Honeysuckle variety Izyuminka: characteristics and cultivation features

Botanical description

Zest is classified as a medium-ripening variety; the plant has the following characteristics:

• the bush is medium-sized, slightly spreading;
• shoots are purple with pubescence, thin;
• leaves are light green, medium size;
• pale, medium-sized flowers;
• berries weighing about 1.1 g, 1.8–2.7 cm long;
• the shape of the berries is elongated-oval, the surface is bumpy;
• the color of the berries is blue, with a bluish coating, without pubescence;
• the pulp is fibrous, aromatic;
• the taste is sour-sweet, without bitterness.

The assessment of the taste of fruits by professional tasters varies significantly depending on the region in which the crop ripened. In the conditions of the northwestern regions of Russia it is 4 points, while in Ukraine it reaches 4.8 points out of 5 possible.

Description of edible honeysuckle Zest

Judging by the photo and description, the honeysuckle variety Izyuminka has the following characteristics:

1. It bears fruit quite early, in mid-May.
2. The bushes grow to almost 1.5 m with dense foliage.
3. The leaves of honeysuckle Izinka are oval, “close” a little, and become pointed at the tip.
4. The shoots are slightly curved, brown with a purple or lilac tint.
5. It blooms with white “bells”, and during this period honeysuckle looks impressive, for which it is often used for decorative purposes.
6. Fruits with long berries up to 3 cm, gray in color.
7. To the touch, the skin is lumpy, dense, but not hard, and has a pale coating.
8. The weight of one berry of the Izyuminka variety reaches 1.5 g.
9. About 1-2 kg of berries are harvested from one bush.

Attention! Ripe honeysuckle Zizinka stays on the bushes for up to 3 weeks.

The fruits taste sweet and sour, slightly spicy, the pulp has a fibrous consistency. They are often used in preparations for the winter - jam, marmalade, etc. Honeysuckle berries are also consumed fresh; in addition, they have pronounced beneficial properties and have a beneficial effect on stabilizing blood pressure.

Honeysuckle is well adapted to winter. She is not afraid of sudden repeated colds, when, like other plants, they can slow down in flowering. It is noteworthy that new seedlings produce the first berries after 3 years; after 6 years, fruiting is even more abundant.

Characteristic

Zest has many advantages, but there are also disadvantages that should be taken into account when choosing a variety.

Did you know? In addition to edible honeysuckle, there is also decorative honeysuckle, whose fruits are unsuitable for consumption. In total there are about 190 species of this creeping shrub. One of the most famous representatives of the culture with inedible fruits is wolfberry.

Frost resistance and drought resistance

This honeysuckle has demonstrated high frost resistance, but there is no information about how the variety tolerates drought.

Fruiting, productivity

Fruiting begins already in the 3rd–4th year of the plant’s life . The harvest in some regions begins as early as May, making honeysuckle one of the first berries of the season. The yield of the variety is low, but stable, and is about 27 c/ha or 0.9–1.4 kg per bush . The berries fall off the shoots weakly.

Advantages and disadvantages

• The main advantages of Zest can be considered:
• stable harvest;
• large tasty berries;
• non-shattering of fruits;
• frost resistance;
• disease resistance;
• unpretentiousness in cultivation.

Minor disadvantages of the variety include relatively low yield and the need for pollinators.

Honeysuckle fruit Velvet

Description Fruit honeysuckle Velvet

The variety was bred at NIISS (in Barnaul). Medium ripening period. The bush is vigorous (up to 2.0 m), spreading. The shoots are medium thick, straight, green, pubescent. The fruits are large (0.9-1.2 g), oval, dark blue, with a waxy coating. The skin is medium thick. The taste is sweet and sour, with bitterness, without aroma. Tasting score – 4.5 points. Transportability is good. Ripening period: June 20-25, simultaneous. The fruits do not fall off. The variety is fast-growing, universally used. The average yield is 2.3 kg per bush. Self-sterile. Pollinated by all simultaneously flowering varieties of honeysuckle. Winter hardiness is high. Not damaged by diseases and pests.

