Swan is one of the very first edible honeysuckle varieties bred by breeders. The variety, despite the low yield, is in demand among gardeners. We’ll find out what “Swan” is valued for, how to plant it, and how to grow it on its site?
honeysuckle variety "Swan"
honeysuckle berries “Swan” are fragrant and refreshing, have a pleasant sweet taste
the fruits of the honeysuckle "Swan" have a dense skin, so they can be stored and transported without loss
Briefly about the origin of the variety
The authors of the variety are breeders from the Institute of Genetic Resources. Vavilova (St. Petersburg). "Swan" refers to the line of Kamchatka honeysuckle. The basis for its breeding was Pavlovskaya honeysuckle and seedlings of form No. 21-1. The variety was introduced to the State Register in 1999.
Botanical features of Honeysuckle Honeysuckle
Variety Lebedushka is a carrier of all the basic botanical characteristics characteristic of honeysuckle.
The appearance of the bush
Bushes at Lebedushki are medium-sized, moderately sprawling, loose. The first 2-3 years grow slowly, then growth accelerates. The maximum height of the bush is 2 m. The crowns are rounded, branches are straight, strong. The leaves are pointed, slightly convex, deep green in color. The flowers are small, appear in early May.
Fruit
The fruits are dense, with a thick, tuberous skin. The shape is elongated-cylindrical, barrel-shaped. Length - 2.7 cm. Weight - 1.2-1.6 g. Color - blue. The pulp is dense and gristly. The fruit tastes sweet and sour, the aroma is soft, pleasant. The fruits are tasty, but not sweet enough - they have a lot of ascorbic acid.
Main characteristics
- Ripening dates. Ripening begins in June. Honeysuckle ripen earlier than strawberries.
- Regionality. The variety is zoned in most regions of the country. The swan grows equally well in the south and in the north.
- Productivity 2-2.5 kg of fruits are harvested from one bush.
- Winter hardiness. The plant withstands extreme frosts. It does not need shelters even in the northern regions.
- Transportability and storage. Due to the dense pulp, the fruits are well transported. Storage is short-lived, as in most varieties of honeysuckle - 2-3 days. During this period, the fruits must be consumed or processed.
- Destination The fruits are universal - they are consumed fresh, canned, frozen, prepared with compotes, juices, used as a filling for baking, and made homemade wine. Fruits and leaves are used in folk medicine.
- Resistant to pests and diseases. Differs in high immunity. It is practically not affected by pests, the only insect that can create serious problems for Swan is aphid.
- Pollination. The variety is almost not pollinated independently. The best pollinating varieties are Kamchadalka, Morena, Bluebird and Blue Spindle.
- Decorativeness. Landscape designers recommend Swan for decorating gardens and creating hedges.
Beneficial features
Fruits of the Swan are rich in useful substances and useful in vitamin deficiency. Honeysuckle contains:
- Potassium - strengthens the heart muscle.
- Pectins - contribute to the normal operation of the digestive tract.
- Vitamins A, B, C - useful for immunity, vision, well-being.
- Zinc - strengthens nails and hair.
- Silicon - strengthens bones.
- Iodine - normalizes the thyroid gland.
Honeysuckle fruits do not cause allergies; when frozen and dried, they do not lose their beneficial properties.
Pros and Cons of Winches
The advantages of the Swan variety are:
- Excellent dessert taste of fruits.
- Good transportability.
- The spectacular appearance of the bushes.
- Suitable for creating hedges.
- High yield.
There are no serious shortcomings in this variety, it is worth paying attention only to such nuances:
- The acidity of the fruit. For those who like to feast on fresh honeysuckle, the berries may not seem sweet enough.
- Difficult separation from the stalk. The fruits of the Swan come off the stalk difficult. This feature is both a plus and a minus of the variety. On the one hand, harvesting is complicated, on the other hand, the fruits can remain on the branches for a long time - they do not crumble, like many other varieties.
Comfortable growing conditions
The swan, as befits a honeysuckle, is unpretentious and hardy. But if you want to get a luxuriously flowering shrub with abundant fruiting, create comfortable growth conditions for it.
