The Krasnoyarsk Krai is Russia’s second largest federal subject, located in Siberia; the Krai experiences huge variations in temperatures and short, hot summers are characteristic. In the Kurgansky region of the Krai, farmers have started to grow exotic fruits in their greenhouses. Mandarins, lemons, pomegranates and bananas are being grown year-round.
One family, the Zaripovs, have tested more than a dozen exotic seedlings which they ordered from the internet. According to Olga Zaripov, an amateur grower: “The maintenance is as usual- weeding, watering, fertilizing. They are growing as they should.”
The Zapirov family prefer not to buy fruit from the store; today the gardeners have a collection of about 40 kinds of fruit trees including mandarin, lemon, pomegranate and fig. They recently bought a Persian lime seedling from Tahiti. The plant is just starting to get used to the climate. It is considered easy to care for the variety, the main thing is to maintain the desired temperature. Arseny Zapirov explains, “The most important thing is to warm the roots. I have a system of pipes under the beds which are heated by a stove.”
The family plan to add blood oranges to their collection next year. The Persian limes and bananas should ripen in December and the family count on sampling their exotic fruits for the New year. Their efforts are testimony to the potential of growing exotic fruits in central Russia.
Source: enisey.tv