The taste is sweet and sour, with bitterness, without aroma. Tasting score – 4.5 points. Transportability is good. Ripening period: June 20-25, simultaneous. The fruits do not fall off. The variety is fast-growing, universally used.

Landing Features

To provide the plant with the most comfortable conditions, it is necessary to select a suitable place for the plant and plant it at the optimal time.

Did you know? The bark of some types of honeysuckle peels off and exposes the trunk, which is why it received the popular name “shameless.”

Deadlines

Due to the early start of the spring growing season, it is advisable to choose the autumn period for planting. The optimal time is the end of September or the first week of October. If you need to plant a seedling in the spring, this should be done immediately after the soil has thawed, before the buds wake up.

Selecting a site, preparing holes

The place for honeysuckle should be bright and protected from the north wind . Since the plant reaches a significant size, it is necessary to provide enough space and support for an adult bush. An adult honeysuckle can reach a diameter of 1.5–2 m, so an area of ​​approximately 2 × 2.5 m is allocated for it.

In general, the crop does not make any special demands on the soil, but it shows the best results on sandy and loamy soils with a slightly acidic reaction. The permissible groundwater level is 0.5 m. To plant one seedling, you will need a hole with dimensions of 40x40x40 cm.

Important! If the soil on the site is acidic, every 4 years it is necessary to add 200–300 g of lime per 1 m² of tree trunk circle.

To prepare the nutritional mixture you will need:

• 2 buckets of humus or compost;
• 200 g each of double superphosphate and potassium salt or 1-2 tbsp. ash.

This mixture is combined with the soil from the pit. The resulting nutrient soil fills the hole approximately 2/3.

Selection and preparation of planting material

The most suitable seedlings are two years old, which will allow you to get the first harvest in the next season. They should have 2–4 elastic shoots 30–40 cm long, as well as a branched root system. Before planting, seedlings are carefully inspected and damaged parts are removed. Long roots should be cut to 30 cm.

Planting scheme

The process of planting a seedling is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. A mound of fertile mixture is formed at the bottom of the pit.
2. A seedling is placed on a mound and its root system is straightened, checking that the roots do not bend upward.
3. Fill the hole with earth and compact it. The root collar should ultimately be buried 3–4 cm.
4. Honeysuckle is watered abundantly (about 10 liters of water per bush) and the trunk circle is mulched with sawdust, dry straw or humus about 4 cm thick.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Among the edible varieties of honeysuckle, Izyuminka is not lost, although some species surpass it in yield.

Advantages:

• early berry ripening;
• good taste;
• berries do not fall off the branches, last up to 2.5-3 weeks;
• stable yield;
• resistance to frost, return frost;
• excellent decorative qualities;
• unpretentiousness.

Parental forms of Izyuminki are varieties of Kamchatka honeysuckle, characterized by resistance to adverse weather conditions and sub-zero temperatures. Ural breeders have developed a unique early-ripening variety that has absorbed the best qualities of a wild crop.

This honeysuckle is early-fruiting, the first berries after planting the seedlings are removed for 3-4 years, after 6-7 years the bushes enter the phase of abundant fruiting.

Flaws:

• the yield is low, but the Zest is appreciated for the pleasant taste of the berries;
• it is necessary to plant pollinators - other varieties of honeysuckle for better fruit set.

In general, reviews from gardeners are positive, especially noting the resistance of Izyumina to cold and frost.

Rules of care

A feature of the culture is slow growth in the first 3–4 years after planting. So, in the 4th year the bush can reach only 1 m in height. This behavior should not be considered problematic; it does not require additional feeding or special pruning.

Find out how to properly transplant honeysuckle to a new location.

Watering and mulching

Active growth of crop shoots lasts only about 10 days and stops at the beginning of summer. Such an early start requires attention to the plant during this period. The mouth requires regular watering until fruiting is complete. Lack of moisture these days will significantly reduce the yield, reduce the size and worsen the taste of the berries. After watering, to preserve moisture and reduce the number of weeds, the tree trunk circle must be mulched.

