Honeysuckle Roxana: variety description, photos and reviews

Usually in regions with a harsh climate, few varieties of berries grow that bear fruit. One of them is the Roxana honeysuckle, which can produce a crop in Siberia, the North and the Caucasus. Despite its youth, it is widespread throughout the country. The description of the Roxana honeysuckle variety will make it possible to understand whether it is worth growing it in your garden plot.

Description of the variety of edible honeysuckle Roxana

The plant has high frost resistance – it can produce crops even at frosts down to -40 ° C. The honeysuckle bush has a beautiful appearance, and the taste of its berries attracts the attention of more and more people.

Roxanne is characterized by short stature. It usually reaches 1,5 meters in height. Its round and wide crown is 60-70 cm in diameter. The shoots are thickened at the base, have a pink tint at the edges. The leaves are large, slightly pubescent, dark green.

Berries contain nutrients and vitamins

Edible varieties of berries are characterized by the following features:

1. Weight is not more than 1,3 grams.
2. Fruit diameter 1 cm, length – 3 cm.
3. The shape is oblong, elongated.
4. The skin is dark blue in color with a slight layer of waxy coating.

The berries have a sweet and sour taste and are a bit like strawberries. The pulp is dense and fibrous.

The crop of the plant ripens late – they begin to collect it at the end of July, and in the southern regions not much earlier. A honeysuckle bush after planting is able to bear fruit for 3 years. During the season, you can collect no more than 3,5 kg of berries from it.

Planting and caring for honeysuckle Roxanne

In order for the plant to actively develop and produce a crop, it must be provided with proper care. It starts with planting and ends with pest and disease control.

Terms of planting

For good rooting of the honeysuckle bush, it is very important to choose the right planting time. It is recommended to perform the procedure in April or September, but experienced gardeners prefer spring. They do this so that the plant settles into the ground before frost.

Selection and preparation of the landing site

For good growth of Roxana honeysuckle, you need to choose the right landing site. It should provide the plant’s needs for sunlight, and limit exposure to strong drafts. It is necessary to choose a site in such a way that the shrub is at least 3 meters away from fruit trees and fences. For this, the south side of the garden is better suited, since a large amount of sunlight will allow the fruits to quickly pick up sugar and ripen, which will affect their taste.

Honeysuckle needs a sufficient amount of moisture, but it should not stagnate. Therefore, where shrubs will be planted, the groundwater level should be about 3 meters. Light soil is needed, the best option is chernozem or loam.

Before planting Roxana honeysuckle, you need to prepare the ground. To do this, humus is added to it and mixed well. The hole is dug 50×70 cm in size.

Rules of landing

Planting honeysuckle “Roxana” is an important stage in growing berries. It is performed in the following sequence:

1. At the bottom of the finished hole, a drainage layer of river pebbles or broken bricks is poured. It will provide air to the root system.
2. They introduce a substrate consisting of compost, manure, humus and wood ash.
3. Garden soil is covered from above.
4. Perform abundant watering of the hole and leave it for 7 days.
5. After that, gently spreading the roots, plant honeysuckle.
6. Sprinkle a little soil on top, water and mulch.

Mulching is one of the most reliable ways to keep a plant healthy.

Watering and feeding

The quality of care for honeysuckle “Roxana” largely depends on the correct implementation of watering and top dressing. Shrubs need water as the soil dries out. This happens every 5-10 days depending on weather conditions. A young plant needs three buckets of water, an adult at least five.

It is necessary to feed Roxana honeysuckle not earlier than in the second year after planting. Do this 3 times throughout the year:

1. In April, 3-4 kg of humus is applied under the root system.
2. In the summer, before starting harvesting, the bush is watered with 3 liters of potassium solution.
3. In early autumn, honeysuckle is fed with a solution of superphosphate.

Trimming

Pruning is an important part of proper Roxana honeysuckle care. This procedure is recommended for the first time when the plant is 2-3 years old. After that, trimming the bush is not necessary, unless it is too thick. In this case, you need to remove several branches that grow from the ground. Additionally, dried or diseased areas of honeysuckle should be cut off. If the plant is too dense, then you can remove the internal branches to provide access to sunlight.

