According to Alexander, jujubes, known in Kyrgyzstan as Chinese dates or French breast berries, are a true pride of his garden. "These fruits possess amazing properties, including antioxidant, anti-tumor, and hypotensive effects. All parts of the plant, including the fruits, seeds, leaves, bark, and roots, can be used in medicine," he shares.
On his plot, Malyshev takes care of three jujube trees, which he purchased many years ago from a Chinese trader at the Alamedin market. "These trees grow in open ground, and during the season, I collect up to 30 kilograms of fresh fruits, which I then dry. From this amount, I get about 10 kilograms of dried berries," he explains.
Alexander also notes that jujubes tolerate both drought and frost well, which is especially important in the climate of Kyrgyzstan. "Unfortunately, this year my peaches and cherries perished from severe frosts, and it is very sad to see them dried up. However, the jujubes and feijoas have survived the winter wonderfully," he added.
In addition to jujubes, the man's plot also grows hazelnut, or filbert. "Hazelnut is a shrub from the birch family. The leaves of this plant are beneficial for anemia and vitamin deficiency, while the nuts, which contain unsaturated fatty acids, can help in the prevention of prostatitis and adenoma in men. Surprisingly, nuts can be harvested just four years after planting, and the bushes can live up to 200 years," the gardener explains.
He planted the hazelnut, receiving seedlings from a neighbor, and now has 20 bushes on his plot, each reaching up to six meters in diameter. "Every year I collect up to 80 kilograms of nuts, and I harvest twice: in spring and autumn. How this is possible remains a mystery to me, as I carefully gather all the nuts in the autumn," he shares his observations.
Alexander Malyshev also noted that cultivating such exotic plants can be not only labor-intensive but also a profitable endeavor. In the Bishkek market, the price for one kilogram of jujubes ranges from 250 to 600 soms depending on the variety, while a kilogram of hazelnuts can cost up to 1200 soms.