Time
Landing is possible at any time - in spring or autumn. Spring planting is carried out before budding - in the month of March. Melting snow serves as a signal for honeysuckle landing. Autumn planting occurs in August-early September. Planting dates depend on climatic conditions in the regions.
Plot
Landing site requirements:
- The site should be well lit. Under shading conditions, the berries ripen not sweet enough, and yield decreases.
- Honeysuckle will not be damaged by protection from the north - in the form of fences or landings.
- The site should not stagnate. If there is a risk of flooding, drainage is organized on the site. Water stagnation interferes with the development of honeysuckle, and even leads to its death.
- Bushes on the site are planted in compliance with an interval of 1 m, or even more. Between the rows - 2 m. Honeysuckle loves space, thickening of plantings has a bad effect on productivity.
The soil
The Swan needs slightly acidic or neutral soils. It grows well in soils:
- moderately or slightly podzolized;
- loamy;
- sandy loam.
Ideal for honeysuckle soil - light, fertile, breathable, with a pH of 6-6.5.
Planting a seedling
The procedure for planting the finished seedling is the same as for other varieties of honeysuckle. Pits, 40 x 40 cm in size, are prepared two weeks before planting. Pebbles, gravel or other solid material are thrown into the pit - a drainage layer is formed. The soil mixture is poured on top.
The fertile layer extracted by digging a hole is mixed with:
- compost - 2 buckets;
- ash - 1 l;
- superphosphate - 50-60 g.
The prepared soil mixture is poured into the pit. The pit is covered with some material - film, slate, etc.
The distance between neighboring pits is 1.5-2 m, between rows - 2-2.5 m. It is easiest to plant seedlings with closed roots - they are removed from containers, and together with a lump of land they are transferred to a landing hole.
When the earth settles, begin to land. The procedure for landing honeysuckle:
- An hour before planting, lower the roots into Kornevin - this stimulant promotes rooting. Immediately before lowering into the pit, dip the roots into the clay mash.
- Form a hill from the soil mixture, which is covered in a pit. Put the roots of a seedling on its top, carefully spread them. Set the seedling so that its root neck is 5-6 cm deep.
- Fill the hole with earth - the remaining fertile layer obtained by digging a hole.
- Pour seedlings abundantly. You do not need to cut it - it will be needed only for the next year.
Propagation by cuttings
Honeysuckle is easily propagated by any of the existing methods. You can buy ready-made seedlings, or you can plant bushes with layering or cuttings. If the bush is an adult, they dig it out and, chopping it into pieces, plant it in the holes. The main thing is that each part has well-developed roots. But the easiest way to propagate honeysuckle is cuttings. We learn how to do it.
The choice of cuttings
Honeysuckle can be propagated by green or lignified cuttings. The first is harvested in June - after harvesting, lignified - until the buds open or in autumn. Honeysuckle can also be propagated by combined shoots - they have a particle of an annual branch. Combined shoots are harvested in late May.
Rules for harvesting cuttings of various types:
- Lignified. Choose healthy shoots. Use annual growth. Everyone should have 2-5 internodes. Store until spring, wrapping the roots, and burying in sawdust or sand.
- Combined. Harvested after flowering. Take them from the gains of the current year. Cut them off so that they have a “heel” from last year’s escape. Cuttings are necessarily soaked in Kornevin.
- Greens. The growth of the current year is suitable - they choose the strongest. If the branches bend well and do not break, they do not fit. We need branches breaking with a crunch.
The cuttings are taken from the central part of the shoot. The length of the handle is 7-12 cm. The number of internodes is 4 pieces. On each node is a kidney and a leaf. The lower cut is done at an angle of 45 degrees. The second section is straight, it is made over the upper kidney, leaving 1.5 cm. The leaf is torn off at the lower node.
Planting the cuttings
To plant a stalk, you first need to sprout them - in water or in a substrate. You can germinate the roots immediately after cutting the cuttings. Germination methods:
- In water. The shank is dipped in water - cut off part. Water is periodically added. When the roots grow to 2 cm, the cuttings are transplanted into the substrate.
