Harvest variety of honeysuckle “Malvina” with sweet and sour berries without bitterness

Description of the Malvina variety, its characteristics

The honeysuckle variety Malvina was registered in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation in 2002 at the request of the Pavlovsk Experimental Station of the Institute named after. N. I. Vavilova. Recommended for cultivation in all climatic regions where honeysuckle can grow. As a rule, this is the middle zone, more northern regions, the Black Earth Region, etc.: in the south, weather conditions are not very favorable for cultivating this crop.

Medium ripening variety, universal use. The plant is a medium-sized bush with an oval crown and thin, straight, slightly pubescent shoots. The leaves are large. This honeysuckle bears its first harvest in the third year of the bush’s life. The berries are characterized by low shedding. They are of medium size: their weight is 1.0–1.2 g, their shape is elongated pear-shaped. The color of the berries is blue-blue, they are thickly covered with a waxy coating. The pulp is juicy, sweet and sour, there is almost no aroma. Taster rating is 4.4 points out of five, the variety is considered dessert. Berries cannot be stored for long periods of time.

Parameters of the Malvina bush are average for the species

The variety is considered suitable for industrial cultivation. In this case, the yield is estimated to be slightly lower than 50 c/ha. In summer cottages, up to 3–4 kg of berries are harvested from an adult bush. Harvesting in the middle zone occurs in the second half of June. The plant is resistant to diseases and pests, has high winter hardiness, and no cases of freezing have been observed even in the harshest winters. In the spring, during flowering, it tolerates return frosts down to -8 ° C. The variety is self-fertile and requires pollinators. Morena, Blue Bird and Blue Spindle are optimal for this purpose. The active life expectancy is estimated at 25–30 years.

Characteristic

In addition to the appearance of the Malvina honeysuckle bushes and fruits, other characteristic features of the plant deserve no less attention, which directly affect the characteristics of its cultivation.

Characteristics and features of growing honeysuckle variety Golubka

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Frost resistance and drought resistance

It is not for nothing that the hybrid honeysuckle Malvina is recommended for cultivation in any region of the Russian Federation: the shrubs can withstand low temperatures well, and if the substrate is regularly moistened, they are not afraid of heat. In the northern regions of Russia, the plant is not afraid of temperature drops down to -50°C; however, for this you will have to cover the above-ground part with agrofibre.

The root system of honeysuckle is more vulnerable, so when it reaches -40°C it quickly freezes. Flower buds can withstand the effects of return frosts within -8°C, but with a further decrease in indicators they will die.

The crop's resistance to long-term drought is not so high, therefore, when cultivating honeysuckle in the southern regions, you will have to control the level of soil moisture, especially during the period of flowering and fruiting of the bush. Insufficient watering may cause the berries to become crushed and reduce their taste.

Fruiting, productivity

With proper organization of the conditions for growing honeysuckle Malvina, in central Russia the fruits can be harvested as early as the end of June, although if you leave them on the bushes for a few more weeks, they still will not fall off (separating the fruits from the stalks here is more difficult than with other similar varieties).

The yield of the variety is average or slightly above average, since up to 3.2 kg are harvested from one bush, and about 48.9 centners of berries are obtained from 1 hectare.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any other variety, edible honeysuckle Malvina has its strengths and weaknesses.

• large fruit;
• low tendency to fruit shedding;
• high taste characteristics of berries;
• high resistance to low temperatures, diseases and pests;
• early fruiting and good productivity.

As for the disadvantages of growing Malvina, it has no significant disadvantages - of course, if you do not take into account the requirement for regular watering in dry summers and the slight difficulty of separating the berries from the stalks. However, not all gardeners consider this last feature a disadvantage, especially if we remember the low tendency of the variety to shed fruit.

Appearance of the bush and fruits

Malvina honeysuckle berries reach sizes of 3.0 x 1.5 cm, which is an average figure for this crop. They have an irregular shape, with an uneven rim at the top. The entire surface is covered with tubercles, the color is blue, but due to the waxy coating it appears bluish.

In terms of appearance, Malvina berries do not stand out among other varieties.

Description of honeysuckle Malvina

Malvina honeysuckle was obtained relatively recently at the St. Petersburg experimental station named after Vavilov by crossing the Leningrad giant and form 21/5. The authors of the variety are Kondrikova and Plekhanova. In 2002, it was included in the State Register for all cultivation zones.

Externally, Malvina honeysuckle is an oval-shaped shrub. Stems of small thickness are directed upward almost perpendicularly. They have noticeable pubescence. Young branches are green, when mature they are brown. Over time, the bark begins to crack, revealing reddish wood.

