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Honeysuckle "Vasyuganskaya" (Lonicera caerulea Vasuganskaya) is a perennial shrub that was bred by free pollination of Turchaninov's honeysuckle (his elite form No. 68/2). The variety is named after the Vasyugan River flowing in the southwestern part of Siberia. The plant has been under state control since 1988. Description of the variety and reviews of Vasyugan honeysuckle indicate its main advantages - useful, tasty fruits and decorative beauty of shrubs.
Honeysuckle can grow up to 1.8 m in height
Description of Vasyugan honeysuckle
The plant has the shape of a bush with a rounded crown, reaches a height of 1.6-1.8 m. Shoots are thin and flexible, slightly pubescent, red-brown in color (young have a dark green tint). Leaves are green and medium-sized, lanceolate, edged below. Flowers of Vasyugan honeysuckle are pale yellow, with long stamens and light aroma. They are located in inflorescences of 3-5 pieces at the tops of the shoots.
Cylindrical fruits are dark blue or purple in color. The size of the berry is 1.5-2.2 cm in length, weight is up to 1.8-2 g. The peel is thin, with a matte bloom. The pulp is dense in structure, has a sweet and sour taste without bitterness. The yield of the Vasyuganskaya variety is up to 3-4 kg from one adult bush. After ripening, the berries crumble.
Planting and caring for honeysuckle Vasyugan
Honeysuckle "Vasyugan" is an unpretentious and frost-resistant variety. The optimal climate is temperate, but with proper care, the plant can develop in the southern regions of the country. The soil should be loamy or sandy loam, with neutral acidity. If the soil is sandy, before planting it must be enriched with manure and peat. Add chalk, lime solution or dolomite powder to acidic soil.
Planting dates for honeysuckle varieties Vasyugan
You can plant Vasyugan honeysuckle in spring or autumn, each method has its own advantages:
- Planting in spring. It is carried out at the end of March or at the beginning of April. It is necessary to plant in the period when the snow has already melted, and the buds have not yet blossomed. With spring planting, it is possible to monitor the development of the bush, and, if necessary, intervene in the process (feed or cure the disease).
- Planting in the fall. Held in late September or early October, before the first frost. When planting in autumn, the plant undergoes stratification (hardening process), due to which it becomes hardy and strong.
When choosing a season for planting, one must take into account the climate of the region - in the northern strip, where there are early frosts, it is better to plant in spring, in the south - in autumn.
Honeysuckle "Vasyugan" blooms in early May
Selection and preparation of the landing site
There should be no swamps, dirty ponds or groundwater near the site, since excess moisture harms the root system of the plant. It is necessary to plant on a hill so that the bushes receive enough heat and light, to avoid lowlands and ravines. Honeysuckle "Vasyugan" does not like strong gusts of wind, so it is better to plant it along the fence or fence. The planting site should first be cleared of debris, old foliage and weeds.
Planting rules for honeysuckle varieties Vasyugan
In order for the honeysuckle bushes to take root and bear fruit abundantly in the future, it is important to observe the following rules:
- The distance between the holes should be 1.8-2 m, and in rows - at least 2.5 m, the bushes should not intertwine.
- Dig holes with a diameter of 40-50 cm and a depth of up to half a meter.
- Prepare a fertilizer mixture (compost, ash and phosphate additives) and add it to each well.
- To deepen the root into the soil by 5-7 cm.
- Do not compact the earth too much.
- Water the Vasyugan honeysuckle sapling with warm water.
- After watering, close the hole with mulch.
For planting, choose only healthy seedlings. The roots must be flexible and intact, free of moldy odor. Make sure that the shoots are strong and that there are no cut off shoots.
Watering and feeding
Honeysuckle "Vasyugan" is a moisture-loving variety, but excessive moisture can lead to decay of the root system. It is necessary to water the bushes at the root when the soil around is slightly dry. In hot weather, watering should be increased, and excluded on rainy days. The optimal time is early morning or evening after sunset.
When planting, the plant receives enough fertilizer for development, so it is necessary to resume feeding in the 2nd year of growth. At the beginning of spring, organic fertilizers are applied (manure, peat, silt, compost or use a universal mixture). Fertilizers rich in nitrogen are added to soft soil. During flowering, it is useful to add ash (1 liter to 1 bucket of warm water) - this mixture increases the yield. Adult bushes are fertilized in the spring with a urea solution.
