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Usually, in regions with harsh climates, few varieties of berries grow that bear fruit. One of them is the Roxana honeysuckle, which can yield crops in Siberia, the North and the Caucasus. Despite its youth, it is widespread throughout the country. The description of the Roxana honeysuckle variety will allow you to understand whether it is worth growing it in your garden.
Description of the variety of edible honeysuckle Roxana
The plant has a high frost resistance - it can produce crops even with frosts down to -40 ° C. The honeysuckle bush has a beautiful appearance, and the taste of its berries is attracting the attention of more and more people.
For "Roxana" is characterized by low growth. 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. Leaves are large, slightly pubescent, dark green in color.
Berries contain nutrients and vitamins
Edible berries are characterized by the following features:
- Weight is no more than 1.3 grams.
- Fruit diameter 1 cm, length 3 cm.
- The shape is oblong, elongated.
- The skin is dark blue with a light layer of waxy coating.
The berries have a sweet and sour taste and are a bit like strawberries. The pulp is firm and fibrous.
The harvest of the plant ripens late - they begin to harvest it at the end of July, and not much earlier in the southern regions. After planting, the honeysuckle bush 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 Roxanne's honeysuckle
In order for a plant to actively develop and produce a crop, it needs to be properly cared for. It starts with planting and ends with pest and disease control.
Landing dates
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 in order for the plant to settle in the ground before the onset of frost.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
For good growth of Roxana honeysuckle, you need to choose the right planting site. It should meet the needs of the plant in sunlight, and limit the effects of strong drafts. It is necessary to choose a site in such a way that the shrub is at a distance of at least 3 meters 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 pick up sugar and ripen faster, which will affect their taste.
Honeysuckle needs a sufficient amount of moisture, but it should not stagnate. Therefore, where the shrubs will be planted, the groundwater level should be about 3 meters. Light soil is required, the best option is black soil or loam.
Before planting Roxana honeysuckle, you need to prepare the ground. To do this, humus is introduced into it and mixed well. A hole is dug out with a size of 50x70 cm.
Landing rules
Planting Roxana honeysuckle is an important stage in berry growing. It is performed in the following sequence:
- At the bottom of the finished hole, a drainage layer of river pebbles or broken brick is poured. It will provide air to the root system.
- A substrate consisting of compost, manure, humus and wood ash is introduced.
- Garden soil is poured on top.
- Water the wells abundantly and leave it for 7 days.
- After that, carefully spreading the roots, honeysuckle is planted.
- Sprinkle a little with soil on top, water and mulch.
Mulching is one of the safest ways to keep your plant healthy.
Watering and feeding
The quality of care for Roxana honeysuckle largely depends on the correct implementation of watering and feeding. The shrubs need water as the soil dries out. This happens, depending on weather conditions, every 5-10 days. A young plant needs three buckets of water, an adult at least five.
It is necessary to feed Roxanne honeysuckle not earlier than in the second year after planting. They do this 3 times throughout the year:
- In April, 3-4 kg of humus is introduced under the root system.
- In the summer, before starting harvesting, the shrub is watered with 3 liters of potassium solution.
- In early autumn, honeysuckle is fed with a superphosphate solution.
Pruning
Pruning is an important part of proper care for Roxana honeysuckle. This procedure is recommended for the first time when the plant is 2-3 years old. After that, it is not necessary to cut the bush, unless it is too thick. In this case, you need to remove several branches that grow from the ground. In addition, dried or diseased areas of honeysuckle should be cut off. If the plant is too dense, the inner branches can be removed to provide access to sunlight.
It is not worth pruning young shoots of "Roxana", since most of the berries grow on them. In the spring, you can remove branches damaged by frost, and after a period of fruiting, you can make a decorative formation of a bush.
Performing the procedure for pruning honeysuckle, the main thing is not to overdo it, since "Roxana" has been growing for a very long time
Wintering
Since honeysuckle "Roxana" is a frost-resistant plant, it does not need any special preparation for wintering. The exceptions are cases when in the landing region the temperature drops below -40 ° C, then mulching is performed for this period.
Reproduction
Honeysuckle propagation is carried out in two ways - by seeds, cuttings and branches. Ordinary gardeners use the second and third methods. Only experienced breeders can grow Roxana with seeds. This method is performed in the following sequence:
- Ripe berries are rubbed on a paper towel.
- The paper is rolled up and removed. At room temperature, the seeds retain the ability to grow for several years.
- It is better to land in June. The seeds are placed in moist soil and sunk into it by 1 mm. After that, they are covered with foil to create greenhouse conditions.
- After 3 weeks, the first seedlings should appear. At the end of autumn, they are transferred to the garden.
- When the leaves appear on the sprouts, they are transplanted to the garden bed.
- Seedlings need to be watered regularly, loosened up the soil and removed weeds.
- The first harvest from the Roxana bush is harvested in 3-4 years.
An easier way is propagation by cuttings. They are harvested before the first buds appear. 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:
- Cuttings are planted in the soil to a depth of about 10 cm so that at least two buds remain on the surface.
- In order for the root system to develop faster, the seedling is covered with a film.
- Water the cuttings in moderation, several times a day.
- Full rooting takes place within a month.
Cuttings should be harvested in early spring before the buds open.
The most common way of reproduction of Roxana honeysuckle is by layering. This is very easy to do:
- In early summer, next to the bush, the soil is loosened and slightly raised.
- They take several powerful young stems growing at the base of the bush, press them to the ground and fix them in this position.
- Sprinkle the shoots with a layer of soil, about 5 cm thick.
- Until next spring, the layers are regularly watered.
- Then they are separated from the mother bush and transplanted to a permanent place.
- In order to become a full-fledged plant, “Roxana” cuttings need several years.
Roxanne Honeysuckle Pollinators
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. Best suited for this "Kamchadalka" and "Tomichka". They are required 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 it is not afraid of most diseases. In rare cases, it can be affected by powdery mildew, spotting, tuberculariosis. These are fungal diseases and they are characterized by the same symptoms:
- the branches begin to dry out and turn brown or black;
- the leaves turn yellow and fall off.
You can cure the shrub with periodic fungicide treatment.
The most dangerous pests for "Roxana" are: rosana leafworm, honeysuckle miners, ticks and aphids. You need to fight them by spraying the bush with insecticides.
If the leaf roll is not stopped in time, it can seriously harm the crop.
Conclusion
The description of the Roxana honeysuckle variety confirms its unpretentiousness and ease of care. The new frost-resistant plant fell 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 proper cultivation and care of this unusual garden crop.
A brief overview and description of the characteristics of the plant:
