The characteristics of bidara leaves, its benefits for health, and 5 stages of cultivation

Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Rosales
Family : Rhamnaceae
Genus : Ziziphus
Species : Z. mauritiana

Bidara or widara (Ziziphus mauritiana) is a kind of small fruit-producing tree that grows in dry areas.

Bidara is a type of plant that grows well in hot, sunny, and quite dry environments. With the climatic conditions of Indonesia as a tropical country, bidara can grow well and can be found in eastern Indonesia.


Characteristics

Bidara leaves have an oval or oval shape with a shiny dark green color on the surface. The edges of the leaves are blunt and at the bottom they are slightly white to brown with fine hairs. Bidara leaves are between 2 and 9 cm long and 1.5 to 5 cm wide.

The number of leaf bones on the bidara tree is three. Leaf loop starting from the base of the leaf to the tip of the leaf. Bidara leaves are a type of single leaf that grows alternately. The deciduous growth point of the tree is located on a short stalk measuring between 8 and 15 cm.

As an optimal plant for living in dry areas with rainfall, bidara trees have a way to adapt to their environment. One way is to shed the leaves when it enters the dry season or hot weather.

Reproduction 

Bidara trees are usually bred through seeds or grafting. Bidara seeds are located in the flesh of the fruit and vary in size depending on the size of the fruit. The seeds must be soaked first if they are to be sown to produce sprouts.

As for the grafting technique, it is a vegetative propagation process that is applied to the lower trunk of the bidara tree. The tillers that grow as a result of grafting usually have fewer thorns, but there are more seeds in the fruit.


Benefits of bidara leaves for health

1.Relieve diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that is considered dangerous if it does not get maximum treatment. Several medications need to be done to treat or reduce the effects of complications.

One of the herbal ingredients that can be used to reduce the bad effects of diabetes is bidara leaves.

Bidara leaves contain compounds that can protect the body from damage to the sugar level regulation system. You can consume bidara leaf stew to stabilize blood and sugar levels.
Bidara leaves can also help in regulating the protection system against optimizing insulin production.

2. Protect the bad effects of sunlight 

Bidara leaves can also protect the skin from damage due to exposure to sun radiation. Sun radiation itself is thought to cause various skin health problems, including the appearance of skin cancer cells or melanoma. 

3. Relieves fever
Another benefit of bidara leaves is also to reduce high body temperature. This bidara leaf can be used as an alternative treatment for people with high fever.

4. Reducing cholesterol 

Bidara leaves can also reduce bad cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol in the body can decrease if you consume the water-soluble fiber of bidara leaves.
This fiber can be obtained from boiled water of bidara leaves. The benefits of this bidara leaf can bind cholesterol in the digestive system and throw it out through urine or feces.

5. Accelerate wound healing 

The next benefit of bidara leaves is to accelerate wound healing. Bidara leaves are believed to have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that can help heal wounds such as cuts, abrasions, or wounds caused by scratches.

Bidara leaves also have glycoside compounds that are useful to help heal burns and help remove scars on the skin. The benefits of bidara leaves for healing wounds come from their ability to accelerate skin regeneration.

6. Smooth digestion system 

The use of bidara leaves for digestive health is that it can be consumed directly, by drinking the decoction of the leaves.
In addition, bidara leaves can also help remove various toxins in digestion so as to prevent infection in the digestive tract.

7. Relieves gastric disorders
Bidara leaves are also useful for relieving stomach disorders. Those who experience gastric or ulcer disorders, usually because of an irregular diet. When stomach acid rises, try to make bidara leaf juice or you can consume the boiled water.

8. Help overcome the problem of vaginal discharge
Leucorrhoea is a problem that often occurs in some women. In fact, vaginal discharge can cause discomfort or itching in vital areas. Consuming bidara leaves is recommended for those who experience vaginal discharge.

Because bidara leaves have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties so they can reduce the uncomfortable effects of vaginal discharge.
For its use, you can mix the soaking water from the leaves of bidara to clean the area, do it several times a day or when you finish bathing.

9. Relieves hemorrhoids
Bidara leaves also function to relieve hemorrhoid disorders. This disease is very annoying when you do activities, especially when you have to sit a lot, this is very torturous.
To relieve it, you can drink boiled water of bidara water or you can also make juice. For maximum results, you can finely grind the leaves of bidara and apply it to the area affected by hemorrhoids.

10. To deal with dry skin
If the skin on your face feels dry so it causes the face to look dull, you can try using bidara leaves as a mask to overcome the problem.
The trick is you can take fresh bidara leaves, then crush and add with a little water. The leaves of bidara, which are useful as masks, can also be mixed beautifully.

Next, scan the leaves of the bidara throughout the face, before going to bed. After that, it took a few minutes, then when using warm water. Use a regular routine to achieve the ultimate result.

Bidara leaf cultivation

1.Growing Trees From Seed
The many benefits of bidara leaves are a reason for someone to cultivate them. Before cultivating bidara leaves, you need to grow the tree first from seeds.
There are several things you need to prepare such as a small knife, moss, bowl, paper towels, plastic bags, paper bags, pots, potting media, and germination places.

You need to get 3 or 4 ripe seeds (reddish brown in color). Namely by cutting the length of the fruit area using a knife.

Soak the seeds in warm water for about 1 hour, then rinse and dry with paper towels. Place the seeds in a paper bag and place them in a temperature that is 70 ° Fahrenheit.

Transfer the seeds to cold storage for 2-3 months. Repack the seeds from damp sphagnum moss and store them in a closed plastic bag.

Then store the seeds in the refrigerator for 2-3 months, then take them out again and place them in a bowl.

Cover the seeds using boiled water and soak them for up to 24 hours. Then rub each seed using steel fibers until there is seizure of the seeds.

Sow the seeds in a 4 inch pot along with a sterile pot. Do the sowing pot watering. After that, keep the seeds in the house near a sunny window.
Pass the pan using the germination patch at day 80 f and night 60 f. Pay attention to the humidity level, you can give it air. 3-4 weeks of germination, you can transplant and transplant during the day.

Then warm the pot at night, then remove the germination mat. Also move the seedlings in an open, warm place that is protected from temperatures over 55 F at night.
These seeds will grow mature or mature leaves, you can transplant up to 2 pots filled with soil.

2.Pruning
Pruning plants during the dry season. Hand trimmer can be done for wood or twigs half a cm in diameter.
And with Bypass loppers for 1/2 inch and 22 cm wood. Sterilize the pruning equipment to avoid diseases.

3.Plant Trees in the Ground
Bidara leaf cultivation is obtained from seeds. There are many varieties sold in stores as direct-grown graft trees. Bidara leaf plants can tolerate a wide variety of soils with a PH of 7.8. However, you need to do drainage well.
Bidara leaves require fertilization, you can use 0.2 lb nitrogen nucleated stem diameter. Apply the fertilizer before entering the growing period. Give fertilizer until 3am in April, May, June.

4.Determining the Climate
Bidara leaf trees really like hot and dry climates. This plant can bloom during the rainy season to avoid excessive dew.

5. Diseases and Problems
The problem with bidara leaves is cotton root rot. You don't have to plant the tree in the previous (same) place because it will die.
Another problem is root growth, where there are shrubs on mature trees. So, you need to immediately cut the growing roots. You need to do this with care.

Nama : Fitri Maulida 

Kelas  : X OTKP 2