Contents
Among the first hybrids bred by the All- Institute N.I. Vavilova was Lebedushka, the cultivar was entered into the State Register in 1999. In its natural habitat, the culture is distributed mainly in the northern regions and the subarctic zone. Based on the basic varieties, many cultivars have been created that are suitable for growing in any climatic zone. Description of the variety, photos and reviews of honeysuckle Lebedushka will help you get a general idea of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe culture and make a choice in its favor.
Berries are formed only on annual stems
Description of honeysuckle varieties Lebedushka
Honeysuckle fruits Lebedushka contain a large amount of trace elements and vitamins. The fruiting of the culture is early, the crop ripens in early June. After winter, the body experiences a lack of nutrients, so an early berry during this period will help replenish the depleted 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 Swan (pictured):
- The culture grows in the form of a shrub, 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; during the season, up to 50 of them can appear.
- The stems of the current year 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 peeling thin strips of bark are visible.
- The foliage is intense, the leaves are lanceolate, with a slightly rounded top, saturated green. The shape is convex or straight.
- Honeysuckle blooms in early May, medium-sized flowers, yellowish. Arranged in pairs in leaf axils. The main accumulation on the tops of annual shoots.
- Fruits are blue in color with a bluish wax coating, elongated cylindrical shape, with a bumpy surface. The average weight is 1,5 g. The pulp is dense, beige with a greenish tint.
- The stalk is fixed tightly, the detachment is difficult. The berry does not crumble. It retains nutritional value for a long time after harvesting, transportability is high.
- Honeysuckle Lebedushka bears fruit in the fourth year, the yield is stable – up to 2,5 kg per bush. Berries are consumed fresh, they tolerate freezing well.
The cultivar is based on Kamchatka varieties, therefore Lebedushka honeysuckle is characterized by high frost resistance, tolerates low temperatures without shelter for the winter. The variety has a high immunity to infections. The drought resistance of the culture is average. The lack of moisture 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, there is acid in the taste of honeysuckle berries.
Planting and caring for honeysuckle Swan
Honeysuckle Lebedushka is planted on the site only in the autumn period, about 1,5 months before the onset of frost. For each climatic zone, the timing is individual. In temperate climates, the best time for planting is mid-September; in the South, early October. The survival rate of the culture is high, in a month the plant will take root completely and overwinter without loss. In spring, honeysuckle Swan is not recommended to be planted, because it does not respond well to stress and may not have time to adapt before the start of the growing season. A shrub planted in the spring is sick and stunted.
The place for honeysuckle Swan is suitable open or periodically shaded. Berry culture is afraid of drafts. This feature of the variety is taken into account when choosing a site. The soil should be fertile, well aerated, wetlands in the lowlands are not suitable for planting. Culture prefers neutral or slightly acidic soil. Honeysuckle Swan does not take root well on sandstones.
For breeding honeysuckle, planting material is purchased in 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 not be infectious and mechanical damage.
Planting scheme for edible honeysuckle Swan:
- Seedlings with a closed root are placed in the pit 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 the holes should be at least 1,8 m. This is necessary for better air circulation and sufficient light supply, since the bush grows up to 2 m in diameter.
- The hole is prepared in advance or immediately before planting. The depth of the pit 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 stone.
- They make a nutrient mixture from organic matter: 30 g of superphosphate, 100 g of ash per 10 kg of substrate. Pour into the drain.
- The seedling is placed in the center and covered with soil so that the root neck remains on the surface, watered. The tops of the shoots are cut to 4-6 fruit buds.
The organic mixture will provide nutrition for the honeysuckle for the first three years, so no additional fertilizer is needed.
Honeysuckle seedlings before planting
In the fall, the bushes are fed with potash and phosphorus fertilizers, and organics are added in the spring.
Watering is necessary in dry weather. Enough 10 liters of water for each hole. Watered at intervals of 15 days. Overmoistening must not be allowed. To prevent moisture from evaporating for a long time, the root circle is mulched with any available material.
For honeysuckle Lebedushka, pruning is a prerequisite for agricultural technology. The procedure is carried out only in the fall. Due to the early sap flow in the spring, a haircut is not carried out. After 7-10 years, rejuvenating pruning is necessary for honeysuckle.
Reproduction of honeysuckle varieties Lebedushka
The culture is easily bred. Planting material can be obtained in several ways:
- Green cuttings of the current year, they are harvested after fruiting.
- The division of the bush in the fall.
- Woody stems in autumn.
Often use the method of propagation by layering using the lower perennial branches.
Honeysuckle Pollinators Swan
Honeysuckle Lebedushka, like all hybrid varieties, is self-fertile. Fruiting will be under any conditions, but the degree of yield depends on the availability of pollinator varieties. In this capacity, one or several varieties are planted nearby on the site, for example, Morena, Kamchadalka or the Blue Spindle.
Kamchadalka is a good pollinator for Lebedushka, increasing yield by 1,5-2 times
Diseases and pests
Honeysuckle Swan has a strong resistance to infections. Most of the fungal, viral or bacterial diseases are not terrible for her. But if agricultural technology is not followed or due to weather conditions, powdery mildew may appear. Eliminate the problem with Topaz. In order to prevent early spring pour hot water over the bush (60 0C) and treated with copper sulphate.
Of the pests, aphids parasitize. They get rid of anthills, and the bush is treated with concentrated soapy water or Aktara. In the spring, a week after treatment with copper sulphate, Bordeaux liquid is used.
Conclusion
Description of the variety, photos and reviews of honeysuckle Lebedushka will allow you to learn more about the variety of culture. You can plant a bush on the plot to get berries and landscape design. The fruiting of the hybrid is early, the fruits are suitable not only for fresh consumption, but also for all processing methods. The variety is unpretentious in care, characterized by high winter hardiness.