Feeding

With a sufficient amount of fertilizer in the planting hole, the plant will not need other fertilizing for 2 years. As soon as the bush has begun to bear fruit, with the onset of spring, nitrogen fertilizer (ammonium nitrate or urea) should be added, diluting 30 g in 10 liters of water and pouring 1–1.5 liters of solution under the bush.

A solution of mullein (1:6) or bird droppings (1:10) is also often used. It is recommended to maintain an interval of 14 days and stop feeding in early July. When the crop has already been harvested, a solution of nitroammophoska or nitrophoska is added at the rate of 25–30 g per bucket of water. A solution of slurry (1:4) is also suitable.

In autumn, the following mixture is recommended for the bush (per 1 m²):

• 5 kg of compost;
• 100 g ash;
• 40 g double superphosphate.

Growing the Izyuminka variety: what to look for

Agricultural technology includes standard techniques that even beginners can easily master.

How to choose seedlings

When purchasing honeysuckle seedlings, pay attention to the condition of the shoots; they must be healthy and without deformation. It is advisable to purchase bushes with closed roots (growing in pots, containers), these take root faster and adapt to new conditions. Plants with bare roots are soaked in compositions with growth stimulants before planting.

Preparing the landing site

In shaded areas, honeysuckle bears fruit poorly, and Izyuminka is no exception. Only well-lit places with fertile soil are suitable for planting. Lowlands, areas with close groundwater, and acidic soil are not the best places for this crop. And if the acidity situation can be corrected by adding ash and dolomite flour, then in low-lying areas you will have to build a drainage system.

The best time for planting is autumn, since honeysuckle begins a dormant period in August. In spring it starts growing early, so spring planting will not be successful. Prepare the soil in advance and apply the necessary fertilizers:

• humus;
• wood ash;
• superphosphate.

You can do it differently: prepare a nutrient mixture from these components and add it to the holes before planting.

ON A NOTE!

Experts recommend giving priority when planting, as well as in subsequent fertilizing, to organic matter rather than mineral fertilizers.

You may be interested in: Characteristics and description of honeysuckle “Delight” Strawberries “Balba”: growing features and care Honeysuckle “Zest”: characteristics and description of the variety

Hole dimensions: 40x40 cm, distance between bushes - 1.5 meters. After planting the seedlings, the soil is spilled with warm water and the soil is mulched.

Agricultural technology

In the first years, honeysuckle grows slowly, as the roots grow, and the above-ground part lags behind slightly. At this time, care comes down to watering, loosening, and weeding. There is no need to fertilize the bushes; the fertilizer applied during planting is sufficient for honeysuckle for two years.

Water in hot weather, monitoring soil moisture levels. The culture is considered moderately moisture-loving; fruit-bearing plants require more moisture.

In the third year, fertilizing and pruning are added to the listed techniques. The feeding scheme is simple:

• in the spring, feed honeysuckle with organic matter (humus, compost, diluted mullein);
• in summer - ash infusion;
• In the fall, potassium and phosphorus fertilizers (superphosphate, potassium salt, ash) are applied.

Fruit-bearing plants also need fertilizing after picking berries, so it is advisable to add 1-1.5 buckets of humus to each bush.

The peculiarity of Izyumina is the rapid growth of the bush, which is typical for honeysuckle. Without thinning, there is a high risk of thickening, which leads to a drop in yield and a sloppy appearance of the berry gardens.

Thin out the plants in the fall, when honeysuckle is dormant. All non-bearing, old, and weak shoots are removed. Sanitary pruning includes the removal of diseased and deformed shoots.

After 6-7 years, all bushes are rejuvenated. Some gardeners cut off all honeysuckle shoots completely, leaving 40-50 cm stumps. Others use the method of gradual rejuvenation of the Zest, cutting off 2-3 old branches and leaving the same number of young shoots. The total number of large and strong fruit-bearing shoots in a bush should not be more than 5-6 pieces.

Unlike many berry bushes growing in the middle zone or regions of Siberia, the Urals, and the European North, honeysuckle is not “afraid” of sub-zero temperatures and does not require special shelter for wintering. The root system of the plant can withstand severe frosts; the ground part does not freeze even in cold winters. There is no danger to the flowering crop during recurrent frosts; honeysuckle is accustomed to such “vagaries” of the weather.

