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Honeysuckle "Vasyuganskaya" (Lonicera caerulea Vasuganskaya) is a perennial shrub that was bred using the free pollination method of Turchaninov's honeysuckle (its elite form No. 68/2). The variety is named after the Vasyugan River, which flows in the southwestern part of Siberia. The plant has been under state control since 1988. The description of the variety and reviews of Vasyuganskaya honeysuckle indicate its main advantages - healthy, tasty fruits and the decorative beauty of the bushes.
Honeysuckle can grow up to 1.8 m in height
Description of honeysuckle Vasyuganskaya
The plant has the shape of a bush with a rounded crown, reaches a height of 1.6-1.8 m. The shoots are thin and flexible, slightly pubescent, red-brown in color (young ones have a dark green tint). The leaves are green and medium-sized, lanceolate-shaped, with a pubescent edge below. Honeysuckle "Vasyuganskaya" flowers are pale yellow, with long stamens and a light aroma. They are located in inflorescences of 3-5 pieces at the tops of the shoots.
The fruits are cylindrical in shape and dark blue or purple. The berry size is 1.5-2.2 cm in length, weight up to 1.8-2 g. The peel is thin, with a matte coating. The pulp has a dense structure and has a sweet and sour taste without bitterness. The yield of the “Vasyuganskaya” variety is up to 3-4 kg from one adult bush. After ripening, the berries fall off.
Planting and caring for honeysuckle Vasyuganskaya
Honeysuckle "Vasyuganskaya" is an unpretentious and frost-resistant variety. The optimal climate is moderate, but with proper care the plant can develop in the southern regions of the country. The soil should be loamy or sandy loam, with neutral acidity. If the soil is sandy, you need to enrich it with manure and peat before planting. Chalk, lime solution or dolomite powder should be added to acidic soil.
Planting dates for honeysuckle variety Vasyuganskaya
Vasyuganskaya honeysuckle can be planted in spring or autumn, each method has its own advantages:
- Planting in spring. Carried out at the end of March or beginning of April. It is necessary to plant at a time when the snow has already melted and the buds have not yet blossomed. During spring planting, it is possible to monitor the development of the bush, and, if necessary, intervene in the process (feed or cure a disease).
- Planting in autumn. It is carried out at the end of September or at the beginning of October, before the onset of the first frost. During autumn planting, the plant undergoes stratification (hardening process), due to which it becomes hardy and strong.
When choosing a season for planting, you need to take into account the climate of the region - in the northern zone, where there are early frosts, it is better to plant in the spring, in the south - in the fall.
Honeysuckle "Vasyuganskaya" blooms in early May
Selection and preparation of a landing site
There should be no swamps, dirty ponds or groundwater near the site, since excess moisture harms the root system of the plant. It is necessary to plant on a hill so that the bushes receive enough heat and light, avoid lowlands and ravines. Honeysuckle "Vasyuganskaya" does not like strong gusts of wind, so it is better to plant it along a hedge or fence. The planting site should first be cleared of debris, old leaves and weeds.
Rules for planting honeysuckle variety Vasyuganskaya
In order for honeysuckle bushes to take root and bear fruit abundantly in the future, it is important to follow the following rules:
- The distance between the holes should be 1.8-2 m, and the rows should be at least 2.5 m; the bushes should not be intertwined.
- Dig holes with a diameter of 40-50 cm and a depth of up to half a meter.
- Prepare a fertilizer mixture (compost, ash and phosphate additives) and add it to each hole.
- Bury the root into the soil 5-7 cm.
- Do not compact the earth too much.
- Water the Vasyuganskaya honeysuckle seedling with warm water.
- After watering, cover the hole with mulch.
Select only healthy seedlings for planting. The roots should be flexible and intact, without the smell of mold. Make sure the shoots are strong and there are no cut shoots.
Watering and fertilizing
Honeysuckle "Vasyuganskaya" is a moisture-loving variety, but excessive moisture can lead to rotting of the root system. It is necessary to water the bushes at the root, when the soil around is slightly dry. In hot weather, watering should be increased and eliminated on rainy days. The optimal time is early morning or evening after sunset.
