Content
China grows the most edible honeysuckle. Here only wild species are cultivated there, the berries of which are small, sour, and even crumble after ripening. Canada has recently begun to create attractive varieties for the consumer. But it has hopelessly lagged behind Russia, where selection has been carried out since the middle of the last century.
Description of the variety
One of the most promising varieties of edible honeysuckle for industrial cultivation is the Leningrad Giant. It was created by the Pavlovsk experimental station VIR, located in the Leningrad region. The variety is bred from Kamchatka honeysuckle.
Specifications
The adult bush of the Leningrad Giant has a rounded crown, spreading 1.6 m in breadth, with a height of 1.5 m and above. This variety stands out in its lineup - usually the size of Pavlovian selection honeysuckles is more modest. Shoots and leaves of the Giant are dull green, slightly pubescent.
The berries are covered with smoothed tubercles, cylindrical in shape, with a round bottom and a flat top, dark blue, medium waxy bloom. The length of the fruits is 2.2-3.3 cm, the thickness at the widest point is 1.2 cm, the weight ranges from 1.2 g to 1.5 g.
The pulp of the honeysuckle is tender, very sweet. The Leningrad Giant is often used in the creation of other varieties as a sweet fruit donor. There is a slight sourness in the berries, but when fully ripe, it is practically not felt. This honeysuckle is often referred to as a sweet tooth variety. Tasting score - 4.8 points.
The Leningradsky Giant variety begins fruiting 2-4 years after planting, the yield of an adult bush is 1.9-3 kg, the maximum is 5 kg. The yield of berries is highly dependent on agricultural technology. With proper care and timely watering, the variety consistently yields about 3 kg per plant.
The ripening period of the Leningrad Giant is average. The berries are poured unevenly and adhere firmly to the branches. It is most convenient to do manual harvesting - the fruits are collected in groups resembling bunches. The winter hardiness of the variety is good.
Pollinators
The Leningrad Giant is a self-fertile honeysuckle, however, in the absence of pollinators, it produces more berries than other varieties. But this cannot be called a harvest. Joint planting with Gzhelka, Morin, Blue Bird, Malvina, Blue Spindle or Reliable is recommended.
Honeysuckle attracts bees, bumblebees and other beneficial insects to the site, as it is a good honey plant.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Leningrad Giant is ideal for recycling. The variety has other advantages:
- High productivity.
- Winter hardiness up to 40 degrees of frost.
- The Leningrad Giant is the sweetest variety.
- Stability of fruiting.
- Resistant to re-flowering.
- Large-fruited.
- The berries are poorly crumbled.
- Quick entry into fruiting - a decent harvest can be harvested 2-3 years after planting.
- Thanks to the heap arrangement of berries, their harvesting is simplified.
- Undemanding to growing conditions.
- The bush bears fruit for 30 years.
The disadvantages of the variety include:
- Unripe berries have a bland taste.
- Self-infertility.
- Uneven ripening of berries.
Accommodation on the site
The Leningradskiy Velikan variety is intended for cultivation mainly in the middle lane and in the northwest.
The choice of planting material
You need to plant honeysuckle in the summer, when the heat subsides, or early in the fall. Then, before the onset of cold weather, it will have time to take root. In spring, survival rate drops by about 20%.
Planting material must be purchased from trusted manufacturers, preferably with a closed root system. The branches should be straight and resilient, without visible damage, with equal internodes. Ripe bark can flake off - this is a feature of edible honeysuckle.
Choosing a suitable location and preparing the ground
To plant honeysuckle, you need to choose a sunny place, protected from the cold wind. Avoid hollows and valleys where cold air collects and blocks the soil.
Honeysuckle is undemanding to soils, it grows everywhere, only on sandstones it bears poorly. The ideal land is loose, fertile, with a slightly acidic reaction. To improve the structure of the soil, a bucket of organic matter is added to the planting pits, and as a starting fertilizer - 50 g of potassium salt and superphosphate each. Dolomite flour or lime is added to podzolic and other acidic soils.
Planting honeysuckle
There is no consensus on the best planting scheme for honeysuckle. The Leningradsky Giant variety should not be placed according to the standard plan - its bush can grow up to 2.5 m.Leave a space of at least 2 m between the plants, arrange the rows 2.5-3 m apart.
Prepare planting holes 40x40x40 cm and fill them with water. When the liquid is absorbed, pour a hill from the previously prepared fertile mixture in the center. Place the honeysuckle on top, straighten the roots, fill the hole with soil, deepening the neck by about 5 cm. Compact the soil, water and mulch the seedling.
Growing honeysuckle
When placed correctly on the site, honeysuckle is not a hassle. He will have to pay some attention only in the first year after disembarkation.
Young plant care
The seedling needs regular watering. If the root system is allowed to dry out, the plant will at best develop and bear fruit poorly, at worst it will simply die. When the soil dries up a little, it is loosened by 5-8 cm. This operation is sometimes called "dry irrigation", moreover, it improves air circulation.
The first 2 years after planting, feeding the honeysuckle will consist in the introduction of a solution of ammonium nitrate or urea in early spring. Enough 10 liters for each bush.
Adult plant care
Adult honeysuckle is watered during prolonged drought, the trunk circle is loosened and removed weeds... Ideally, 3 dressings should be done:
- In the spring on snow - fertilizers containing nitrogen, dissolved according to the instructions.
- In summer, after fruiting, it is a complete mineral complex.
- In early autumn - phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
Often, gardeners are limited to spring feeding and adding buckets of humus and ash cans to the trunk circle for the winter.
Pruning and wintering
The Leningrad Giant can withstand frosts up to 40 degrees. The variety does not need shelter for the winter.
For the first 15 years, only sanitary pruning is carried out - from honeysuckle, dried, broken, thickening crown and shoots inclined to the ground are removed. Then the old skeletal branches are cut out every year. After 20 years, but only in case of a reduction in yields, the entire bush is cut off, leaving hemp of 15-20 cm. After that, the honeysuckle will bear fruit for another 10 years.
Reproduction methods
Amateur gardeners can propagate honeysuckle by dividing a young bush or by layering. Seeds germinate and develop well, but do not inherit varietal traits.This breeding method is interesting for breeders, but for gardeners it is futile. Cuttings take root poorly without special conditions. This method is unproductive in private households.
Growing problems
The Leningrad Giant, like other varieties of honeysuckle, is resistant to disease. Only powdery mildew, which infects plants in high humidity in cold weather, can create a problem. You need to fight it with fungicides or biological agents.
Signs of pest damage and control measures are set out in the table.
Pests | Visible signs | Treatment |
Leafworm caterpillars | Young leaves and shoots devour the larvae | With an interval of 2 weeks, the bushes are treated with insecticides. During the ripening period of berries, biological products are used |
Aphids | Insects drink cell juice from young growth, which makes it turn yellow and wither | |
Shields | Insects that look like growths appear on the shoots, which stick to the bark. |
Leningradsky Giant is a variety resistant to repeated flowering.
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