ON A NOTE!

Honeysuckle adapts well to new living conditions, quickly adapts to the climate, and gardeners usually do not have any particular difficulties in caring for it.

Even when the upper part of the shoots freezes (usually this happens in winter, when the thaw abruptly gives way to frost), they quickly grow back.

If you want to propagate the variety, cuttings and layering are used. In the middle zone, gardeners also use bush division; only honeysuckle, the age of which does not exceed 5-6 years, is suitable for this procedure.

To prevent diseases and protect against pests, bushes are sprayed with special compounds:

• infusion of wood ash;

• green soap solution;
• Bordeaux mixture.

Since the honeysuckle harvest ripens early, chemical treatments are not carried out in the spring. They use folk remedies, and “chemistry” is used only in case of serious lesions. For aphids, honeysuckle is treated with solutions of Nitrafen, Karbofos, for leaf rollers - with Decis, Aktara.

ON A NOTE!

Aphids are spread on the site by garden ants. To kill insects, birds are attracted to the garden and garden by hanging feeders and birdhouses.

The berries are collected in June, as they ripen. You can’t keep the berries on the bushes too long; they will fall off and the harvest will be lost.

Honeysuckle Izyuminka is a winter-hardy variety successfully cultivated by gardeners in different regions of the country. It is valued for its large, tasty berries, easy care, and unpretentiousness to climatic conditions.

Harvesting and storage

The berries are collected after reaching full color. The raisin practically does not fall from the bush, so after gaining color you can wait about 7 days. The berries are collected in small containers in 1–2 layers.

Honeysuckle will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 days. It is suitable for freezing and drying, and is also used for making jam and other preparations.

Choice of varieties to taste

When choosing a honeysuckle variety, attention should be paid to the taste of the berries, since each plant has its own taste - from sweet and sour to bitter tastes. We will consider the most popular options below

Sweet

The concentration of sugar in them is much higher than the concentration of acid. These are the varieties:

• Azure;
• Kingfisher;
• Ramenskaya;
• Gorlinka.

Sweet with subtle sourness

The taste of the fruit is sweet, but there is also a slight sourness. These are the varieties:

• Kamchadalka;
• Tomsk;
• Gzhel early;
• Gzhel late.

The sourness in the fruits is pronounced. These are the varieties:

• Souvenir;
• Blue spindle;
• Nymph;
• Gerda;
• Moskovskaya-23.

Sweet with strawberry flavor

The taste of the fruit contains strawberry notes. These are the varieties:

• Cinderella;
• Roxalana;
• Volkhovka.

So, honeysuckle is a frost-resistant berry that does not suffer from attacks by pests and diseases. It is not only healthy, but also tasty. But in order to get the maximum yield, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the berry varieties, remembering that honeysuckle species that produce blue and black flowers are edible, and red and orange ones are inedible.

Preparing for winter

The crop tolerates temperature drops down to -50°C without significant losses, and in the flowering phase it will also survive return frosts down to -8°C. Moreover, if prolonged warming occurs in winter, the plant may wake up and open fruit buds, which will be damaged by returning severe frosts. Despite this, additional cover for the bush is not used; only mulching of the root system is used.

To obtain a full harvest and keep the bush healthy, it is recommended to perform the following measures:

• remove all fallen leaves and, if necessary, prune the plant, and also remove the organic mulch used during the season in the tree trunk circle;
• cover the ground under the bush with a new layer of mulch.

