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Among the first hybrids bred by the All-Russian Institute N.I. Vavilova was Lebedushka, the cultivar was included in the State Register in 1999. In its natural habitat, the culture is distributed mainly in the northern regions and subarctic zone. Based on the basic varieties, many cultivars have been created that are suitable for growing in any climate zone. Description of the variety, photos and reviews of Lebedushka honeysuckle will help you get a general idea of the culture and make a choice in its favor.
Berries are formed only on annual stems
Description of honeysuckle variety Lebedushka
The fruits of honeysuckle Lebedushka contain a large amount of microelements and vitamins. The crop bears fruit early, the harvest ripens in early June. After winter, the body experiences a lack of nutrients, so early berries during this period will help replenish used up reserves.
Sap flow in the berry bush begins in early spring. Honeysuckle is one of the first on the site to gain green mass; this feature has found application in ornamental gardening.
Description of honeysuckle Lebedushka (pictured):
- The culture grows in the form of a bush, reaching 2 m in height. The crown is dense, growth in the first 3 years is insignificant. In the subsequent growing season, the bush intensively forms young shoots; up to 50 of them can appear during the season.
- The current year's stems are smooth, light brown with a greenish tint. The next season, the color of the bark becomes darker. Old branches are characterized by a gray-green color and a rough surface, on which thin strips of bark are visible flaking off.
- The foliage is intense, the leaves are lanceolate, with a slightly rounded top, rich green in color. The shape is convex or straight.
- Honeysuckle begins to bloom in early May; the flowers are medium-sized and yellowish. Located in pairs in leaf axils. The main accumulation is on the tops of annual shoots.
- The fruits are blue in color with a bluish waxy coating, elongated cylindrical in shape, with a bumpy surface. Average weight – 1.5 g. The pulp is dense, beige with a greenish tint.
- The stalk is fixed tightly, tearing off is difficult. The berries do not fall off. It retains its nutritional value for a long time after harvesting and is highly transportable.
- Honeysuckle Lebedushka bears fruit in the fourth year, the yield is stable - up to 2.5 kg per bush. The berries are consumed fresh; they tolerate freezing well.
The cultivar is based on Kamchatka varieties, so Lebedushka honeysuckle is characterized by high frost resistance and tolerates low temperatures without shelter for the winter. The variety has high immunity to infections. The crop's drought resistance is average.A moisture deficiency will not affect the number of fruits, but their size will become smaller and bitterness will appear in the taste.
Due to the high concentration of vitamin C, the taste of Lebedushka honeysuckle berries contains acid
Planting and caring for honeysuckle Lebedushka
Lebedushka honeysuckle is planted on the site only in the autumn, about 1.5 months before the onset of frost. The timing is individual for each climate zone. In temperate climates, the best time for planting is mid-September, in the South - early October. The survival rate of the crop is high; within a month the plant will take root completely and overwinter without loss. It is not recommended to plant Lebedushka honeysuckle in the spring, because it reacts poorly to stress and may not have time to adapt before the growing season begins. A shrub planted in spring is sick and stunted.
The place for honeysuckle Lebedushka is suitable open or periodically shaded. Berry crops are afraid of drafts. This feature of the variety is taken into account when choosing a site. The soil must be fertile, well aerated; swampy areas in the lowlands are not suitable for planting. The culture prefers neutral or slightly acidic soil. Honeysuckle Lebedushka does not take root well on sandstones.
To breed honeysuckle, planting material is purchased from a nursery or grown independently. The requirements for a seedling are standard: it must have a well-developed root system without dry areas. It is desirable to have at least three strong shoots with healthy fruit buds. Pay attention to the bark of the stems; it should be free of infectious and mechanical damage.
Planting scheme for edible honeysuckle Lebedushka:
- Seedlings with a closed root are placed in a hole immediately after its preparation; if the roots are open, the plant is dipped for 2 hours in a solution of a growth-stimulating drug, then for 40 minutes in a pale pink solution of manganese.
- If honeysuckle is planted in one line, the interval between holes should be at least 1.8 m. This is necessary for better air circulation and sufficient light, since the bush grows up to 2 m in diameter.
- The hole is prepared in advance or immediately before planting. The depth of the hole should be within 0.5 m, guided by the size of the root system. Width – 40 cm.
- The bottom of the pit is covered with a drainage layer of pebbles or small river stones.
- Make a nutrient mixture from organic matter: 30 g of superphosphate, 100 g of ash per 10 kg of substrate. Pour onto drainage.
- The seedling is placed in the center and covered with soil so that the root collar remains on the surface, and watered. The tops of the shoots are cut to 4-6 fruit buds.
The organic mixture will provide food for honeysuckle for the first three years, so there is no need to apply additional fertilizer.
Honeysuckle seedlings before planting
In the fall, the bushes are fed with potassium and phosphorus fertilizers, and organic matter is added in the spring.
Watering is necessary in dry weather. 10 liters of water is enough for each hole. Water at intervals of 15 days. Over-watering should not be allowed. To prevent moisture from evaporating for a long time, the root circle is mulched with any available material.
For Lebedushka honeysuckle, pruning is a prerequisite for agricultural technology. The procedure is carried out only in the fall. Due to early sap flow, haircuts are not carried out in spring. After 7-10 years, honeysuckle requires rejuvenating pruning.
Reproduction of honeysuckle variety Lebedushka
The culture is easy to propagate. Planting material can be obtained in several ways:
- Green cuttings of the current year are harvested after fruiting.
- By dividing the bush in the fall.
- Woody stems in autumn.
The method of propagation by layering using lower perennial branches is often used.
Pollinators of honeysuckle Swan
Honeysuckle Lebedushka, like all hybrid varieties, is self-fertile. Fruiting will occur under any conditions, but the degree of yield depends on the availability of pollinator varieties. For this purpose, one or several varieties are planted nearby on the site, for example, Morena, Kamchadalka or Blue Spindle.
Kamchadalka is a good pollinator for Lebedushka, increasing productivity by 1.5-2 times
Diseases and pests
Honeysuckle Lebedushka is highly resistant to infections. She is not afraid of most fungal, viral or bacterial diseases. But if agricultural practices are not followed or due to weather conditions, powdery mildew may occur. Fix the problem with Topaz. For prevention purposes, in early spring the bush is doused with hot water (60 0C) and treated with copper sulfate.
Among the pests, aphids are parasitic. They get rid of anthills, and treat the bush with a concentrated soap solution or Aktara. In the spring, a week after treatment with copper sulfate, Bordeaux mixture is used.
Conclusion
Description of the variety, photos and reviews of Lebedushka honeysuckle will allow you to learn more about the variety of the crop. You can plant a bush on the site to obtain berries and decorate the landscape. The hybrid bears fruit early; the fruits are suitable not only for fresh consumption, but also for all processing methods. The variety is unpretentious in care and is characterized by high winter hardiness.
