Honeysuckle Blue Bird: variety description, photos, reviews

Main characteristics

• The variety is early ripening, created by scientists from the Siberian Horticulture Research Institute by selecting the best specimens of Kamchatka honeysuckle.
• The fruit shoots are vigorous and can develop to a height of 1.6-1.8 m.
• The bushes are characterized by a spreading, dense oval-shaped crown.
• The fruits are medium in size with a length of 2 cm and a weight of 0.8-1.2 g.
• The berries are blue in color, oblong in the form of an ellipse.
• The pulp of ripe fruits is very soft with a sweet and sour taste.
• The skin of the hearths is very thin with a waxy coating.
• Ripe berries contain: sugar 5-6.5%, vitamin C 16-17 mg/100 g.
• The berries ripen during the second part of June.
• The variety is characterized by weak fruit shedding.
• Plants need pollination by such varieties as Malvina, Morena, Sinichka.
• The variety produces the first harvests from the third year of cultivation, and the total fruiting period lasts 23-25 ​​years.
• The average yield from one bush is 1.2-1.5 kg of berries. In some years, you can collect up to 2.5 kg from a bush. fruits

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The main advantages of the Blue Bird:

• frost resistance;
• immunity to diseases and pests;
• ease of care;
• ability to adapt to different climatic conditions;
• long fruiting period;
• universal use of berries;
• early ripening of the crop.

Disadvantages of the variety:

• need for pollinating varieties;
• sensitivity to temperature changes;
• demands on the level of soil moisture;
• relatively low yield.

Differences from other varieties and hybrids

Comparison of Bluebird with other early ripening honeysuckle varieties:

Features of growing honeysuckle

Growing conditions

The Blue Bird variety is a fairly productive variety, but in order to get the highest possible yield, you need to create the best growing conditions for honeysuckle plants. Based on this, it is very important to choose the right growing location that has the following characteristics:

• The fertile soil layer should be at least 25-27 cm.
• The most suitable for growing this variety are ordinary chernozems and fertilized sandy loam soils without the presence of soil pests (beetles, wireworms).
• Good illumination of honeysuckle bushes throughout the daylight hours. It is allowed to keep honeysuckle shoots in partial shade for 3-4 hours.
• Waterlogged soil conditions negatively affect the development of honeysuckle bushes. This is due to the fact that wet soil does not contain enough oxygen, which the plant needs for normal growth. Therefore, you need to choose an area with deep (at least 2.5 m) groundwater.
• The Blue Bird variety is a self-sterile variety, so it is recommended to place seedlings in relative proximity (50-60 m) to other varieties of this fruit crop.
• The quality of plant pollination is greatly influenced by the presence of pollinating insects and the air flow of the area.

Bush propagation

To obtain planting material of this variety at home, you need to use cuttings and creating layering methods.

• Cuttings. This method is quite simple and effective at the same time. In the autumn, after the end of leaf fall, healthy and strong shoots are selected and cuttings are cut from them. Each cutting must have at least 2 viable buds. During the winter, the cuttings are stored in damp sand or sawdust. In the spring, the cuttings are removed from the substrate and planted in a trench, where they are carefully cared for (watering, weeding, loosening). When roots appear on the cuttings, this means that they are ready to be planted in a permanent place of growth.
• Creation of layers. Healthy, well-developed shoots are selected and bent to the ground so that the top can be covered with earth. This shoot tip should always be in moist soil. As soon as roots appear on the sprinkled cuttings, you can separate the shoot from the mother bush and transplant the cuttings to another place.

Selection of seedlings

If the gardener has not previously grown honeysuckle on his plot, he will have to purchase ready-made planting material from representatives of various fruit nurseries or familiar gardeners. At the same time, it is very important to have an idea of ​​what indicators a productive seedling of a given honeysuckle variety should have. The main characteristics of such a seedling are:

• Shoot height up to 50 cm.
• Age – 1-2 years.
• The diameter of the base of the shoots is 1-1.3 cm.
• Absence of diseases and pests on the surface of the seedling.
• Powerful, well-branched root system.