In the spring, you need to apply organic fertilizer under each bush.
Pruning honeysuckle variety Vasyugan
For the first 3-5 years of development, only dry shoots or unnecessary shoots that have appeared near the base should be cut off in order to give the plant a beautiful shape. The upper branches of Vasyugan honeysuckle should not be touched - future fruits are tied on them.
At 8-10 years of age, fruiting decreases, then crown thinning is carried out, when the upper shoots should be partially cut off. The plant recovers quickly, after which flowering resumes, and the yield rises again.
The plant begins to bear fruit in the 2nd year of life.
Wintering
Honeysuckle "Vasyugan" can withstand frosts down to -40 ° C, but the plant must be properly prepared for winter. For this you need:
- Remove debris and foliage from the soil to avoid the appearance of harmful insects.
- Feed the soil with potassium-phosphorus mixtures or organic matter.
- Remove dry shoots from the bushes by cutting them to the base.
- Remove the supports from long branches, gently bend them to the ground.
During the winter, it is recommended to cover the honeysuckle bushes with mulch (hay, straw), spruce branches or covering material (geotextile, lutrasil and others). If the winter in the region is mild and frosts down to -15-20 ° C, honeysuckle can be left uncovered.
Pollinators of Honeysuckle Vasyugan
Honeysuckle "Vasyugan" is a self-fertile variety. It needs pollination (allogamy) in order for the ovaries to form, and subsequently the plant bears fruit. For cross-pollination, you need to plant nearby honeysuckle bushes of a different variety. Breeders recommend the following crops:
- Blue bird.
- Blue spindle.
- Tomichka.
- Daughter of the Giant.
You can plant other varieties separately in a row or alternate bushes of different crops. It is important to maintain a distance between them so that the plants do not interfere with each other's development.
Reproduction
The best breeding method for Vasyugan honeysuckle is to divide the bush.To do this, you need to choose a strong young plant (3-5 years old), from which a good harvest has already been harvested, and carefully divide it without damaging the roots.
The second way is to use cuttings. Well-developed vertical or horizontal processes should be cut from the plant. Usually not all specimens take root, up to 50% of specimens die.
Seeds of Vasyugan honeysuckle germinate well and develop quickly. But with this method, the plant does not inherit the parental genes, since the variety is self-fertile. The bush can grow, but it will not bear fruit, but will only serve as an additional landscaping of the site.
Diseases and pests
Common pests of Vasyugan honeysuckle are scale insects, mealybugs, aphids, fingerwing and others. To get rid of dangerous insects, the bushes must be treated with a urea solution (you can also use manganese, tobacco infusion, ash or hot pepper). For prophylaxis, 2 times a year, in spring and autumn, use the drugs "Lepidocid", "Confidor" or their analogues.
The main causes of diseases in honeysuckle are high humidity or improper care. The variety is resistant to disease, but when the first signs appear, it is important to take action immediately. There is a risk of such infections:
- Soot and other types of mold. It affects the foliage - first dark spots appear, after which the entire leaf turns black. When a disease occurs, the plant must be sprayed with a 1% solution of copper sulfate or Bordeaux liquid, or treated with antifungal drugs (Fitover, Fundazol, Topaz).
- Powdery mildew. A white bloom appears on the leaves. The affected foliage should be removed immediately. Treat the plant and the soil near it with solutions of manganese or mustard, or use industrial preparations - "Vitarol", "Previkur", "Skor" and others.
- Speckled leaves. An infection that leaves yellowish, arc-like patches on the leaf blades. If symptoms are found, the affected branches should be removed and burned, and the bushes should be treated with Phytolavin or Rapsol. If the spots reappear, the plant should be dug up and destroyed, it can only be cured at an early stage.
Viral diseases such as cucumber and razuha mosaic, potato virus and others cannot be cured. The affected bush is destroyed so that the plants in the vicinity do not become infected.
Conclusion
The description of the variety and reviews of the Vasyugan honeysuckle indicate that this culture is photophilous, frost-resistant and gives a rich harvest. If you follow the rules of planting and care, then the shrubs will bear fruit abundantly and will decorate any garden.
