Content
Honeysuckle Strawberry is a new generation variety, bred by Chelyabinsk breeders. The main characteristic is the sweet-strawberry taste of the fruit. Description of the strawberry variety of honeysuckle is of interest to many novice gardeners.
Description of Strawberry Honeysuckle
The variety is highly decorative. The bushes are vigorous and large, reaching 2 meters in height. The shoots are strong and well leafy.
General description of the honeysuckle variety:
- early maturation;
- high productivity;
- fruits hang on branches for a long time, do not crumble;
- plants are undemanding to care;
- resistance to low temperatures and insect pests.
The bisexual flowers are small and inconspicuous, collected in small brushes. The plant pleases with the first fruits already in the second year after planting. Large, blue-violet, pitcher-shaped berries acquire a delicate strawberry flavor in June. The productivity of the bush per season reaches 4 kg.
Planting and caring for strawberry honeysuckle
Strawberry Honeysuckle grows and bears fruit even in risky farming areas. The main characteristics of the culture:
- does not like direct sunlight;
- prefers neutral and slightly acidic loams and sandy soils;
- demanding on water.
Landing dates
The best time to plant edible honeysuckle varieties is the last decade of September. In autumn, the young plant will quickly take root and have time to prepare for wintering.
Seedlings planted in spring or summer often die due to insufficient moisture in the soil.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
The strawberry berry likes shady, quiet, low-lying places. To plant seedlings, you must prepare:
- landing pits measuring 0.3x0.3 m at a distance of 1.5-2 m from each other;
- 13-15 kg of soil mixture of rotted manure and river sand (1: 1), wood ash (350 g), double superphosphate (80 g), potassium sulfate (40-50 g).
The top layer of soil from the holes should be set aside to be used for backfilling the roots.
Planting rules for the variety of honeysuckle Strawberry
Before planting, you should carefully examine the root system of the seedling and cut off the damaged roots.
At the bottom of the planting hole, form a mound of soil, place a bush on it, spread the roots and cover it with a layer of loose fertile soil. The seeding depth of the root collar should not exceed 5-6 cm.
The diameter of the trunk circle should be 75-90 cm. Compact the soil around the bush and make the sides. Water abundantly. Wait until all the water is absorbed, pour again. The total consumption for each bush is 22-24 liters of water.
In order for young plants to take root better, after planting, the near-stem circle must be covered with mulch from peat or humus.
The weight of strawberry honeysuckle berries reaches 2-2.5 g
Watering and feeding
Strawberry Honeysuckle is a moisture-loving variety. Young bushes should be watered abundantly every 5-7 days. Adult plants are watered less often - 4-6 times during the growing season. The need for water is 1-2 buckets for each root.
In hot weather, it is advisable to carry out fine sprinkling of the entire crown.The leaves should be sprayed in the morning or in the evening so that the delicate foliage does not burn out under the rays of the sun.
The first 2-3 years of life, the bush is fed with a solution of mullein (1 liter of slurry per bucket of water) or bird droppings (1:20) twice a year:
- at the end of April before flowering;
- in May before fruiting.
Adult plants need fertilizing with mineral fertilizers:
- Spring feeding (April) with nitrogen fertilizers stimulates the formation of vegetative shoots. Before opening the buds, it is necessary to water the plant with a urea solution (a tablespoon in a bucket of water).
- Summer feeding is carried out immediately after picking berries with a solution of nitrophoska (1.5 tablespoons per bucket of water). A good alternative is slurry (1: 4) diluted in a bucket of water.
- Autumn feeding with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers is carried out to restore the plant and prepare for winter. To do this, you need to scatter superphosphate (100-120 g) or potassium sulfate (50-60 g) into the trunk circles under each bush. Close up the fertilizer with shallow loosening.
Pruning honeysuckle variety Strawberry
Together with spring feeding, it is advisable to trim the crown of the berry. The procedure is carried out 5-6 years after planting. Old, diseased, damaged branches should be cut. Carefully remove all zero shoots.
At the end of summer, the bushes are thinned out. You need to leave no more than 8-10 strong branches to ensure good ventilation of the plant. At 15-18 years of age, anti-aging pruning should be carried out.
Wintering
Honeysuckle with strawberry flavor tolerates low temperatures well (down to -40 ° C). Therefore, it is not necessary to cover the shrub for the winter.
However, in winter, plants can be harmed by rodents or birds. It is recommended to cover the honeysuckle with a special net to prevent damage.
Protective cover for honeysuckle for the winter
Reproduction
Honeysuckle reproduces well vegetatively. The most productive of them is reproduction by layering. To do this, in early spring, several branches of the lower tier are attached to the ground with a wooden hook. At the point of contact of the shoot with the ground, the skin is slightly incised, which stimulates the formation of adventitious roots. Separate from the main bush and replant the young plant to a permanent place only next spring. The survival rate of young plants grown from cuttings is 100%.
Pollinators of Honeysuckle Strawberry
Honeysuckle is a cross-pollinated plant. The yield of such a crop in single-varietal plantings is low. In order to have more berries, 3-4 different varieties of honeysuckle should grow in one area. The best pollinating varieties for Strawberry Shortcake are Bazhovskaya, Sineglazka, Success, Delight.
Diseases and pests
Large-fruited strawberry honeysuckle is resistant to diseases and pests. Most often, this garden shrub is affected by powdery mildew. For protection during the active growing season, the bushes are sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid or colloidal sulfur. The preparations "Skor" and "Vector" have proven themselves well. In order to prevent infection of healthy areas, it is necessary to remove the affected leaves in a timely manner.
Rare cases of damage to the leaves of the berry plant with a false scale, leaf beetle caterpillars, honeysuckle mites and aphids have been recorded.
False scale insect - the main pest of Strawberry honeysuckle
To prevent the attack of pests on the shrub, in the spring it is necessary to treat the branches with a solution of Akteppik or Confidor.
An important preventive measure against diseases and pests of honeysuckle is the timely mowing of the grass at the summer cottage.
Conclusion
Description of the variety of honeysuckle Strawberry allows beginners and experienced gardeners to make the right choice in favor of this culture. Delicate berries with a unique taste are a storehouse of vitamins and minerals necessary for the body.In addition, the fruits have a high therapeutic effect: they reduce blood pressure, eliminate inflammation, relieve swelling and treat anemia.
