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Honeysuckle is not only a beautiful, but also a useful shrub. Thanks to the large number of varieties and hybrids, you can choose the plant you like best, which will suit the growing region. Description of the variety, photos and reviews of Honeysuckle Sorceress will help you make the right choice and purchase a large-fruited, winter-hardy shrub that will not only bring a stable harvest, but will also decorate your garden plot.
Description of honeysuckle Sorceress
Honeysuckle Sorceress was bred by Russian scientists relatively recently. The plant was obtained by crossing Kamchatka honeysuckle, thanks to which the variety turned out to be cold-resistant and disease-resistant.
Despite its young age, the variety has gained great popularity among gardeners. The plant forms a slightly spreading bush or small tree, up to one and a half meters high. In spring, dark olive, oblong leaves with a matte surface appear on thick, red-brown shoots.
In April, the bush is covered with wax flowers. Afterwards, large, oblong dark blue berries appear on the plant.The weight of each reaches up to 1.5 g. The thin, dense skin covers the juicy, tender pulp with a sweet and sour taste.
Overripe berries from the bush do not fall off and do not turn sour in the sun
In addition to its high taste qualities, the variety is hardy, undemanding in care, immune to diseases, high-yielding and easily transported over long distances.
Honeysuckle Sorceress is a cold-resistant variety. An adult shrub can withstand frosts down to - 40 °C, but flower buds freeze at a temperature of - 5 °C.
The plant is unpretentious and develops well with a lack of moisture. For this reason, Sorceress honeysuckle grows and develops well in regions with dry summers. But when growing in the south of the country, it is important to remember that the taste and presentation of the crop depend on watering.
Honeysuckle Sorceress is a productive variety; if agricultural practices are followed, up to 3 kg of berries can be harvested from an adult bush. In terms of fruiting time, the plant is considered mid-early, it all depends on the place and region of growth. In central Russia, when grown in a sunny place, biological ripeness occurs at the end of June or mid-July.
The berry has a good taste and beneficial properties.
In folk medicine, not only berries are used; the entire aerial part is used to prepare infusions and decoctions. In cooking, the harvested crop is valued fresh; compotes, preserves and jams are prepared from it. The berries can also be frozen and dried.
Honeysuckle Sorceress, like any garden plant, has positive and negative sides.
The advantages include:
- large fruit;
- good taste and presentation;
- high shelf life and good transportability;
- compact size;
- ease of care;
- high frost resistance and immunity to diseases.
Many gardeners include the following disadvantages of the variety:
- sterility;
- low resistance to insect pests;
- With a lack of moisture, the pulp acquires a bitter taste.
The pulp contains vitamins and microelements that increase immunity, strengthen blood vessels and improve cerebral circulation
Planting and caring for honeysuckle Sorceress
To get the maximum yield from a bush, you need to choose the right planting material, know the place, time of planting and care rules. It is also important to study the varietal characteristics of the tree, its advantages and disadvantages, and view photos and videos about the edible honeysuckle Sorceress.
It is better to purchase a seedling in a specialized store at the age of two years. A healthy plant should have strong shoots with brightly colored bark. The root system must be free of mechanical damage and signs of rot. The optimal height of the seedling is 40-50 cm.
Honeysuckle Sorceress is planted in spring and autumn. Autumn rooting is carried out a month before the onset of frost. Spring - after the soil warms up and the end of spring frosts.
Honeysuckle Sorceress grows well and bears fruit in a sunny place with fertile, well-drained soil, neutral acidity. In the shade, the plant will develop well, but the yield will be minimal, and the taste will not be the best.
It is better to plant bushes along a fence or other buildings, as drafts and gusty winds can damage the young seedling.
Landing rules:
- In the selected area, dig a hole measuring 40x40 cm.
- A drainage layer and nutrient soil are placed at the bottom.
- The roots of the seedling are straightened and placed in the center of the hole.
- The void is filled with soil.
- The top layer is compacted, spilled and mulched.
- After the soil settles, the root collar should be located above the soil surface or it should be buried 3 cm.
The growth and development of the bush depends on care. For full fruiting, honeysuckle requires regular watering, timely fertilizing and pruning.
In cold weather conditions, the bush is irrigated 3-4 times a season: during the period of active growth, at the time of flowering and fruit formation, in the fall - a month before the onset of cold weather. Watering should be plentiful; at least a bucket of settled water is used for each adult plant. Irrigation is carried out strictly at the root, since when moisture gets on the foliage, fungal diseases appear.
Watering should be plentiful and regular
After each watering, the tree trunk circle is loosened and mulched, and weeds are removed, as they are carriers of diseases and pests.
The first fertilizing is applied 3 years after planting. Scheme for applying fertilizers for each plant:
- during the growing season - urea;
- in the phase of flower and fruit formation - double superphosphate and potassium sulfate;
- in the summer, after picking the berries, use nitrophoska;
- in the fall - compost.
In spring and autumn, sanitary and anti-aging pruning is carried out. During the procedure, old, damaged branches, as well as interfering shoots and root shoots are removed. To stimulate growth, adult skeletal parts are shortened, leaving branches of 30-40 cm.
Honeysuckle Sorceress is a winter-hardy crop, so it does not need shelter for the winter. But, despite its cold resistance, it is better to prepare the bush for future cold weather:
- The plant is shed abundantly with settled water. Waterlogged soil does not freeze so much, so the root system will not be damaged even by severe frosts.
- After irrigation, shallow loosening is carried out, and the tree trunk circle is sprinkled with wood ash.
- To increase immunity, the above-ground part is sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate.
Pollinators of honeysuckle Sorceress
Blue honeysuckle Sorceress is a self-sterile variety. To obtain maximum yield, varieties that bear fruit at the same time are planted next to the bush. The following are suitable pollinators for honeysuckle Sorceress:
- Long-fruited;
- Chelyabinsk;
- Zest;
- Sineglazka.
Reproduction of edible honeysuckle Sorceress
Honeysuckle Sorceress reproduces by cuttings and dividing the bush.
To root branches, the strongest shoot is selected and placed in a trench, leaving the top above the ground. The branch is sprinkled with nutritious soil, watered and mulched. A year after rooting, the young plant is separated from the mother bush and transplanted to a permanent place.
By dividing the bush, honeysuckle is propagated during transplantation. The plant is dug up and divided into the required number of divisions. Each part must have healthy shoots and a strong root system. For better rooting, before planting in a permanent place, the cuttings are kept in a growth stimulator.
By dividing the bush, the plant is propagated exclusively in autumn.
Diseases and pests
Honeysuckle Kamchatka Sorceress has strong immunity to many diseases.But in order for the plant to grow and develop safely, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures in a timely manner. For this:
- During the swelling phase of the buds, the bush is sprayed with urea, Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate.
- During the flowering period, the plant is treated with the preparation “Biotlin”, “Calypso”.
- After flowering, honeysuckle cannot be treated with chemicals, so the bush is sprayed with biological products “Gaupsin” and “Fitosporin”.
Conclusion
Description of the variety, photos and reviews of honeysuckle Sorceress show how attractive the plant is and how suitable it is for growing in a personal plot. If agricultural practices are followed, the shrub will delight you not only with its decorative appearance, but will also bring a good harvest of tasty and healthy berries. The collected fruits can be used fresh or canned.
