Content
A variety of Gzhelka culture was created by a non-professional breeder L.P. Kuminov, entered in 1988 in the State Register. The amateur has been breeding new varieties with high gastronomic qualities for 30 years, using Kamchatka and Magadan species. The description and reviews given by the originator of the Gzhelka variety honeysuckle completely coincide; in terms of taste, the culture received the highest rating on a 5-point tasting scale.
Berries are arranged in pairs, there are accreted lateral part
Description of honeysuckle Gzhelka
Gzhelka is a mid-season variety, blooms in the second half of May, fruiting in July. The yield is high - 2.5-3 kg per bush. Honeysuckle is a frost-resistant plant, suitable for growing in all regions with a temperate climate, in the south it feels less comfortable.
The external characteristics of Gzhelka honeysuckle are as follows:
- The shrub grows up to 2 m, medium spreading, intensive shoot formation - up to 40 pcs. for the season.
- Erect shoots with bare smooth brown bark, skeletal branches are rough, brown with a gray tint and peeling areas.
- The foliage of the Gzhelka variety is thick, the leaf plates are bright green, pointed upwards with a fine pile.
- The flowers are pink, arranged in pairs or singly in the leaf axils of the honeysuckle.
- The berries are dark blue with a silvery bloom, sickle-shaped, the surface is bumpy. Length - 2-2.5 cm, weight - 1-1.2 g.
- The rind is dense, the flesh is light beige, juicy, sweet, there is no bitterness in the taste.
- The berries do not crumble, the separation is dry, at high temperatures in an open area they can be baked.
Honeysuckle Gzhelka decorative type, the plant is used in landscape design.
Planting and caring for Gzhelka honeysuckle
Frost-resistant honeysuckle Gzhelka, which is based on northern species, undemanding in care. It has a high viability and survival rate in a new place, but still needs an approach that meets its biological requirements. When placed on a plot of the Gzhelka variety, the degree of drought resistance of honeysuckle and the need for lighting are taken into account. For full growth, fertilizers are applied and seasonal pruning is carried out.
Landing dates
Honeysuckle with early sap flow. If the buds have started to grow, the plant will take planting measures painfully. The survival rate will be worse, so the spring planting of the Gzhelka variety in temperate climates is not considered. After harvesting, the biological processes of honeysuckle slow down; by autumn, the plant enters a dormant phase. This feature is characteristic of both the adult culture of the Gzhelka variety and the seedlings. Therefore, planting activities are carried out 1.5 months before the onset of frost.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
The preferred soil composition for the Gzhelka variety is slightly acidic or neutral. An unsuitable alkaline value must be corrected, if this is not done, the honeysuckle will begin to stagnate. Sandy or clayey heavy soils are not suitable for the variety; the best option is fertile, drained loams with good aeration.
For the full-fledged photosynthesis of Gzhelka honeysuckle, a sufficient amount of ultraviolet radiation is needed, but at the same time, berries can be baked on an area open throughout the daylight hours. The place is taken away from the north wind, so that the honeysuckle is not under the midday sun, but is partially shaded. The south side behind the building wall works well.
They do not choose a place in the lowlands, in a ravine, where moisture accumulates. Often, excess water causes root rot, the spread of fungal infection. In the worst case, the seedling may die. After choosing a site, they dig it up, get rid of weeds, adjust the composition of the soil if necessary. The landing well can be prepared in advance or on the day of the work.
The culture has abundant flowering, the main formation of buds is on the tops of annual shoots
Landing rules
The acquired planting material in a nursery with a protected root system does not require additional measures before being placed in the ground. The protective material is removed from the seedling or removed from the pot, immediately determined into the pit. If the root is open, disinfect it with a manganese solution, immersing it in the agent for two hours. Then it is kept for a certain time in a growth stimulator according to the instructions.
Planting sequence:
- Dig a hole so that it is wider than the root system.
The top layer of soil is thrown separately to the side
- The bottom is covered with a drainage layer.
- A fertile substrate is prepared from compost and peat, superphosphate is added to it.
- Part of the mixture is poured onto a drainage pad.
- Place the honeysuckle in the center and pour out the rest of the substrate, thicken it.
Each poured layer of soil is tamped so that there is no void near the root
- The hole is filled with earth so that the root collar remains 4 cm above the surface.
- Cut the stalks of honeysuckle to five buds, water and cover with mulch.
For mass planting, the interval between plants is 1.8 m.