The bushes of the variety have a compact spherical or oval shape

The leaves of honeysuckle Malvina are quite large and oval in shape. Length – 6 cm, width – 3 cm. The leaf is dark green, straight. Pubescence is also present on them, but it is almost invisible.

Small, bell-shaped flowers of honeysuckle Malvina are pale yellow. They are located in nodes along the entire length of the shoots. Racemose inflorescences can contain up to 10 small “bells”. The plant blooms in early May.

Malvina honeysuckle berries are large, average weight up to 1.1 g, length up to 30 mm, diameter 12 mm. Their surface is slightly tuberous, without pubescence. The shape of the berries is characteristic, with an uneven edge at the top.

Malvina honeysuckle berries are covered with a bluish waxy coating

Advantages and disadvantages, features, differences from other varieties

Malvina is a very popular variety of honeysuckle, due to its advantages, including:

• low berry shedding;
• high endurance both in terms of weather conditions and in relation to diseases and pests;
• decorativeness of the bush;
• ease of care;
• very good dessert taste of berries;
• good transportability of the crop;
• high productivity;
• suitability for cultivation in industrial gardens.

The disadvantages include self-sterility (in fact, almost all varieties of honeysuckle suffer from this), short shelf life of the crop, and poor separation of the berries from the stalk.

Compared to other popular varieties, Malvina cannot be called either the best or the worst. For example, the size of its berries is somewhat larger than that of Amphora, but smaller than that of the Bakchar giant. The taste is rated slightly lower than that of the same Amphora or Sibiryachka, but much higher than that of the Goluboe Vereteno variety. Productivity is at the level of Nymph or Morena, that is, slightly above average for all varieties of honeysuckle. The Malvina variety is considered one of the most winter-hardy and unpretentious.

Some of the largest berries are from the Bakcharsky giant variety

Planting the Malvina variety

By its nature, honeysuckle is a forest plant, so the crop works well on loamy alkaline or neutral soils. For best fruiting, choose a sunny place protected from the winds. The crop will grow in the shade, but the yield will noticeably decrease.

Attention. Honeysuckle variety Malvina does not tolerate stagnant groundwater. High humidity has a detrimental effect on the roots, the plant begins to wither and soon dies.

The best time for planting crops is early autumn. By September, honeysuckle finishes its growing season and enters a dormant period, so it tolerates any changes in conditions painlessly and has time to adapt before frost.

It is not recommended to plant the plant in spring due to the early start of the growing season. Already in mid-March, the Malvina variety wakes up and produces buds. Any intervention during this period will lead to severe stress, and if there is insufficient care, even to the death of the bush.

Rules for planting honeysuckle

10–12 days before the start of planting work, holes are made in the selected area with a depth of 40 cm. The top layer of soil is mixed with a bucket of humus, 2 cups of ash and a matchbox of complete mineral fertilizer are added to the mixture. The composition is carefully shoveled and placed in the planting hole.

Advice. On acidic soils, add a handful of lime or a half-liter jar of chalk to the hole and water the soil well.

Step-by-step process of planting honeysuckle Malvina:

1. A mound of fertile soil is poured into the center of the prepared hole;
2. A seedling is placed on top, the roots are spread well and covered with nutritious soil. The container culture is transferred together with the earthen clod.
3. The soil around the bush is compacted and watered;
4. The tree trunk circle is mulched with peat, sawdust, and bark.

The root collar should not be buried more than 3 cm into the soil. In a wet year or when groundwater is high, it may dry out and the plant will die. After planting, young bushes are not pruned, like other fruit crops. The event slows down growth and reduces yield.

Planting and care

The agricultural technology of Malvina does not differ from that for other varieties of honeysuckle; Moreover, it is quite simple. It’s just important not to forget that planting one bush is useless. You need 3-4 bushes, at least one of which is of a different variety, acting as a pollinator. The distance between plants is maintained about two meters. Planting is carried out from late August to mid-October, choosing a place that is sunny but not windy. The soil is moisture-absorbing, but not swampy.

Recently, they have been trying to purchase seedlings in containers. Two-year-old bushes are optimal. They are planted in pre-prepared holes (about half a meter in size) without additional deepening. In the first autumn after planting Malvina, you only need to water it. For the winter, despite its high winter hardiness, it is better to lightly cover a seedling that has not yet taken root very well.

It is more reliable to buy seedlings with a closed root system

Honeysuckle is watered 6–7 times per season: the plant requires the maximum amount of moisture in late spring and early summer. The soil needs to be loosened. Feeding begins two years after planting. In early spring, a handful of urea is scattered under the bush, a bucket of humus is filled in during bud bloom, and an infusion of wood ash is used during flowering.