Choosing a variety based on bush height

Honeysuckle bushes can reach up to 5 m in height, so they are often used as hedges in landscape design. So, you should choose bushes depending on your own goals: if you need a fruit-bearing plant, then it is better to choose tall varieties, and if not, then short ones.

short

This is considered honeysuckle, the height of which is no more than 1.5 m. These varieties are:

• Gerda. A spreading shrub, the fruits of which appear in the second year, but the real harvest will please only 3-4 years. The berries are oval, blue-black. Maturation is extended. Up to 2.3 kg of berries are harvested from one bush.
• Gzhel late. Compressed shrub with pink shoots. The fruits are pear-shaped, large, with sweet and sour pulp, no bitterness. Productivity – up to 2 kg, shedding is weak.
• Lulia. The bushes grow up to 1.4 m and have a round shape. The berries are cylindrical in shape with a spout at the top. They are used for desserts and home processing. The Lakomka variety has similar characteristics.
• Violet. The height of the bushes does not exceed 1.3 m. Berries ripen on them, which have a pointed, elongated top. Great for desserts.
• Julia. Grows up to 1.1 m, has a round shape. The berries resemble a “barrel” with a flat top.

variety Gerda

variety Gzhel late

variety Lyulia

Violet variety

Variety Julia

Medium height

The height of bushes in this category varies from 1.5 m to 2 m. These varieties are:

• Amazon. Bush with a small crown. The variety is distinguished by its extremely early ripening of fruits - they are harvested in early June. The berries are dark blue, large, lumpy, with sweet and sour pulp, without bitterness. Up to 1.5 kg is collected from one bush. Can withstand frosts down to -48°C.
• Tomsk The bush is almost as tall as a person. The ends of the shoots bend toward the ground, so the crown has a characteristic spreading shape. The top of the fruit is strongly flattened and slightly depressed. They are colored dark purple, covered with a smoky waxy coating and have a pleasant sweet and sour taste. The first fruits usually appear on a 4-year-old bush in mid-June and bear fruit for about 30 years. Productivity up to 2.3 kg.
• Korchaga. The height of the bushes reaches 1.7 m, the crown is narrow. The fruits are pitcher-shaped and suitable for dietary nutrition.
• Princess Diana. The bushes reach a height of 1.9 m, the crown is oval. The fruits grow cylindrical and are used for desserts.
• The pile is small. Grows up to 1.8 m. The fruits ripen large and long, suitable for desserts and processing.
• My joy. It is somewhat inferior in height to previous varieties - the height reaches up to 1.6 m. The fruits are medium in size and have a wide flat top.

Amazon variety

Tomichka variety

variety Korchaga

Princess Diana variety

variety Heap is small

variety My Joy

Among the previously listed varieties, mid-early varieties include:

• Tomsk;
• Bakchar giant;
• Kingfisher;
• Cinderella;
• Gzhel early.

Tall

Tall honeysuckle is a powerful plant more than 2 m high. In addition to Nymph and Blue Spindle, these varieties include:

• Volkhova. A tall bush, the crown is round and squat. The branches are thick, straight, covered with bristles. Fruits with a blunt apex, elongated shape. The pulp is sweet with strawberry notes. The harvest is harvested in the third decade of June. It is extremely rare for insects to settle on young leaves. Productivity is up to 3.5 kg.
• Viliga. Tall bush that can withstand frosts down to -50°C. The fruits are cylindrical and elongated, the flesh is sour and tart. Up to 2.5 kg is collected from one bush.
• Moskovskaya-23. The bush is obverse-conical, up to 2.5 m high. The branches are covered with sparse bristles. The fruits are large, spindle-shaped, almost black with a bluish bloom. The taste is sweet and sour, tart. The berries spoil quickly, so they are immediately sent for processing or eaten fresh. There is no point in transporting them; they wrinkle and release juice. Productivity up to 3.5 kg.

Volkhova variety

Viliga variety

variety Moskovskaya-23

Reproduction methods

It is quite easy to propagate honeysuckle. Usually, cuttings, layering or the method of dividing the bush are used for this. The seeds also sprout well, but they do not retain the varietal characteristics of the mother plant. Seed propagation is mainly used in breeding work.

Important! When planting by dividing the bush, honeysuckle shoots must be cut by a third.

Cuttings

Cuttings should be prepared in early spring, before the buds open. For them, strong annual shoots with a diameter of at least 7–8 mm are selected. There should be 2–3 buds on the cutting; about 3 cm is left for penetration into the soil, so the final length of the cutting is about 7–12 cm. The cut cutting is soaked for a day in water with the addition of a rooting agent; small cuts can be made on the bark on the lower part.