- In the substrate. It is bought or prepared from peat and sand (1: 2). Sprinkle the mixture on top with a layer of sand. Thickness - 2-3 cm. The lower section is treated with Kornevin. The cuttings are buried in the substrate. The “heel” of the handle should be immersed in sand 2-4 cm. The soil is rammed around the shoot and moistened.
To stimulate the growth of roots in cuttings, a greenhouse is organized. If there is one handle, you can use a plastic bottle or container. A greenhouse is installed for several cuttings - plastic or metal arcs are inserted into the soil onto which the wire is pulled.
The soil in the greenhouse is moistened daily. Condensation is removed from the walls of greenhouses. If not, increase the humidity inside the greenhouse. In a greenhouse, rooting of cuttings occurs in 2-3 weeks. The film is not removed immediately, but gradually - they begin with a few hours.
Care
Honeysuckle is unpretentious and familiar to the harsh climate. She does not need special care. Care is maximally simplified if you mulch the soil near the bushes.
Read our article on how to care for honeysuckle in the fall.
Watering
Honeysuckle is watered sparingly - 1-2 times a week, and also as needed. The watering rate for a young plant is 10 liters. The best time for watering is in the morning or evening. To retain moisture, use mulch.
Drought has a bad effect on the taste of berries; they become tasteless, bitter. To increase the sugar content of fruits, honeysuckle is fed with ash.
Pruning
Proper pruning improves the appearance of honeysuckle, increases its productivity, increases the size of berries. Features of honeysuckle pruning:
- In young seedlings, branches are shortened to improve branching.
- Pruning in the spring is carried out before budding, in the fall - before frost.
- The first pruning is carried out for 4-5 years after planting in open ground.
- The tops of the shoots are not cut off - it is here that the fruits are tied. In honeysuckle, only young shoots bear fruit.
- During sanitary pruning, diseased, dry and damaged branches are removed. They are cut off near the ground, without leaving stumps. When pruning healthy branches, hemp leaves 30-50 cm high are left.
- Branches with fruits growing close to the ground are removed.
- Among young shoots, upright leaves are left, crooked and weakened pruned.
- In bushes of 8-10 years of age, several shoots are cut every year - for rejuvenation.
Pest and Disease Control
The main pest of the Swan is the aphid. Appearing in early May, it attacks a shrub during massive flowering. If chemical preparations are used during this period, insects pollinating the plant will be destroyed. Therefore, the fight against aphids begins after picking berries. Apply any insecticide - Aktaru, Biotlin, Spark, but only before budding and after harvest.
Against aphids, folk remedies are often used. A solution is prepared from ash and laundry soap, and bushes are sprayed with it.
You can’t get rid of aphids forever - you have to fight it constantly.
For the prevention of fungal diseases, honeysuckle, before flowering, is sprayed with Fundazole or copper sulfate (10 l - 100 g). Plants are also recommended to be treated with Bordeaux fluid in early spring - to prevent cancer and other diseases.
Productivity Tricks
How to increase productivity:
- To increase the yield of edible honeysuckle, gardeners go for a simple trick - they attract melliferous insects to flowering shrubs. During flowering, branches of honeysuckle are sprayed with a solution of sugar or honey. For 10 liters of water put 2 tbsp. l one or the other.
- To prevent birds from eating, ripening fruits are covered with a net. Hang various scarers on the bushes.
Reviews from gardeners about the variety Lebedushka
Galina S., Ufa. I’m growing honeysuckle more for the soul. Well, for the sake of a few kg of healthy berries. There is no commercial interest in this culture - if you deal with honeysuckle, then on a very large scale. And on the garden plot you can’t take much from it. The bush is beautiful, the berries ripen very early. There is only one problem - she loves aphids very much.
Konstantin E., Omsk region The swan is good for its large fruits. It grows in my country house, and I never worry that I will not have time to collect the fruits in time - even when ripe, they hang, they do not crumble. This honeysuckle is small in growth, and there are more berries than leaves. If we talk about the hedge, it is better for her to choose a more leafy and high grade.
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Swan is one of the best varieties of edible honeysuckle. This culture, without requiring special care, can become the best decoration of your garden, and at the same time - a source of delicious and healing fruits.
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Russia. City Novosibirsk
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