Content
Honeysuckle Strawberry is a new generation variety bred by Chelyabinsk breeders. The main characteristic is the sweetish strawberry taste of the fruit. Description of the Strawberry honeysuckle variety interests many novice gardeners.
Description of Strawberry honeysuckle
The variety is highly decorative. The bushes are vigorous and large, reaching 2 meters in height. The shoots are strong and well leafy.
General description of the honeysuckle variety:
- early maturation;
- high productivity;
- the fruits hang on the branches for a long time and do not fall off;
- plants are undemanding to care;
- resistance to low temperatures and insect pests.
Bisexual flowers are small and inconspicuous, collected in small racemes. The plant pleases with its first fruits already in the second year after planting. Large, blue-violet, pitcher-shaped berries acquire a delicate strawberry flavor in June. The yield of the bush per season reaches 4 kg.
Planting and caring for strawberry honeysuckle
Strawberry honeysuckle grows and bears fruit even in areas of risky farming. Main characteristics of the culture:
- does not like direct sunlight;
- prefers neutral and slightly acidic loams and sandy soils;
- demanding of water.
Landing dates
The best time to plant edible varieties of honeysuckle is the last ten days of September. In the fall, the young plant will quickly take root and have time to prepare for winter.
Seedlings planted in spring or summer often die due to insufficient moisture in the soil.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
Strawberries like shady, quiet, low-lying places. To plant seedlings you need to prepare:
- planting holes measuring 0.3x0.3 m at a distance of 1.5-2 m from each other;
- 13-15 kg of soil mixture of rotted manure and river sand (1:1), wood ash (350 g), double superphosphate (80 g), potassium sulfate (40-50 g).
The top layer of soil from the holes should be set aside to be used for filling the roots.
Rules for planting the Strawberry honeysuckle variety
Before planting, you should carefully inspect the root system of the seedling and trim off damaged roots.
At the bottom of the planting hole, form a mound of soil, install a bush on it, straighten the roots and cover it with a layer of loose fertile soil. The depth of the root collar should not exceed 5-6 cm.
The diameter of the trunk circle should be 75-90 cm. Compact the soil around the bush and make sides. Water generously. Wait until all the water is absorbed and water again. The total consumption for each bush is 22-24 liters of water.
In order for young plants to take root better, after planting the tree trunk circle should be covered with peat or humus mulch.
The weight of Strawberry honeysuckle berries reaches 2-2.5 g
Watering and fertilizing
Strawberry honeysuckle is a moisture-loving variety. Young bushes should be watered abundantly every 5-7 days. Adult plants are watered less often - 4-6 times during the growing season. Water requirement – 1-2 buckets for each root.
In hot weather, it is advisable to conduct finely dispersed sprinkling of the entire crown. The leaves should be sprayed in the morning or evening to prevent the delicate foliage from burning in the sun.
For the first 2-3 years of life, the shrub is fed with a solution of mullein (1 liter of slurry per bucket of water) or bird droppings (1:20) twice a year:
- at the end of April before flowering begins;
- in May before fruiting.
Adult plants require fertilizing with mineral fertilizers:
- Spring feeding (April) with nitrogen fertilizers stimulates the formation of vegetative shoots. Before the buds open, it is necessary to water the plant with a urea solution (a tablespoon per bucket of water).
- Summer fertilizing is carried out immediately after picking the berries with a solution of nitrophoska (1.5 tbsp per bucket of water). A good alternative is slurry (1:4) diluted in a bucket of water.
- Autumn feeding with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers is carried out to restore the plant and prepare for winter. To do this, you need to scatter superphosphate (100-120 g) or potassium sulfate (50-60 g) into the tree trunk circles under each bush. Cover the fertilizer with shallow loosening.
Pruning the Strawberry honeysuckle variety
Along with spring feeding, it is advisable to prune the crown of the berry plant.The procedure is carried out 5-6 years after planting. Old, diseased, damaged branches need to be cut out. Carefully remove all null shoots.
At the end of summer the bushes are thinned out. You need to leave no more than 8-10 strong branches to ensure good ventilation of the plant. At 15-18 years of age, anti-aging pruning should be carried out.
Wintering
Strawberry-flavored honeysuckle tolerates low temperatures (down to -40°C). Therefore, there is no need to cover the bush for the winter.
However, in winter, plants can be damaged by rodents or birds. To prevent damage, it is recommended to cover the honeysuckle with a special net.
Protective covering for honeysuckle for the winter
Reproduction
Honeysuckle reproduces well vegetatively. The most productive of them is propagation by layering. To do this, in early spring, several branches of the lower tier are attached to the ground with a wooden hook. At the point where the shoot comes into contact with the ground, the skin is slightly cut, which stimulates the formation of adventitious roots. The young plant should be separated from the main bush and replanted in a permanent place only next spring. The survival rate of young plants grown from cuttings is 100%.
Pollinators of Strawberry honeysuckle
Honeysuckle is a cross-pollinated plant. The yield of such a crop in single-varietal plantings is low. To have more berries, 3-4 different varieties of honeysuckle should grow in one area. The best pollinating varieties for Strawberry are Bazhovskaya, Sineglazka, Uspeh, Vostorg.
Diseases and pests
Large-fruited strawberry honeysuckle is resistant to diseases and pests. Most often, this garden shrub is affected by powdery mildew. For protection during the active growing season, the bushes are sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or colloidal sulfur.The drugs “Skor” and “Vector” have proven themselves well. In order to prevent infection of healthy areas, it is necessary to promptly remove the affected leaves.
Rare cases of damage to berry leaves by false scale insects, leaf beetle caterpillars, honeysuckle mites and aphids have been recorded.
False scale insect is the main pest of Strawberry honeysuckle
To prevent pest attacks on shrubs, in the spring it is necessary to treat the branches with a solution of Akteppik or Confidor.
An important preventive measure against diseases and pests of honeysuckle is timely mowing of the grass in the summer cottage.
Conclusion
The description of the Strawberry honeysuckle variety allows beginners and experienced gardeners to make the right choice in favor of this crop. Delicate berries with a unique taste are a storehouse of vitamins and minerals necessary for the body. In addition, the fruits have a high therapeutic effect: they reduce blood pressure, eliminate inflammation, relieve swelling and treat anemia.
