefits and effects.

1. Rose apple has a certain therapeutic effect on diarrhea and dysentery: since ancient times in China, there has been a custom of decocting rose apple fruit in water and taking it to treat diarrhea and dysentery. However, friends who generally lack experience and professional knowledge in this area should not use it casually; it is more reliable to go to the clinic and see a doctor.

2. Rose apple has the effect of cooling blood and stopping bleeding: rose apple has a certain effect on small-area bleeding caused by cuts, and it can be pounded into a paste for external application.

3. Rose apple also has a certain effect on treating heat strangury (that is, what is now called acute prostatitis, cystitis, urethritis, etc.), difficulty urinating, and other conditions.

4. Rose apple has a certain effect on treating swollen and painful gums, quenching thirst, and relieving restlessness.

5. Eating mulberry, coix seed, and rose apple together can also treat chronic nephritis.

II. How can rose apple be eaten?

1. Rose apple can be washed clean and eaten directly.

2. Wash the rose apple clean and candy it, salt it, or make it into candied fruit to eat.

3. Cut the rose apple into slices and dress it with soy sauce, vinegar, and edible salt, or mix it with other sliced or chunked fruits and eat them together.

4. Rose apple can be juiced on its own and drunk, or juiced together with fruits such as cucumber and lemon.

III. How is rose apple grown?

Rose apple can be propagated by three methods: seeds, cuttings, and grafting. In tropical regions, it can be cultivated and planted all year round. Below is a brief introduction to the three planting methods.

(1) Rose apple seed propagation method:

1. Rose apple seeds can be collected from superior mother trees, and the collected and processed rose apple seeds should be stored for one to two months before sowing.

2. Before sowing rose apple seeds, a seedbed must be prepared. The planting soil is best deeply plowed and raked fine, and in addition, it should be disinfected with 1% potassium permanganate. Areas such as Hainan and the Pearl River Delta can choose to sow in August and September, while South China can sow in March and April.

3. After sowing, the rose apple seeds should be covered with rice straw. Once the seeds germinate, the covering straw can be removed, and at this time agricultural film should be prepared to protect against cold.

4. When the rose apple seedlings grow to five or six centimeters, they can be transplanted in the early spring of the following year, which can increase the survival rate of the young seedlings.

(2) Rose apple cutting propagation method:

1. Using rose apple branches for cuttings makes it relatively easy to take root and grow. Generally, cuttings are best taken before the spring shoots have sprouted. If conditions in a greenhouse are available, it can be done from April to August.

2. Before carrying out rose apple cuttings, the cutting bed should be prepared, and it is best to disinfect it before cutting. The soil should also be kept moist.

3. The rose apple branches to be used for cuttings should be taken from robustly growing plants free of pests and diseases, and branches one to three years old are all suitable. After cutting, water should be sprayed promptly according to the moisture level of the soil. Generally, the cut branches will take root and sprout in one to two months. At this time, special attention should be paid to the prevention and control of pests and diseases, and topdressing should be carried out two to three months after cutting.

(3) Rose apple grafting propagation method:

1. Rose apple grafting can be carried out throughout the year, but it is best not to graft on rainy days. Of course, the best grafting time is from April to November each year.

2. The scions for rose apple should be selected from mother trees with good yield and excellent quality, and the cut grafting method can be used. Grafted rose apple trees should be watered frequently, and once the scion area has grown well, they can leave the nursery.

3. During the growth of rose apple trees, attention should be paid to the prevention and control of pests and diseases such as sooty mold, fruit rot, anthracnose, scarab beetles, scale insects, aphids, thrips, and fruit flies.