Like many other varieties, Malvina is prone to thickening of the bush, which is corrected by timely pruning. Bushes are trimmed after leaf fall. It is believed that a bush should contain no more than 5-6 main branches. The rest are cut out; Diseased, broken, smallest branches and shoots are also removed. After 7–8 years, the bush may need to be rejuvenated: the old main shoots are gradually replaced with new ones growing from the roots.

Secrets of care

Honeysuckle variety Malvina is unpretentious and is content with a minimum of agrotechnical measures. In the first two seasons, the plant is only watered and loosened. And only in the third year they begin to fertilize and form the bush.

Watering

Honeysuckle needs regular watering only in hot, dry summers. Mature plantings are moistened abundantly during the period of berry set, after harvesting and in late autumn, before frosts. The rest of the time, it is enough to pour 10–15 liters of water under the bush once a month.

Advice. In wet weather, the Malvina variety is irrigated only when necessary. In most cases, it has enough soil moisture.

Young bushes are watered much more often, but in smaller volumes. In hot, sunny weather, plantings are shaded from the sun, and in the evening they are irrigated along the crown.

Feeding

Honeysuckle Malvina is undemanding to fertilizers and in the first two years it gets by with food added to the planting hole. Starting from the age of 3, nitrogen fertilizer is applied to each bush, scattering it in the tree trunk in early spring.

On poor clay soils, during the flowering period, place a bucket of compost or humus under each plant. In late autumn, Malvina is fed with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers in dry or liquid form. It is these substances that restore the plant’s strength and promote fruit set. For an adult bush, take 2 cups of ash and a spoonful of granulated superphosphate.

Pruning honeysuckle

Young plantings, as a rule, only need sanitary pruning. In the spring, when a green cone appears or in late autumn, diseased, broken branches and branches growing inside the bush are removed.

Starting from the age of 6, 2-3 old shoots are cut out from Malvina every year, replacing them with the same number of young ones. Thinning formation is recommended to be carried out in the fall.

Growing honeysuckle

Growing honeysuckle is not that easy. In order for the seedling to take root properly, grow and begin to bear fruit, you need to work hard. Growing Malvina involves:

• selection of seedlings;
• choosing a landing site;
• preparatory activities;
• the landing itself;
• caring for plants.

Which seedlings are suitable for planting

They buy seedlings from nurseries. It is best to take seedlings in containers. At the same time, pollinating varieties are acquired. 2-year-old healthy plants with a well-developed root system have the best survival rate.

Choosing a landing site

The main criterion for a site for honeysuckle is good lighting. Also, the place should be spacious with fertile soil. The crop is unpretentious to soil composition, but it will grow better on slightly acidic loam.

Preparing for landing

The area is dug up in advance. The soil is cleared of roots, weeds and fertilized with various fertilizers.

Landing

Planting can be done any time from April to November. In the prepared area, holes measuring 40 x 40 are made. The bottom of the holes is covered with drainage, then a layer of earth mixed with fertilizer is poured. An earthen ball with a seedling is placed on this mixture, and then covered with earth and compacted. The bush is watered with water, and the soil around it is mulched with straw, sawdust or dry grass. The mulch layer should not be thicker than 10 cm.

Honeysuckle care

Honeysuckle is a moisture-loving plant, so it especially needs high-quality watering, especially during drought. After watering, the soil is loosened so that oxygen can freely penetrate to the roots.

3 years after planting, honeysuckle must be fed several times a season. Since she does not like mineral fertilizers, they do this using organic matter.

Starting from the 3rd year of life, the bushes are pruned, with the help of which the crown is formed.

What does Malvina honeysuckle look like and what are its characteristics?

Honeysuckle Malvina was bred in the city of St. Petersburg by breeders M. Plekhanova and A. Kondrikova by crossing an elite variety number 21-5, originally from the Primorsky Territory, with honeysuckle Leningradsky Velikan. The hybrid was registered in the State Register in 2002. Designed for cultivation throughout Russia.

Description of the plant

Malvina bushes not only produce delicious berries. They are decorative and will decorate any dacha or garden plot:

• hybrid plants are characterized by tall growth and large size. The bush reaches a height of 1.5 meters;
• thin, straight green shoots and strong branches, painted brown, are abundantly covered with dense and large oval-shaped leaves with pointed ends. The leaves are dark green, smooth, without jagged edges;
• the bushes have a dense, squat crown of a round or oval shape;
• the flowers are small pale yellow bells. Inflorescences are bunch-shaped;
• plants begin to bloom immediately after the snow melts;
• honeysuckle Malvina requires other varieties of crops for pollination, which include Morena, Malvina, Start, Blue Bird or Blue Spindle;
• bushes grow slowly. Only after 4 years the plant grows up to 1 meter tall. Honeysuckle begins to bear fruit 3-4 years after planting;
• Bushes live for 25 years or more.

