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Gerd’s honeysuckle is a welcome guest on the plot, as the berry has a good taste and medicinal properties. But in order to grow a strong and healthy shrub, you need to know the description of the variety, photos and reviews of Gerd’s honeysuckle. Subject to agricultural technology, the bush will please with beautiful flowering and a large harvest.
Description of honeysuckle Gerd
Honeysuckle Gerd was bred by Siberian scientists in 1987. Thanks to crossing with the Blue Bird variety, which is part of the Kamchatka honeysuckle group, the plant turned out to be cold-resistant and resistant to diseases.
Gerd’s honeysuckle is a sprawling plant, the height of the bush is about 1,5 m. In spring, on flexible, dull shoots, pointed leaves of a rich olive color appear.
Barrel-shaped berries of medium size, weighing up to 0,7 g. Delicate skin is colored blue-black, when overripe, the color changes to sky-gray. The pulp is tender, sweet and sour, with a pleasant aroma. A variety of early ripening, the first berries appear in early June, in the second year after planting. Thanks to a strong and dense stalk, the overripe berry does not crumble from the bush. A full-fledged crop is removed for 3-4 years after planting a seedling.
The variety is high-yielding, subject to agricultural technology, up to 1,6 kg can be removed from the bush
Berries have beneficial properties. They help with anemia, improve cerebral circulation, strengthen the immune system and blood vessels. The harvested crop does not have a long shelf life. Therefore, it is better to use ripe berries fresh as soon as possible, freeze or prepare winter preservation from them.
The shrub is cold-resistant, withstands frosts down to -45 ° C without shelter, and flower buds do not freeze out during slight spring frosts. Also, the variety perfectly tolerates heat and drought, but during the period of fruit pouring, the bush is recommended to be regularly irrigated with settled water.
Gerd’s honeysuckle looks very decorative, so it is often used to decorate a personal plot.
Planting and caring for honeysuckle Gerd
To get a generous harvest, you need to know the timing of planting and choose the right place. Also, experts recommend planting only high-quality planting material and taking into account the layout of the beds. Before purchasing a seedling, it is important to find out the description of the Gerda honeysuckle variety and view the photo.
Gerd’s honeysuckle is planted in the fall, a month before the onset of cold weather. The landing site should be sunny and located along the fence or other buildings. This will help protect the plant from gusty winds and drafts.
The variety prefers a sunny, draft-protected place.
The soil should be well-drained, loamy or sandy loam, with low to neutral acidity. The bush does not tolerate waterlogged soil, the roots rot from an excess of water, and the plant dies.
The best survival rate in seedlings with a closed root system. When buying, the plant is inspected for the presence of diseases and pests. A healthy seedling should be with even shoots, without mechanical damage, and brightly colored foliage. The ideal option for planting is a seedling 50 cm or 1 m in size. Lower specimens do not take root well, high ones are hard to get used to a new place.
Landing rules:
- At the chosen place, they dig a hole measuring 30×40 cm. The distance between plantings is maintained at least 1,5 m.
- The hole is filled 2/3 with fertile soil.
- A seedling is set in the center so that the root neck is at ground level or deepened by 3 cm.
- The voids are filled with nutrient mixture.
- After planting, the soil is shed at the rate of a bucket per planted plant.
- From above, the soil is covered with peat, straw or fallen leaves.
Gerd’s honeysuckle care consists of watering, fertilizing and pruning the bush. Top dressing is applied during the growing season. To do this, use the mineral complex.
Irrigation is carried out with settled water as the top soil dries out.
Also, rejuvenating pruning is carried out every 3-4 years. In autumn, aging skeletal branches are not cut out under the stump, but only the tops are shortened, leaving shoots of 30-40 cm. After rejuvenating pruning, you can start decorating the bush.
Since the plant is cold-resistant, it does not need shelter for the winter. But young specimens are best protected from frost. To do this, the trunk circle is mulched with straw, peat or horse manure. This will help keep the soil loose and moderately moist.
Reproduction
Blue honeysuckle Gerda is propagated from May to June. For this, cuttings, division of the bush and propagation by seeds are used.
- Cuttings. From a healthy shoot, at an acute angle, cuttings 7-10 cm long are cut and placed in nutrient soil. For better rooting, the container is covered with a jar and cleaned in a warm, sunny place. In autumn, rooted cuttings can be transferred to a prepared place.
- Seed Reproduction – The work is hard and long. Before planting, you need to stratify the seeds, so this method is not suitable for inexperienced flower growers.
- Division of the bush – a simple and effective method of propagation of Gerd’s honeysuckle. To do this, in the autumn they dig out the mother plant and divide it into a certain number of parts. Each division must have well-developed roots and at least 3 healthy shoots.
An adult bush is not propagated by divisions
Honeysuckle Pollinators Gerda
Any Kamchatka honeysuckle is suitable for pollination of the Gerda variety, but those with the same ripening period are considered the best pollinators: Assol, Chelyabinka, Pitcher-shaped. Experts do not recommend planting inedible varieties next to Gerd’s honeysuckle. Since during pollination the crop will not be suitable for human consumption.
Diseases and pests
Honeysuckle Gerd is resistant to many diseases. But if agricultural technology is not observed, the following may appear on the shrub:
- Phytoviruses. The infection manifests itself in the form of light green spots on the leaf plate and spotting along the veins in the center. If a disease is detected, all affected parts are burned.
The infection appears as light spots on the foliage.
- Fungal diseases. Diseases can be recognized by spots on the leaf plate, which, without treatment, grow and dry out. For prevention in the spring, the bush is sprayed with foundationazole and copper-soapy liquid.
Fungal disease without treatment leads to the death of the shrub
- Aphid. Appears in large colonies on foliage and shoots. Insects suck out the juice, as a result, the plant weakens, stops growing and developing. To combat pests, an infusion of garlic, tobacco and hot peppers is used.
The pest settles mainly on the aerial part
Conclusion
The description of the variety, photos and reviews of Gerd’s honeysuckle show how good the shrub is for growing in the backyard. Subject to agrotechnical rules, it will bring a good harvest of sweet and sour berries. And thanks to the decorative appearance, the plant can be used to decorate a personal plot.