He refers to jujube, also known as Chinese date or French breast berry in Kyrgyzstan, as the "king" of his garden.
“The fruits of jujube have many beneficial properties. Studies have shown their antioxidant, expectorant, hypotensive, and anti-tumor qualities. All parts of the plant, including the fruits, seeds, leaves, bark, and roots, can be used for medicinal purposes,” he said.
On his plot, Alexander takes care of three jujube trees that he bought many years ago from a Chinese seller at the Alamedin market. The seedlings cost him a considerable amount.
“These trees grow wonderfully in open ground. During the season, I collect up to 30 kilograms of fresh fruits, which I then dry. From 30 kilograms of fresh berries, I get about 10 kilograms of dried ones,” he shared.
Jujubes are remarkably drought and frost-resistant. “This winter, my peaches and cherries died in my garden — it’s very sad, but the jujubes and feijoas survived,” the gardener added.
Alexander Malyshev
// Turmush
In addition, hazelnuts, also known as filberts, grow successfully on his plot.
“Hazelnuts are shrubs belonging to the birch family. Their leaves are beneficial for anemia and vitamin deficiency, and they also help men with prostatitis and adenoma. Hazelnuts contain a lot of unsaturated fatty acids, making them safe to consume without the risk of weight gain. The shrub can live up to 200 years, and nuts can be harvested just four years after planting,” he noted.
Alexander recalled how he once took hazelnut seedlings from a neighbor. By taking care of them, he saved the plants from the mulberry silk moth and now has 20 bushes with a diameter of up to six meters. “In the summer, it’s so cool under them, as if in a forest thicket. I harvest twice a year — in the fall and in the spring. It’s a mystery to me, as I carefully collect all the nuts in the fall, but in the spring, there are again plenty of nuts under the bushes,” he shared.
According to Malyshev, growing exotic plants not only requires effort but also brings income. In Bishkek, the price of one kilogram of jujube ranges from 250 to 600 soms depending on the variety, while a kilogram of hazelnuts costs about 1200 soms.