Description of berries

The fruits of the hybrid grow quite large for this crop:

• The length of the berry is about 3 cm, the width is no more than 1.2 cm. The weight of the berry is about 1 g;
• the fruits have an elongated, slightly tuberous shape and a bluish-blue color with a bluish waxy coating;
• The fibrous, delicate pulp is covered with a dense skin. The aroma of berries is weak;
• the taste is very pleasant, sweet and sour without bitterness.

Taste qualities are rated 4.4 points on a five-point scale.

Valuable properties of honeysuckle

The fruits of the Malvina hybrid are not only very tasty, but also very healthy. They are used in alternative medicine to treat a range of diseases. The benefits of berries are due to their incredibly rich chemical composition. 100 g of fruit pulp contains:

• sugar - about 15%;
• acids - no more than 1.9%;
• vitamin C - up to 52 mg;
• dry matter - 17.3%.

In addition, honeysuckle is rich in:

• vitamins A, group B, PP;
• malic, succinic, oxalic, citric acids;
• tannins;
• pectin;
• catechins;
• glycosides;
• micro- and macroelements - phosphorus, calcium, potassium, fluorine, sodium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, iodine, silicon, etc.

Honeysuckle berries increase appetite, strengthen the immune system, eliminate vitamin deficiency, and cleanse toxins. They are used for:

• diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
• diseases of the stomach and liver;
• rheumatism, gout and arthritis;
• skin diseases;
• colds and infections;
• diseases of the throat and respiratory organs;
• kidney stones and gall bladder stones.

The fruits of the plant are used to treat hypertension, diabetes, and atherosclerosis. Constant use of honeysuckle in food will improve blood composition, cleanse blood vessels of cholesterol plaques, normalize metabolism, restore vision, strengthen hair, and rejuvenate the skin.

Usage

Fresh berries are a storehouse of vitamins and other useful substances. Both adults and children love them. Jams, jellies and jams are made from honeysuckle berries. They make jelly and compote and squeeze out the juice. The fruits are dried and used to make homemade wine.

When it ripens

Malvina begins to ripen very early. Already in early June you can taste the first berries. In the middle of the month you can start harvesting. The fruits can hang on the bushes for a long time. At the same time, they will not crumble and will not lose their taste or appearance. The berries come off the stems poorly.

Yield indicators

Malvina produces high yields. From a bush over 6 years old, 1.5 to 3.5 kg of delicious berries are harvested. From one hectare - about 49 centners of fruit.

Shelf life of berries and their transportation

The berries can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks if they are picked a few days before they are fully ripe. Fully ripe berries are stored for only 2-3 days. The Malvina variety tolerates transportation well. They can be transported over long distances with high-quality packaging. At the same time, they will not crack or wrinkle.

Weather resistance

Hybrid Malvina thrives in extreme winter temperatures. Its bushes tolerate frosts down to -50°C. The root system of plants does not freeze at -40°C, and flowering buds can withstand return frosts down to -8°C. Honeysuckle is resistant to adverse weather conditions. She does not suffer from temperature changes. The only drawback is the lack of resistance to drought and the requirement for watering. Malvina honeysuckle grows throughout our country, including in its northern regions.

Pros and cons of a hybrid

The disadvantages include:

• demands on watering;
• difficulty in separating berries from the stalk.

The hybrid has many more advantages than disadvantages. The following can be said about Malvina honeysuckle:

• it endures even the harshest winters;
• produces generous harvests of high quality berries;
• the fruits are large in size, have excellent taste, beautiful presentation and tolerate transportation well;
• the berries ripen in early June;
• plants almost never get sick;
• the berries do not fall off the bushes.

Diseases and pests

It is believed that honeysuckle practically does not get sick. In humid climates or when there is too much rainfall during the warm season, fungal infestations can occur. These include sooty fungus or tubercular disease. During drought, the plant may be attacked by powdery mildew.

A typical manifestation of powdery mildew is a white coating covering the fruits, shoots and leaves.

To prevent fungal diseases, it is recommended to treat the plant three times during the spring with an ash solution (100 g of ash is infused in 1 liter of water for 24 hours, after which 10 g of soap is added to it). Repeated treatments are performed every other week.

If fungus appears, all bushes should be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture at a concentration of 1%. The treatment must be repeated 2 more times after 7-10 days.

If signs of tubercular disease appear (red swelling and wilting of foliage and shoots), the affected areas will have to be completely removed and burned, and the stems will have to be sprayed with Fitoflavin.