Pruning of young shoots of “Roxanne” is not worth it, since most of the berries grow on them. In the spring, you can remove the branches damaged by frost, and after the fruiting period, make a decorative formation of the bush.

When performing the honeysuckle pruning procedure, the main thing is not to overdo it, since Roxana grows for a very long time

Wintering

Since Roxana honeysuckle is a frost-resistant plant, it does not need any special preparation for wintering. The exceptions are cases when the temperature in the landing area drops below -40 ° C, then mulching is performed for this period.

Reproduction

Reproduction of honeysuckle is carried out in two ways – seeds, cuttings and taps. Ordinary gardeners use the second and third methods. Only experienced breeders can grow Roxana with seeds. This method is performed in the following sequence:

1. Ripe berries are rubbed over a paper towel.
2. The paper is rolled up and removed. At room temperature, seeds retain their ability to grow for several years.
3. Landing is best in June. Seeds are placed in moist soil and sunk into it by 1 mm. After that, they are covered with a film to create greenhouse conditions.
4. After 3 weeks, the first seedlings should appear. At the end of autumn they are transferred to the garden.
5. When the sprouts have leaves, they are transplanted into the garden.
6. Seedlings need to be watered regularly, loosen the soil and remove weeds.
7. The first harvest from the Roxana bush is harvested after 3-4 years.

An easier way is to propagate by cuttings. Harvest them before the appearance of the first buds. It is better to choose young strong branches with a diameter of at least 8 mm and a length of 15-18 cm.

When the planting material is selected, they begin to reproduce:

1. The cuttings are planted in the soil to a depth of about 10 cm so that at least two buds remain on the surface.
2. In order for the root system to develop faster, the seedling is covered with a film.
3. Watering cuttings should be moderate, several times a day.
4. Full rooting occurs within a month.

Cuttings should be harvested in early spring before buds open.

The most common way to propagate honeysuckle “Roxana” is by layering. It’s very easy to do this:

1. At the beginning of summer, next to the bush, the soil is loosened and slightly raised.
2. They take several powerful young stems growing at the base of the bush, press them to the ground and fix them in this position.
3. The shoots are sprinkled with a layer of soil, about 5 cm thick.
4. Until next spring, layering is regularly watered.
5. Then they are separated from the mother bush and transplanted to a permanent place.
6. It takes several years for Roxanne’s layering to become a full-fledged plant.

Honeysuckle Pollinators Roxana

A variety of honeysuckle “Roxana” refers to self-fertile berries, so there is no need for pollination. However, if you want to improve the yield, the bush can be planted in the company of other varieties of honeysuckle. Kamchadalka and Tomichka are best suited for this. They are essential for cross-pollination of crops. Moreover, the closer they are planted, the better the result will be.

Diseases and pests

The honeysuckle variety “Roxana” has a well-developed immune system, so she is not afraid of most diseases. In rare cases, it can be affected by powdery mildew, spotting, tuberculosis. These are fungal diseases and they are characterized by the same symptoms:

• the branches begin to dry out and become brown or black;
• leaves turn yellow and fall off.

You can cure the shrub with the help of periodic treatment with fungicides.

Of the pests, the most dangerous for “Roxanne” are: rosana leafworm, honeysuckle miners, ticks and aphids. You need to fight them by spraying the bush with insecticides.

If the leaflet is not stopped in time, then it can cause serious damage to the crop.

Conclusion

The description of the Roxana honeysuckle variety confirms its unpretentiousness and ease of care. A new frost-resistant plant has fallen in love with many experienced gardeners – it is grown in conditions in which it is difficult to get a harvest from bushes of other berries. At the same time, it is necessary to adhere to the conditions for the proper cultivation and care of this unusual horticultural crop.

A brief overview and description of the characteristics of the plant:

Reviews of honeysuckle Roxana