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Honeysuckle is a rare guest of domestic garden plots. It is difficult to explain such a modest interest in this culture, because it is distinguished by high decorative and taste qualities. Russian gardeners simply do not have information about this shrub. Description of the variety, photos and reviews of Violet honeysuckle will help you get to know the unique plant better.
Description of honeysuckle Violet Le-Japanese
This variety is both decorative and dessert. The slightly spreading tree grows up to 1.5 m. The crown is rounded, dense, the branches fit tightly to the trunk. The shoots are thickened and do not bend during growth. The color of the bark is gray-green, brown.
The leaves are oblong, large, their color is bright green, the leaf blade is flat. The flowers are not large, do not exceed 2 cm in diameter, at first they are colored in a pale green shade, later becoming creamy white.
On the peduncle there is a pair of buds, each of which consists of 5 reed petals
The modest color of the bush, as in the photo, gave florists the idea to name one of the white varieties of violets Japanese honeysuckle.
The flowers are delicate and dim, like the Violet honeysuckle itself
At the end of May, the first fruits of the Violet honeysuckle ripen. They are not large, their weight does not exceed 1.5 g. The color of the berries is dark blue, the surface is lumpy and uneven. The length of the fruit is approximately 3 cm.
The ripened, ready-to-eat berry is covered with a waxy coating.
It has a pleasant, subtle aroma, the pulp consists of a large amount of fiber, the taste is sweet, with a slight sourness. The taste of the fruit is rated at 4.8 points.
Planting and caring for honeysuckle Violet
The variety is planted in open, well-lit areas. In the shade, honeysuckle Violet bears fruit poorly, the fruits become smaller and become sour.
The soil should be loose, fertile, well ventilated. It is better to avoid swampy areas for planting.
Before rooting, ash and sand are added to the hole in equal parts.
Sand and ash are necessary so that the seedling begins to grow quickly
After rooting, organic fertilizers are used: humus, manure, compost.
The honeysuckle variety Violet is recommended to be planted in the fall. In spring, the shrub wakes up early and is difficult to root before the onset of consistently warm weather. In this case, the tree may not be accepted or may be sick for a long time.
A week before the Violet honeysuckle seedling takes root, the area is weeded and the ground is carefully dug up.
You can spill boiling water on the soil to destroy all possible pests.
Planting holes are dug slightly larger than the volume of the rhizome of the Violet honeysuckle seedling. Usually 50x50x50 cm in size. The distance between seedlings should be at least 1.5 m.
Drainage is laid at the bottom of the hole: expanded clay, broken brick or stone
Soil mixed with humus and sand is poured on top. The hill should take up a little more than half of the hole. A seedling is placed on top of it. Its rhizome should fit freely in the hole.
The root collar should not be located underground, only level with it or 1 cm above the surface
The rhizome is covered with the same fertile mixture on which it is located. Then the earth is compacted and the plant is watered with warm, settled water. After watering, the tree trunk circle is mulched with a thick layer of straw. This coating will help conserve moisture.
After planting, Violet honeysuckle is regularly watered. The earth around the trunk is loosened. Several times a month it is necessary to update the layer of mulch to prevent the soil underneath from rotting. After watering, it is necessary to fluff up the soil so as not to disturb the air exchange. The roots of the plant need access to oxygen.
Acidified soils are shed with ash (1 liter per 15 liters of water). The procedure is carried out once per season. For the first 2 years after planting, Violet honeysuckle is not fed.
Reproduction of honeysuckle fruit violet
Cuttings are considered the most effective method of propagating this variety. As soon as the first green fruit ovaries appear on the tree, they begin to prepare the cuttings.
It is better to cut shoots in damp, cloudy, cool weather. For cuttings, choose strong green branches of the current year. For subsequent reproduction, the middle part of the shoot is suitable; it must have a pair of leaves.
The length of the cutting should not exceed 15 cm.
At the top the branch is cut straight, at the bottom - at an angle of 45 ᵒ, while trying to preserve the buds, retreating 1 cm from them
The resulting children are planted in a mixture of peat and sand (1:3). The air temperature in the room should be 20-22 ᵒС, humidity – 85%.To create such conditions, the container with seedlings is covered with film and watered regularly.
After 10 days, young plants will have roots
After this, the film is removed, the temperature in the room is reduced by opening the windows.
Also, edible honeysuckle lonicera edulis Violet can be propagated by seeds and layering. But these methods are less effective. They are rarely used in gardening.
Pollinators of honeysuckle Violet
The variety belongs to self-fertile, cross-pollinated crops. It is not difficult to find useful neighbors for shrubs.
Honeysuckle Violet is pollinated with the following varieties:
- Viola is an ornamental shrub with high-tasting fruits.
One of the varieties of the old selection, which has proven itself over time
- Amphora is a large-fruited variety whose berries tolerate transportation well.
Housewives consider this berry the best for canning.
- Blue spindle is a drought-resistant and frost-resistant variety of Siberian selection.
Depending on climatic conditions and care, the fruits become sour, sweet or bitter
Pollinator varieties are planted near the Violet honeysuckle. The distance between the bushes is maintained at least 1.5 m. This is necessary so that the crown grows well and the branches do not break off.
Diseases and pests of edible honeysuckle Violet
The variety is resistant to many pests and diseases of fruit crops. Violation of the rules of agricultural technology and improper care lead to the fact that Violet honeysuckle may die.
If the foliage of the bush begins to turn yellow, curl and fall off, it means that the crop has been attacked by aphids.
To prevent the appearance of aphids on Violet honeysuckle, in early spring make sure that there are no anthills nearby
If the insect has already attacked the bush, it is treated with pesticides. For the best effect, cover the top with film and leave it overnight.
The leaf roller also destroys the green shoots of Violet honeysuckle. The insect crawls onto the bush from other fruit trees.
The pest appears in May, during the ripening period of blue honeysuckle berries Violet
If there are few insects, they are collected by hand and destroyed. When there are large concentrations of caterpillars, they are controlled with pesticides.
If the summer is cold and there are frequent heavy rains, the Violet honeysuckle may wilt from fungal diseases. The most common of them is powdery mildew.
The appearance of a whitish coating on the leaves indicates they are infected with a fungus.
To destroy this pathogen, chemicals containing copper (copper sulfate) are used. For preventive purposes in the spring, after the snow has melted, Violet honeysuckle is treated with Bordeaux mixture.
Conclusion
A full description of the variety, photos and reviews of Violet honeysuckle will help novice breeders of this crop. It is worth planting it on every personal plot. This plant is not only beautiful, it bears abundant fruit with tasty, healthy fruits and can serve as a hedge or ornamental shrub.
Reviews of honeysuckle Violet
Reviews from gardeners about Violet honeysuckle are almost always positive. This is not surprising; it rarely happens that tasters rate the taste of a berry almost 5 points.
