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Recently, honeysuckle is increasingly appearing in garden plots. The reason for the increasing popularity of this berry is the early stages of ripening and the high frost resistance of the bush. Below will be a photo, description of the variety and reviews of Malvina honeysuckle, which has sweet fruits.
Description of honeysuckle Malvina
Malvina honeysuckle was obtained relatively recently at the St. Petersburg experimental station named after Vavilov by crossing the Leningrad giant and form 21/5. The authors of the variety are Kondrikova and Plekhanova. In 2002, it was included in the State Register for all cultivation zones.
Externally, Malvina honeysuckle is an oval-shaped shrub. Stems of small thickness are directed upward almost perpendicularly. They have noticeable pubescence. Young branches are green, when mature they are brown. Over time, the bark begins to crack, revealing reddish wood.
The bushes of the variety have a compact spherical or oval shape
The leaves of honeysuckle Malvina are quite large and oval in shape. Length – 6 cm, width – 3 cm. The leaf is dark green, straight. Pubescence is also present on them, but it is almost invisible.
Small, bell-shaped flowers of honeysuckle Malvina are pale yellow. They are located in nodes along the entire length of the shoots. Racemose inflorescences can contain up to 10 small “bells”. The plant blooms in early May.
Malvina honeysuckle berries are large, average weight up to 1.1 g, length up to 30 mm, diameter 12 mm. Their surface is slightly tuberous, without pubescence. The shape of the berries is characteristic, with an uneven edge at the top.
Malvina honeysuckle berries are covered with a bluish waxy coating
Planting and caring for honeysuckle Malvina
The variety is unpretentious to the site. Honeysuckle Malvina can be grown on any type of soil; it does not need protection from the wind. However, it is better to choose slightly raised, slightly alkaline loam for the bush; in such an area the fruiting efficiency of the plant will be maximum. Already at the stage of purchasing seedlings, you should take care of the process of growing the crop and purchase several pollinators.
Bushes are placed in a group in a corner or on the border of the garden. This ensures that the bushes are close to each other during the pollination process. It is recommended to plant 4 plants in a row. The distance between bushes is 1.5 m. The best time for planting is the first two months of autumn.
Planting is standard for bushes. A month before the planned date, a hole measuring 40x40x40 cm is dug, at the bottom of which a choice of mineral or organic fertilizers are placed:
- 2 buckets of humus;
- 10 kg of compost;
- 100 g of superphosphate and 500 g of ash, etc.
The hole is left open until planting.
When the time comes, a mound is formed in it on which the seedling will rest, and its root system is evenly distributed along its slopes. The hole is filled with soil and compacted. Watering after planting: 10-12 liters of water per bush. The soil around is mulched with straw about 10 cm high.
Plants from pots are planted together with a lump of earth.
Care consists of regular watering and fertilizing. Pruning procedures are also required for the bush.
Watering is carried out regularly, but infrequently. Usually 5-6 per summer is enough, the norm is 15 liters per bush.
When watering, a small shaft is formed around the bush to prevent water from spreading
It is best to use organic matter as a top dressing:
- In early spring, 10 kg of humus is applied under the bush;
- During budding, add ash (dilute 1 kg in 10 liters of water).
- At the end of the season, 5 kg of compost mixed with 100 g of ash and 40 g of superphosphate are added under the plant.
Starting from the third year of life, Malvina honeysuckle is regularly pruned. The plant is prone to thickening, so its crown should be “corrected” every year. Twice a season, sanitary pruning is carried out, combined with corrective pruning, once every 2-3 years - formative, and every 5-7 years - rejuvenating.
Reproduction of honeysuckle variety Malvina
Edible honeysuckle Malvina can reproduce in the following ways:
- Using cuttings from young shoots. Use cuttings of branches no longer than 12 cm, which are cut at the end of flowering and placed in fertile soil, creating greenhouse conditions with a constant temperature of + 25 ° C. Ventilation and watering are done daily.Already in the fall they receive seed, which is planted in the 2nd ten days of October. Such shoots have better survival rate.
- Similar to the previous one, but cuttings are harvested at the end of autumn and old shoots are used. 1-2 summer branches are divided into 20 cm sections; in November they are covered with sand and stored in a cool place until spring. As soon as the opportunity arises, they are planted in a greenhouse at an angle of 45 ° to the ground. This is followed by daily watering and ventilation. In mid-October they are transplanted into open ground.
- By layering. In June, the top of the honeysuckle is bent to the ground, fixed with a bracket and sprinkled with 5 cm of soil. Water regularly. In the fall of next year, the plant can be transplanted to a new location.
Pollinators of honeysuckle Malvina
The variety is self-sterile, so additional pollinators will be required to obtain a harvest on the site. Being a cross-pollinated crop, honeysuckle requires more or less related varieties, although this is not necessary.
The following pollinators are recommended for Malvina:
- Blue Spindle;
- Blue bird;
- In memory of Kuminov;
- Moraine.
Diseases and pests
It is believed that honeysuckle practically does not get sick. In humid climates or when there is too much rainfall during the warm season, fungal infestations can occur. These include sooty fungus or tubercular disease. During drought, the plant may be attacked by powdery mildew.
A typical manifestation of powdery mildew is a white coating covering the fruits, shoots and leaves.
To prevent fungal diseases, it is recommended to treat the plant three times during the spring with an ash solution (100 g of ash is infused in 1 liter of water for 24 hours, after which 10 g of soap is added to it). Repeated treatments are performed every other week.
If fungus appears, all bushes should be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture at a concentration of 1%. The treatment must be repeated 2 more times after 7-10 days.
If signs of tubercular disease appear (red swelling and wilting of foliage and shoots), the affected areas will have to be completely removed and burned, and the stems will have to be sprayed with Fitoflavin.
Conclusion
Photos, descriptions of the variety and reviews of Malvina honeysuckle indicate that this large and prolific crop can be grown throughout Russia. It has very high frost resistance (up to -40 °C), has an excellent sweet taste and a delicate texture of ripe fruit pulp. The plant is capable of producing large yields only in the presence of other varieties on the site as pollinators.
Reviews of honeysuckle variety Malvina
Since its appearance, this variety has gained popularity and won the love of many homeowners. Below are reviews from gardeners about honeysuckle variety Malvina.