When planting, the plant receives enough fertilizer for development, so fertilizing should be resumed in the 2nd year of growth. At the beginning of spring, organic fertilizers are applied (manure, peat, silt, compost, or use a universal mixture). Nitrogen-rich fertilizers are added to weak soil. During flowering, it is useful to add ash (1 liter per 1 bucket of warm water) - this mixture increases the yield. Adult bushes are fertilized with urea solution in the spring.
In spring, you need to apply organic fertilizer to each bush.
Pruning honeysuckle variety Vasyuganskaya
During the first 3-5 years of development, only dry shoots or unnecessary shoots that appear near the base should be trimmed to give the plant a beautiful shape. The upper branches of the Vasyuganskaya honeysuckle cannot be touched - future fruits are tied to them.
At 8-10 years of life, fruiting decreases, then the crown is thinned, when the upper shoots should be partially cut off. The plant recovers quickly, after which flowering resumes and the yield increases again.
The plant begins to bear fruit in the 2nd year of life.
Wintering
Honeysuckle "Vasyuganskaya" can withstand frosts down to -40 °C, but the plant must be properly prepared for winter. To do this you need:
- Clear the soil of debris and leaves to avoid the appearance of harmful insects.
- Feed the soil with potassium-phosphorus mixtures or organic matter.
- Remove dry shoots from the bushes, cutting them to the ground.
- Remove supports from long branches and carefully bend them to the ground.
During winter, it is recommended to cover honeysuckle bushes with mulch (hay, straw), spruce branches or covering material (geotextile, lutrasil and others). If the region has a mild winter and frosts down to -15-20 °C, honeysuckle does not need to be covered.
Pollinators of honeysuckle Vasyuganskaya
Honeysuckle "Vasyuganskaya" is a self-sterile variety. It needs pollination (allogamy) in order for the ovaries to form, and subsequently the plant bears fruit. For cross-pollination, you need to plant honeysuckle bushes of a different variety nearby. Breeders recommend the following crops:
- Blue bird.
- Blue spindle.
- Tomsk
- The Giant's Daughter.
You can plant other varieties separately in a row or alternate bushes of different crops. It is important to maintain a distance between them so that the plants do not interfere with each other’s development.
Reproduction
The best way to propagate Vasyuganskaya honeysuckle is by dividing the bush. To do this, you need to choose a strong young plant (age 3-5 years), from which a good harvest has already been harvested, and carefully divide it without damaging the roots.
The second way is to use cuttings. Well-developed vertical or horizontal shoots must be cut from the plant. Usually not all specimens take root; up to 50% of specimens die.
Vasyuganskaya honeysuckle seeds germinate well and develop quickly. But with this method, the plant does not inherit the parental genes, since the variety is self-sterile. The bush may grow, but will not bear fruit, but will only serve as additional landscaping for the area.
Diseases and pests
Common pests of Vasyuganskaya honeysuckle are scale insects, mealybugs, aphids, fingerwings and others.To get rid of dangerous insects, the bushes must be treated with a urea solution (you can also use manganese, tobacco infusion, ash or hot pepper). For prevention, 2 times a year, in spring and autumn, use the drugs “Lepidocid”, “Confidor” or their analogues.
The main causes of diseases in honeysuckle are high humidity or improper care. The variety is resistant to diseases, but when the first signs appear, it is important to take action immediately. There is a risk of such infections:
- Sooty and other types of mold. It affects foliage - first dark spots appear, after which the entire leaf turns black. When a disease appears, the plant must be sprayed with a 1% solution of copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture, or treated with antifungal drugs (Fitover, Fundazol, Topaz).
- Powdery mildew. A white coating appears on the leaves. Affected foliage should be removed immediately. Treat the plant and the soil near it with solutions of manganese or mustard, or use industrial preparations - Vitarol, Previkur, Skor and others.
- Leaf mottling. An infection that leaves yellowish spots in an arc on the leaf blades. If symptoms are detected, the affected branches must be removed and burned, and the bushes treated with Fitolavin or Rapsol. If spots appear again, the plant should be dug up and destroyed; it can only be cured at an early stage.
Viral diseases such as cucumber and rhubarb mosaic, potato virus and others cannot be cured. The affected bush is destroyed so that plants in the neighborhood do not become infected.
Conclusion
The description of the variety and reviews of Vasyuganskaya honeysuckle indicate that this crop is light-loving, frost-resistant and produces a rich harvest. If you follow the rules of planting and care, the shrubs will bear fruit abundantly and will decorate any garden.