Lignified cuttings are cut in the fall, after leaf fall. For them, shoots of annual growth are selected, which, after cutting, are stored in the basement, in damp sand, until spring. When they are planted in spring, only 1 bud is left on the soil surface.

For rooting, it is best to use a peat-sand substrate in equal parts. You can plant the cuttings in a garden bed or in a small greenhouse. In any case, the planting should be covered with film or other material. The average time for rooting is approximately 1 month.

By layering

This is the easiest way to get several new bushes for your garden plot. In early spring, while the plant is still dormant, several shallow cuts are made on the bark of a low-lying horizontal shoot. The shoot is bent to the ground and fixed, then buried and watered. After rooting, the shoot is separated from the main plant and transplanted to the selected location.

If there are no shoots below, use the “air layering” method. From the top of the annual growth, remove a layer of bark (in the form of a ring 1 cm wide), 15–20 cm from the top, and cover the cut with damp moss. Then they wrap this place with film and secure it with tape. When root formation occurs, the cuttings are cut off and transplanted into the ground.

Dividing the bush

Honeysuckle that has reached the age of 6 years is suitable for this method. The plant is dug up in early spring, before the buds open, or in the fall, with the beginning of the dormant period. The bush is divided with a tool with a sharp blade, and the cut site is disinfected. Parts of the bush are planted in prepared planting holes and watered abundantly.

Correct selection of honeysuckle variety

High yields of honeysuckle can only be achieved by highly productive varieties. It is the variety that largely determines the success of the business. Having planted a plant accidentally purchased on the market, perhaps even a seedling from a neighboring plot, no amount of agricultural technology will subsequently achieve the results that you could get from a good variety with high potential.

Which varieties you decide to choose will depend on your taste preferences and how you intend to use the crop. If mainly for fresh consumption, then choose productive varieties with a dessert taste, of different ripening periods, for example Amazon, Long-fruited, Maria, Elizaveta, Zarechnaya and so on.

Since honeysuckle berries are a perishable product (even in the refrigerator they are stored for no more than two to three days), then with a significant harvest, most of it will most likely be processed or frozen. For this purpose, varieties with a slight sourness or bitterness, for example Lenita, Gerda, Blue Spindle, and so on, are better suited. Many people like processed products made from them more because of the bitterness present. Although this is a matter of taste, of course, there cannot be a consensus here.

Here I would like to note that honeysuckle is a very flexible crop, and therefore it is possible on the site. successfully grow not only regionalized, local varieties, but also varieties bred in other regions, with other soil and climatic conditions. Such varieties may be superior to local varieties in a number of traits.

Diseases and pests

Honeysuckle is quite resistant to disease, but under unfavorable conditions it can become sensitive to powdery mildew and various spots, drying out and some other fungal diseases. To treat them, it is recommended to use early spring treatment with a solution of copper sulfate, Fundazol (2%) or Topaz. The culture practically does not suffer from viral diseases.

The plant's resistance to pests is also high, but the bush can be attacked by honeysuckle fingerfly, honeysuckle aphids, scale insects, leaf rollers and other pests. To combat them, after harvesting the fruits, the bushes are treated with a solution of Karbofos (0.3%) or Chlorophos (0.2%).

Among the special drugs we can recommend:

• “Decis”, “Eleksar” or “Inta-Vir” - against leaf-eating pests;
• "Aktellik", "Confidor" or "Rogor-S" - from sucking insects.

It is recommended to have healthy and tasty honeysuckle fruits in every garden. The Izyuminka variety can be grown in all regions of the country due to its high frost resistance. Its berries have an attractive appearance and taste, and the unpretentiousness of the crop in care will appeal to most gardeners.

Photo of bush and berries

The photo of the honeysuckle variety shows a slightly spreading shrub. The leaves are medium-sized and light green. When flowering, the plant is covered with white flowers.

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with Honeysuckle Ussulga

The shoots are purple and thin. They have pubescence. Large honeysuckle fruits have an elongated oval shape. There are small tubercles on the berries. The fruits are characterized by a bluish-blue color.