Watering and feeding
The drought resistance of the Gzhelka variety is average, young plants may die when the root ball dries out. In the first growing season, the seedling is watered with a small amount of water so that the soil is not dry and waterlogged. In drought, approximately at intervals of 2-3 days. The watering regime for adult honeysuckle is determined by the frequency of precipitation. The main condition is to prevent the soil from drying out.
Top dressing for up to two years is not required for a honeysuckle seedling, it has enough nutrition from the mixture laid during planting. Activities begin from the moment of budding, urea and organic matter are added. At the end of the season, fertilized with a complex mineral composition and compost, top dressing contributes to the development of vegetative buds in spring.
Pruning honeysuckle variety Gzhelka
When pruning, take into account the biological feature of honeysuckle - the main fruiting of the plant at the tops of annual shoots. If the branches are two years old, they will give berries, but in much smaller quantities, and they will take in the nutrients in full.
Basic rules for pruning:
- get rid of perennial branches, leaving only skeletal ones;
- partly after fruiting, annuals are cut out, the main crop of the next season will be given by the shoots of the current year;
- remove weak stems, deformed, growing in the central part of the bush.
Wintering
A frost-resistant plant, originally from the northern regions, calmly tolerates a drop in temperature to -350. Honeysuckle, after four years of growing season, the shelter of the crown for the winter is not required. The shrub is irrigated with water-charging, fed with organic matter and the soil is mulched near the root.
Young plants, especially in the first two years of life, did not have time to form a full-fledged root system and accumulate enough nutrients to easily withstand frost.Honeysuckle Gzhelka after planting requires additional measures before winter:
- The shrub is watered abundantly, spud.
- Cover with mulch.
- The branches are pulled together and fixed with a rope.
- From above, the crown is wrapped with burlap or any covering material.
- In severe frosts, you can additionally insulate with spruce branches.
Burlap or spunbond can be used as a covering material.
Reproduction of edible honeysuckle Gzhelka
The variety is selective, therefore, it will not be possible to reproduce Gzhelka honeysuckle generatively. Planting material will give young shoots, but the plant will not retain varietal characteristics. The berries are small with a tart, bitter-sour taste. Therefore, the Gzhelka cultivar is propagated only in a vegetative way.
Division of the mother plant - for this purpose, an overgrown bush is used after the age of five years. The transplanting event is carried out at the end of fruiting.
The method of propagation by layering is used. The lower branch is fixed to the surface in the spring and covered with soil. In the fall, it will be seen which vegetative buds have taken root. Layers are covered for the winter, they are seated the next season in the fall. It takes two years from laying the layering to obtaining a full-fledged bush.
The most effective and fastest way to propagate Gzhelka honeysuckle is cuttings. Cuttings are cut at the end of fruiting from annual shoots. Placed in the ground at the beginning of the next season. When the temperature is stable at a positive mark, the seedlings are determined for the site.
Honeysuckle pollinators Gzhelka
Cultivar Gzhelka forms female and male flowers, refers to self-fertile, pollination is required. This is done with honeysuckle mainly bees, less often butterflies and bumblebees. Early varieties bloom first on the site, there are no problems with pollination. The Gzhelka variety does this later. When honey plants bloom, bees rarely visit shrubs. To attract insects, honeysuckle is sprayed with syrup.
Gerd's honeysuckle is planted next to the Gzhelka variety, the heap is small.
Gerda blooms at the end of May
Heap small - mid-season variety of culture
Diseases and pests
From the wild variety of the cultivar Gzhelka received a high immunity to most of the fungal and viral infections. With the right place and the observance of agricultural technology, the plant does not get sick. Powdery mildew infection is possible during the rainy season or with excessive watering. A shrub of the Gzhelka variety is treated with drugs, for example, "Topaz".
Fungicide inhibits the growth of fungal spores
If an infection is detected, the affected parts of the crown are cut off and removed from the site.
Of the pests it parasitizes on honeysuckle:
- aphid;
- leaf roll;
- shield.
For the purpose of prevention, the culture of the Gzhelka variety is treated at the beginning and end of the season with Bordeaux liquid. They get rid of pests with "Aktara" and "Fitoverm".
Contact action insecticide
Non-toxic biological product for animals
Conclusion
Description and reviews of the Gzhelka honeysuckle variety will help you get a general idea of the variety and make a choice in its favor. The shrub is used in two directions: to obtain berries with high taste and a wide range of substances useful for the body, and also as an element of decorative gardening. The Gzhelka variety with simple agricultural technology and good frost resistance, undemanding to the composition of the soil.
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