Landing time and method

Planting should be done in the fall during September - early October. This period of planting honeysuckle planting material allows the plants to take root before the onset of frost and overwinter well. The process of planting honeysuckle consists of the following work:

• Using a shovel, dig holes 38-40 cm wide and 40-42 cm deep.
• To increase the supply of nutrients in the soil, it is recommended to add 4-4.5 kg to each planting hole. rotted manure, 64-70 g of superphosphate in granules, 30-36 g of nitroammophosphate.
• The root system of the seedling is soaked in 10 liters a day before planting. water with the addition of 10-13 ml. the drug Vympel or Energen Aqua.
• Immediately before planting, 10-13 liters are poured into each hole. water.
• The seedling is placed in the middle of the hole and, having straightened the roots, they begin to fill them with loose and fertile soil.
• A hole is made in the soil around the planted honeysuckle seedling and an additional 6-8 liters are poured into it. water.
• After waiting for the water to be completely absorbed, you need to fill the hole with dry soil and mulch the space around the seedling with straw or sawdust.

Weed control

In order for the seedling to quickly form a new root system and subsequently develop quickly and produce high yields, it is necessary to loosen the soil in time and promptly destroy weed seedlings. Weeds are very dangerous, especially in the first months of seedling growth. But even after it takes root, weeds are serious competitors of honeysuckle in the fight for soil moisture and nutrients. Therefore, weeds must be destroyed in time, as soon as their shoots appear on the soil surface. In this case, the processing depth should be insignificant 2-3 cm.

Loosening the soil

In addition to weed control, it is very important to maintain row spacing and the soil around the bushes in a loose state. The loose layer allows you to retain soil moisture and prevent cracking of the soil.

Watering

Timely watering is very important for the normal development of honeysuckle. It is especially important to water plants during the flowering period and the beginning of fruit formation. Watering must be carried out not only on time, but also in the required volume. After all, insufficient watering of honeysuckle will be ineffective, and an excessive amount of irrigation water will negatively affect the development of this crop. For the Blue Bird variety, its creators have developed the following irrigation scheme:

• From the moment the seedling is planted until the onset of stable frosts, the variety must be watered regularly at intervals of 5-6 days. In this case, you need to spend 7-9 liters on one plant. water.
• From early spring until flowering, watering should be done every 7-8 days at a rate of 10-14 liters. for one bush.
• During flowering, honeysuckle needs to be watered more often (every 3-4 days), but the rate of irrigation water should be less - 9-10 liters.
• In the process of formation and growth of fruits, you need to water once a week in a volume of 15-18 liters. for one bush.
• After the end of the harvest, the amount of watering is reduced. Therefore, in a month it is enough to carry out two waterings of 15-19 liters each. every.

In addition to the rate and time of irrigation, it is very important to save irrigation water from evaporation. Therefore, experienced gardeners recommend watering in the evening and using mulching material (straw, sawdust, agrofibre).

Top dressing

Fertilizing has a positive effect on the development, productivity and wintering of this variety. Therefore, you need to feed honeysuckle according to this scheme:

• At the end of March or beginning of April, when the soil surface is still quite moist, you need to feed the honeysuckle with nitrogen fertilizers. Ammonium nitrate is best suited for this purpose. This fertilizer can be used in two forms. In dry form, saltpeter is scattered evenly over the soil surface in a dose of 30-34 g per 1 square meter. m. If the soil surface is already slightly moist, then a more effective way of fertilizing is to dissolve 30-34 g of saltpeter in 10-12 liters. water. The resulting solution is poured over the soil in a dose of 3-3.5 liters. per 1 sq. m.
• As soon as the first leaves appear on the honeysuckle plants, it is necessary to feed it with a solution of chicken manure. This solution is prepared by dissolving 1 liter. fermented litter of 12-14 liters. water. For 1 sq. m. evenly pour from 3 to 4.5 of the above solution.
• Before honeysuckle begins to bloom, it is recommended to spray its shoots with ready-made liquid fertilizer such as potassium humate (8.5-9 ml per 8-9 liters of water).
• After the fruits have formed, you need to fertilize the honeysuckle bushes with a solution of liquid mullein. This solution is prepared by dissolving the fertilizer in water in a ratio of 1-11. 4-5.5 liters are consumed per bush. of this fertilizer.

