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Nowadays, many types of honeysuckle have been bred, but the Lakomka variety stands out noticeably from all the others. This plant has a pleasant fruit taste without the bitterness that is inherent in this culture. In addition, its berries are much larger than those of other species and have a pleasant aroma, so they are liked not only by adults, but also by children. Description of the variety, photos and reviews of honeysuckle Gourmand will help you better understand what kind of crop it is, how to grow it correctly in your garden, and what difficulties may arise.
Description of edible honeysuckle Gourmand
This crop variety was obtained by Nizhny Novgorod breeder V. A. Fefelov. This species was officially registered in 1998, but work has been going on to improve its characteristics for 10 years before this point.
As you can see in the photo below, the Lakomka honeysuckle bush is medium in size and compact in shape. It reaches a height of one and a half meters. The crown is lush, oval-round in shape. After planting, the first four years of honeysuckle growth are slow, but later the rate accelerates significantly.Lakomka's shoots are straight, thin, and green in color, but with a slight bluish tint. The leaves on them are densely located. The shape of the plates resembles an elongated oval. The foliage color is light green.
Lakomka's berries are large, 2-3 cm long. They are dark blue in color with a characteristic waxy coating on the surface. Their weight varies between 0.9-1.3 g. The fruits are edible and taste sweet and sour without bitterness. They can be eaten both fresh and processed. The yield from a young bush varies between 2.5-3 kg, and from a 10-year-old plant - 3.5-5.5 kg, subject to proper care.
Fruit ripening in this type of crop occurs in the first half. At the same time, ripe berries fall off, so harvesting must be done 3-4 times. The first fruits appear 3-4 years after planting.
This honeysuckle variety is one of the early ripening varieties.
Planting and caring for honeysuckle variety Lakomka
Honeysuckle Gourmand is a light-loving crop, so you need to select open areas for it, protected from drafts. With a lack of light, the berries become smaller and the overall yield decreases. The variety is not picky about soil composition and develops normally even when planted in depleted heavy soil. But to obtain high yields, light loams and sandy loam soils are preferable. The occurrence of groundwater on the site must be at least 1.5 m from the surface.
Planting should be done in the fall from early September to late October. At the same time, at least three weeks must remain before the onset of stable frosts so that the plant has time to take root in a new place. The area must be dug up in advance so that the soil has time to settle. It is important to place honeysuckle at a distance of 1 m from each other, as well as at a distance of 3 m from tall crops.
The planting hole should be 40 cm wide and deep. It must be filled in advance with a nutrient mixture. To do this, you need to mix the top layer of soil, humus and peat in a ratio of 2:1:1. In addition, additionally add superphosphate (60 g) and potassium sulfide (40 g). Mix all the ingredients and fill the cavity with the resulting mixture.
Procedure:
- Make a slight elevation in the center of the planting hole.
- Inspect the roots, remove damaged and broken areas.
- Place the seedling on a mound in the center, straighten the roots.
- Sprinkle with earth and compact the surface.
- Water the plant generously.
The next day, it is necessary to mulch the root circle with peat, straw or humus to prevent the roots from drying out
It is important not only to properly plant Lakomka honeysuckle, but also to provide complete care in the open ground. This culture does not tolerate lack of moisture. Therefore, it is necessary to timely water the bushes in the absence of regular rains. This should be done not only during the growing season and fruiting, but also after harvesting, since during this period the plant is actively growing new branches.
You should also regularly feed the bush. This should be done in spring and autumn.In the first case, you need to use urea (10 g) or ammonium nitrate (15 g) per bucket of water. Also, to improve the growing season, the root circle needs to be mulched with humus. In the second case, you should use superphosphate and 150 g of wood ash. To apply fertilizer, you need to make a small ditch 10 cm deep within a radius of 30-50 cm from the trunk. Pour the components into it, and then cover it with soil.
To successfully grow Gourmand honeysuckle on a plot, it is necessary to regularly loosen the soil at the base of the bush and remove weeds in a timely manner
Propagation of edible honeysuckle variety Lakomka
The crop can be propagated in several ways: cuttings, dividing the bush and layering. All options help preserve the species properties of honeysuckle.
For prepared cuttings, it is necessary to remove the lower pair of leaves and shorten the rest by half
It is recommended to make blanks from the shoots of the current year. For rooting, you must initially cut off the top, and then divide the remaining part of the shoot into segments 7-12 cm long. The optimal thickness of the cuttings is 0.4-0.5 cm. Each division should have 2-3 pairs of leaves and at least one internode.
The upper cut of the cutting should be straight and 1.0-1.5 cm above the bud, and the lower cut should be oblique at an angle of 45 degrees. For rooting, you need to prepare a wide container and fill it with a mixture of peat and river sand in a 1:1 ratio. The soil needs to be watered abundantly and the surface compacted. Bury the cuttings 1-2 cm into the soil. Then cover the container with film.
For successful rooting, a temperature of 20-25 degrees and humidity within 85% are required.
It is better for novice gardeners to use the propagation method by dividing the bush. To do this, you need to dig up the honeysuckle in the fall and divide it into parts. Each of them should have well-developed shoots and root processes.
Gourmand honeysuckle can also be propagated by layering. To do this, it is necessary to bend the lower shoots of an adult bush to the ground and secure them. Cover them with soil on top, leaving only the top on the surface. Make sure that the soil in this place does not dry out. If all rules are followed, the cuttings will take root in six months. After this, they can be separated and replanted.
Pollinators of honeysuckle Gourmand
This type of honeysuckle is self-sterile; it requires additional pollinators to set fruit. Therefore, you need to plant 2-3 varieties on the site at the same time with the same flowering period. Otherwise, the harvest may not wait.
The best pollinating varieties for honeysuckle Lakomka:
- Malvina;
- Blue bird;
- Blue spindle.
Diseases and pests
Honeysuckle Gourmand is highly resistant to diseases and pests. But if the basic requirements of a culture are not met, its immunity decreases.
Possible problems:
- Aphid. This pest feeds on the sap of young shoots and leaves. As a result, the plant slows down and cannot fully develop, which negatively affects the yield.
Aphids form numerous colonies, which only multiply every day
- Shield. A small pest that attaches itself to the bark and sucks the sap from the branches. In the absence of timely control measures, the plant may die.
To destroy scale insects, you need to treat the bushes twice every 10-15 days.
To control pests you must use:
- "Aktellik";
- "Fufanon";
- "Inta-Vir".
With high air humidity, the fruit honeysuckle Gourmand may also suffer from various types of spotting. In this case, spots of different shades and sizes appear on the leaves. When the plant is severely damaged, premature leaf fall occurs.
To treat fungal diseases, the following fungicides must be used:
- "Fundazol";
- "Topaz";
- "Skor."
Conclusion
Having studied the detailed description of the variety, photos and reviews about Lakomka honeysuckle, we can say with confidence that even a novice gardener can grow it. Since, if you follow simple care rules, this crop will not cause any trouble. And in gratitude for your care, she will delight you with her beautiful lush crown and delicious aromatic fruits.
