Content
Description of the variety, photos and reviews of honeysuckle Bell give a complete picture of the plant. This variety has almost no disadvantages, except for its inability to grow in the southern regions. Despite its relative youth, the variety is grown by gardeners and gardeners in all cold areas.
Honeysuckle Bluebell can reach 2 m in height, the bush is often lush, slightly spreading
Description of honeysuckle variety Bell
This variety was bred in 1979 at the Pavlovsk experimental station. This is a particularly frost-resistant variety of shrub that does not tolerate warm winters.
Honeysuckle variety Bell is a deciduous species, according to the description, photos and reviews of gardeners, two meters in height. Young branches are slightly pubescent and light green. Mature shoots have brown bark with a yellow tint. The leaves are bright green in color, elongated-ovate in shape.
Flowering occurs in May, the buds are light yellow, almost white. The inflorescences are located in the axils of the leaves, and the first fruits ripen in mid-June. The berries have a rounded base and a wide, flat top.The taste is sweet and sour, the aroma is rich, the flesh is juicy.
Honeysuckle Bluebell can withstand frost down to -40°C, and the flowers do not fall off when the temperature drops to 8°C. The plant can survive drought, but the berries become smaller and the taste becomes bitter. To avoid this, pour 2 buckets of water under each bush.
Planting and caring for honeysuckle Bell
Honeysuckle variety Bell is recommended to be planted either in very early spring, when the plant has not yet woken up, or in the fall, when the leaves have already fallen. Planting must be done with a lump of soil.
For the bush, sandy-clay type soil, slightly acidic, is suitable. It is recommended to choose a place that is sunny and protected from strong winds. If there is no such combination, you can fence the seedling artificially by stretching thin covering material or film as a wall.
Before planting, prepare holes 50 cm deep and with sides of the same size. Place 2 buckets of compost inside, mix the excavated soil with wood ash (1 kg) and superphosphate (50 g), and pour it into the hole in a mound. Then they start planting:
- The roots are distributed along the edges of the hill in the hole, watered and sprinkled with a little soil.
- The hole is filled with soil, the plant is watered at the root, avoiding water getting on the trunk.
- Mulch the ground with leaves, sawdust or grass. It is not recommended to use any parts of coniferous trees; they contribute to a sharp increase in soil acidity.
After planting, Honeysuckle Bluebell will need to be weeded regularly until the seedling grows sufficiently. You also need to carefully loosen the soil so as not to touch the roots. Watering is only necessary in hot, dry years. You will need to pour 2 buckets of water under the plant once a week.
Pruning for the first 10 years of honeysuckle's life The bell is not needed; the usual removal of dry and diseased branches is enough. If the yield drops sharply, cut off the entire bush, almost at the root, so that the plant produces new shoots.
Fertilizers are applied once every 3 years, using ready-made complex fertilizers or mixing 5 kg of manure, 20 g of potassium salt and 50 g of superphosphate.
No special preparation for winter is needed. Before wintering you only need:
- remove mulch and fallen leaves;
- trim dry branches;
- cut out 1-2 of the oldest branches so that there is room for new shoots to grow.
It is also permissible to add 30 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium salt so that the plant can better withstand the winter.
It is recommended to plant honeysuckle Bellflower in early spring or after the leaves fall, in the fall
Reproduction of honeysuckle variety Bell
Honeysuckle Bluebell is propagated by four methods - seeds, layering, dividing the bush and cuttings.
To propagate by layering, proceed as follows:
- In the spring, before the sap begins to move, several branches are tilted.
- Press down and cover with earth.
- Layers should take root within 2 weeks to 2 months.
- After rooting, they are cut and placed as seedlings.
If it is not possible to bend the branches, it is permissible to cut the bark, retreating 17 cm from the top of the branch, apply moss, cover it with polyethylene and secure it. This is how air layerings are obtained, which are planted like ordinary ones.
To cut honeysuckle Bluebell, you need to cut young branches in early spring or after the first ovaries. It is desirable that each one has 2 buds and 3-4 cm for planting.The cuttings are kept in water for 24 hours, then planted in the ground.
Dividing the bush is only suitable for already formed plants. In early spring, before the buds awaken, part of the bush is dug up and transplanted to a new location. Moving must be done together with the soil so as not to damage the roots.
Propagation by seeds does not guarantee the preservation of varietal qualities and takes a lot of time.
Step by step process:
- Seeds are stratified for 2 months in the refrigerator.
- Sow them in trays with soil (it is advisable to add compost to the ground), deepening them to 1 cm.
- After 2 months, when shoots appear, the seedlings are planted in separate pots.
- At the beginning of summer, young plants are planted in the ground, having previously been hardened in the fresh air.
Also, gardeners advise honeysuckle Bluebell, contrary to the opinions of some experts, to propagate and plant only in the spring, so that the plant takes root by autumn.
The best pollinators of honeysuckle variety Bell
This variety requires pollinators and is self-sterile. For honeysuckle Bell, we recommend such neighbors as Tomichka, Zolushka, Iksa, Blue Spindle or the Pamyati Gidzyuk variety.
Diseases and pests
Honeysuckle Bluebell is resistant to pests and is little susceptible to disease. Birds damage the bushes the most; the berries are protected from them by simply covering them with a fine net.
Sometimes Bluebell honeysuckle suffers from caterpillars, scale insects, honeysuckle mites and aphids, pollen flies, and leaf rollers.
Common diseases include fungi and powdery mildew. For treatment and prevention, Fundazol and anti-parasite chemicals are used.
It is not recommended to use preparations on fruit-bearing bushes; treatment is carried out either after fruiting or before the berries set.
One of the best Bellflower pollinators is the Cinderella variety.
Conclusion
Through the description of the variety, photos and reviews of honeysuckle Bell, it is clear that this variety is not well suited for small areas, the bush is too tall. There are also noticeable advantages - resistance to frost and parasites. The only drawback of Honeysuckle Bluebell is that it does not tolerate drought and heat.
