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China grows the most edible honeysuckle. It’s just that wild species are cultivated there, the berries of which are small, sour, and even fall off after ripening. Canada has recently begun to create varieties that are attractive to consumers. But it is hopelessly 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 Leningradsky Velikan. It was created by the Pavlovsk experimental station VIR, located in the Leningrad region. The variety was bred from Kamchatka honeysuckle.
Specifications
An adult bush of the Leningrad Giant has a rounded crown, spreading 1.6 m in width, and a height of 1.5 m and above. This variety stands out in its line - usually the size of honeysuckles of the Pavlovsk selection is more modest. The 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 smooth top, dark blue, medium waxy coating.The length of the fruit 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 honeysuckle is tender and very sweet. Leningradsky 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 called the variety for those with a sweet tooth. Tasting score – 4.8 points.
The Leningradsky Velikan variety begins to bear fruit 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 greatly depends on agricultural technology. With proper care and timely watering, the variety consistently produces about 3 kg per plant.
The ripening period of the Leningrad Giant is average. The berries are poured unevenly and hold tightly 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
Leningradsky Giant is a self-sterile honeysuckle, although in the absence of pollinators it produces more berries than other varieties. But this cannot be called a harvest. It is recommended to plant together with Gzhelka, Morena, Blue Bird, Malvina, Blue Spindle or Reliable.
Honeysuckle attracts bees, bumblebees and other beneficial insects to the site, as it is a good honey plant.
Advantages and disadvantages
Leningradsky Giant is ideal for processing. The variety has other advantages:
- High yield.
- Winter hardiness up to 40 degrees below zero.
- Leningradsky Giant is the sweetest variety.
- Stability of fruiting.
- Resistance to re-blooming.
- Large fruit.
- The berries fall off slightly.
- Rapid entry into fruiting - a decent harvest can be collected 2-3 years after planting.
- Thanks to the heap arrangement of the 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 fresh taste.
- Self-sterility.
- Uneven ripening of berries.
Accommodation on site
The Leningradsky Giant variety is intended for cultivation mainly in the middle zone and in the north-west.
Selection of planting material
Honeysuckle should be planted in the summer, when the heat subsides, or early in the fall. Then it will have time to take root before the cold weather sets in. In spring, survival rate drops by about 20%.
Planting material should be purchased from trusted manufacturers, preferably with a closed root system. The branches should be straight and elastic, without visible damage, with equal internodes. Ripe bark can peel off - this is a feature of edible honeysuckle.
Selecting a suitable location and preparing the soil
To plant honeysuckle, you need to choose a sunny place, protected from the cold wind. Avoid depressions and hollows where cold air accumulates and soaks the soil.
Honeysuckle is undemanding when it comes to soil; it grows everywhere, but bears fruit poorly on sandstones. The ideal soil is loose, fertile, with a slightly acidic reaction. To improve the soil structure, add a bucket of organic matter to the planting holes, and 50 g of potassium salt and superphosphate each as a starting fertilizer.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 plants, place the rows 2.5-3 m from each other.
Prepare planting holes 40x40x40 cm and fill them with water. When the liquid is absorbed, pour a hill of pre-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 does not cause any trouble. He will have to pay some attention only in the first year after planting.
Caring for a young plant
The seedling needs regular watering. If the root system is allowed to dry out, the plant will, at best, develop and bear fruit poorly, and at worst, it will simply die. When the soil dries a little, it is loosened by 5-8 cm. This operation is sometimes called “dry watering”, and it also improves air circulation.
For the first 2 years after planting, feeding honeysuckle will consist of adding a solution of ammonium nitrate or urea in early spring. 10 liters per bush is enough.
Caring for an adult plant
Adult honeysuckle is watered during prolonged drought, the trunk circle is loosened and removed weeds. Ideally, you should do 3 feedings:
- In the spring on snow - with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, dissolved according to the instructions.
- In summer, after fruiting - a complete mineral complex.
- At the beginning of autumn - phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
Often gardeners limit themselves to spring fertilizing and adding buckets of humus and cans of ash to the tree 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 - dried, broken shoots that thicken the crown and bent towards the ground are removed from the honeysuckle. Then every year the old skeletal branches are cut out. After 20 years, but only in case of reduced yields, the entire bush is cut off, leaving stumps of 15-20 cm. After this, the honeysuckle will bear fruit for another 10 years.
Reproduction methods
Amateur gardeners can propagate honeysuckle by dividing a young bush or by layering. The seeds germinate and develop well, but do not inherit varietal characteristics. This method of breeding is interesting to breeders, but for gardeners it is unpromising. Cuttings do not take root well without special conditions. This method is unproductive on private farms.
Problems during cultivation
Leningradsky Giant, like other varieties of honeysuckle, is resistant to disease. The problem can only be caused by powdery mildew, which affects plants with high humidity in cold weather. It needs to be controlled with fungicides or biological agents.
Signs of pest damage and measures to combat them are presented in the table.
Pests | Visible signs | Treatment |
Leaf roller caterpillars | Young leaves and shoots are eaten by larvae | At intervals of 2 weeks, the bushes are treated with insecticides. During the ripening period of berries, biological products are used |
Aphids | Insects drink cell sap from young growth, causing it to turn yellow and wither | |
Shields | Insects that look like growths appear on the shoots and stick to the bark |
Leningradsky Giant is a variety resistant to repeated flowering.
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