Bush pruning

The variety needs proper pruning of the aboveground part. This event is held at the end of March before the sap flow begins. The following work is carried out using pruners:

• To improve the lighting of the central shoots, the side shoots need to be shortened by 30-35% of their total length.
• Parts of shoots that have been severely damaged by diseases or pests are cut out.
• If the honeysuckle bush has been growing for more than 15 years, then it needs to undergo anti-aging pruning.
• You cannot trim the top part of annual shoots, as they contain a large number of flower buds.

Disease Control

When planting honeysuckle on poor soil with poor lighting, the variety can be affected by fungal diseases such as ramularia and powdery mildew.

Ramulariasis (white spotting) manifests itself in the early stages of development in the form of irregularly shaped gray-brown spots. Subsequently, the spots increase in size and become covered with a white coating. The disease affects the petioles, pericarp and stems of honeysuckle. When plants are heavily infected with this disease, the growth rate of shoots decreases, the root system weakens, and the yield decreases. The spread of the disease is facilitated by high air humidity and relatively low temperatures (+ 11 + 13 degrees). Fungal spores overwinter well in the soil and on the surface of plant debris (leaves, parts of shoots). Control measures:

• Collection and destruction of leaves and other parts of disease-affected bushes.
• Spraying plants with copper sulfate or fungicide Fundazol.

Powdery mildew. This disease spreads under the same conditions as white spotting. The disease can be found on honeysuckle plants in the form of white spots with a cobweb-like coating. Subsequently, these spots increase and gradually cover the entire surface of the leaf. The disease leads to plant suppression and loss of up to 20-24% of the yield. Control measures:

• Before the buds open, it is recommended to pour boiling water over the shoots.
• Watering should be done early in the morning so that excess moisture completely evaporates during the day.
• Cut out parts of the shoots where powdery mildew has spread strongly.
• Spraying shoots with fungicides Oxyx, Myclobutanil.

Pest Control

The Bluebird variety can be suppressed by the following pests: Honeysuckle mite. The pest is located in those parts of the bush where there is excess moisture and strong shade. Mites are located on the bottom of the leaf, as a result of which the leaves begin to turn brown, curl and fall off. Control measures:

• Carrying out timely thinning of honeysuckle bushes.
• Irrigation in the optimal amount.
• Spraying shoots with insecticides Actellik, Rogor, Confidor.

Honeysuckle fingerwing. The pest causes the greatest damage in the caterpillar phase, which feed on not quite fully ripened fruits. Control measures:

• Spraying shoots in autumn with insecticides Konfidor, Bi-58 N.
• Spraying shoots during the spring-summer season with infusions of tomato and potato tops.

Honeysuckle aphid. A pest can produce several generations in one season. The pest develops quickly, forming large colonies on the tops of young shoots. The location of such colonies can be determined by the curled leaves. The pest feeds on the cell sap of leaves and can lead to a reduction in yield of up to 10-13%. Control measures:

• Spraying honeysuckle shoots in spring with insecticides Confidor and Actellik.
• During the period of fruit formation and growth, the shoots are treated with aqueous infusions of tobacco, garlic, and pepper.

Harvesting

Berries of this variety must be collected according to the following requirements:

• The berries must be harvested when they are fully ripe, without signs of rot or damage by pests.
• To reduce the number of fallen berries, harvesting should be carried out systematically at intervals of no more than two days.
• It is not recommended to pick berries with signs of fungal diseases.
• For the longest time, freshly picked berries are stored in wooden boxes with holes in the body.

Preparing for winter

During October and the first half of November, honeysuckle plants need to be prepared for future wintering:

• Loosen the row spacing by 12-15 cm.
• Destroy weeds around honeysuckle bushes.
• To loosen the rows, you can add rotted manure at a rate of 4-4.5 kg. per 1 sq. m.
• In case of severe damage to honeysuckle shoots by fungal diseases, it is recommended to spray the shoots with fungicides Oxyx or Bordeaux mixture.
• Seedlings that go into winter for the first time need to be insulated with agrofibre, sawdust or sunflower husks.

Reproduction methods

Reproduction of the honeysuckle variety in question can be carried out in several ways:

1. Green cuttings - cut them from the shoots of the current year. Harvesting of material begins after the plants have flowered and the first berries begin to form. The strongest growths are selected; they are cut and then divided into several parts 12 cm long. Each cutting should have 3 buds. For a day, the prepared material is soaked in “Kornevin” (20 drops of the drug are added to 1 liter of water). After this time, the cuttings are planted in the ground and covered with plastic bottles with the bottom cut off. Periodically, the plantings are watered and ventilated. After a month, the covers can be removed.

2. Woody cuttings - they are cut at the end of September - beginning of October after the leaves fall. Select shoots of the current year with several internodes (2–5 pieces). Wrap the planting material in burlap or paper, dig in to a depth of 10 cm and cover with leaves. In spring, they are planted in open ground at an angle of 45° so that only 1 internode remains above the surface.

3. Dividing the bush - carry out manipulation before the buds swell or in the fall after the leaves fall. They dig up bushes that are 3–5 years old. Using pruning shears, divide each plant into several parts. The resulting bushes are planted in prepared holes.

Reviews from summer residents

• I have been growing honeysuckle for a very long time. At the dacha I tried many varieties, but I was convinced that the Blue Bird variety was the best. Plants grow back very quickly after wintering. The adaptability of the variety to temperature conditions is very good. The berries are large and tasty. One bush can produce from 1 to 2.5 kg. berries Excellent variety.
• Excellent variety. The harvests are good. The variety is not very demanding regarding growing conditions. But, nevertheless, plants love watering and fertilizing. Rarely gets sick. The fruits are large, beautiful and tasty. The variety can withstand both severe winters and hot summers. I collect an average of 1.5-1.7 kg per bush. fruits
• The variety is very familiar to me. I grow it on the outskirts of the garden. The plants tolerate light shade, withstand harsh winters and produce a consistent yield of 1.8-2 kg. berries from the bush. The berries are quite large and juicy. The variety is resistant to diseases, but in rare years it can be affected by powdery mildew. Easily propagated by cuttings.
• I have been growing this variety for the past five years. I am very glad. After all, with minimal care you can always reap a good harvest. Depending on the season, I collect from 1 to 2.4 kg. berries The fruits are tasty and large. Plant resistance to low temperatures is high. Pests and diseases do not bother the variety.

Berry picking, storage

Kamchatka fruit honeysuckle and other popular varieties are a natural storehouse of vitamins

Therefore, it is important not only to grow berries, but also to collect them on time and preserve them.

You should not rush to pick the fruits as soon as they turn blue - you need to give them time to mature and gain sweetness, about a week. To harvest, a cloth is spread under the bush and the berries are shaken off onto it. You can also pick them by hand. The picked fruits are very tender, release juice quickly and bruise easily. They are placed in a thin layer in flat containers.

Honeysuckle does not tolerate transportation very well, so it is advisable to consume or process it as quickly as possible.

Fresh berries cannot be stored for a long time even in the refrigerator. It is best to freeze them or make jams and compotes. The jam turns out very tasty. To prepare it, the harvest is mixed with other fruits, for example, blueberries or even cherries.

Rules of care

Even a novice gardener can cope with growing this crop without any problems, since it requires minimal care. Due to its high resistance to diseases, pests and cold, it does not require shelter for the winter even when cultivated in the Urals and Siberia, and does not require additional preventive spraying with chemicals.

The main agrotechnical measures that should be paid attention to when growing honeysuckle:

• watering;
• soil care;
• fertilizing;
• sanitary and anti-aging pruning.