Honeysuckle Sorceress: description of the variety and cultivation characteristics

Botanical description

According to the description of gardeners, honeysuckle Sorceress is a not too tall (up to 150 cm) compact bush with average or weak growth vigor. The branches are thick, erect, the bark color is dark brown, with a pronounced waxy coating. The foliage is significant, the leaf blades are smooth (without pubescence), large, rich green in color and slightly elongated in shape with a characteristic bend from the edges to the center.

The berries are mostly large, up to 2.5 cm long or more, and have the usual expanded spindle (ellipse) shape for honeysuckle, although sometimes they look like tiny pears. The weight of one fruit ranges from 1–1.3 g, some specimens can reach 1.5 g. The color of the skin is dark blue, with a dense waxy coating. The structure of the skin is thin, the flesh is tender and juicy. The taste is sweet and sour, slightly tart, sometimes bitter, with a subtle but quite noticeable pleasant aroma. Some tasters tend to rate the taste qualities of the Sorceress at the highest possible “five”.

Did you know? Honeysuckle is one of the few plants whose fruit can be either edible and very useful, or poisonous. In order not to make mistakes when collecting wild berries, our ancestors used the rule: blue, purple and black berries are edible, while orange and red ones can be poisonous.

Advantages and disadvantages

Benefits of the Sorceress:

• large fruit;
• good commercial quality;
• high content of vitamins and minerals;
• possibility of universal use;
• relatively good shelf life and transportability;
• lack of tendency to shedding;
• unpretentiousness;
• drought and frost resistance;
• good immunity.

Disadvantages of the variety:

• need for pollinators;
• low yield;
• prone to pest damage;
• presence of bitterness in taste.

Difference from other varieties and hybrids

A comparison of the Sorceress with other early ripening varieties is presented in the table:

Characteristic

In addition to the taste qualities of the berries, gardeners are always interested in the characteristics of the commercial qualities of the variety - hardiness, demanding care, immunity to diseases and pests, yield, transportability of the fruit. The sorceress in this regard lives up to its name.

Video: Honeysuckle Sorceress

Frost resistance and drought resistance

In terms of frost resistance, the Sorceress is in many ways ahead of most other varieties of honeysuckle, although this crop is initially well adapted to cold winters. But if, on average, frosts below –40°C are considered critical for a plant, the Sorceress’s endurance threshold is at least 5 degrees higher.

The easy-to-care variety can also develop with a lack of moisture. Moreover, unlike many other varieties, the Sorceress is suitable even for growing in arid southern regions. However, although the overall yield indicators do not depend on the intensity of watering, with a lack of moisture, the taste of the berry and its commercial qualities suffer - the fruits become more bitter and tart, and also begin to fall off the bush prematurely.

Fruiting, productivity

Among the many varieties of honeysuckle bred by Russian breeders, Volshebnitsa is definitely not the most productive. Some gardeners complain that they manage to collect no more than 0.5 kg of berries from one plant, but they all differ in their consistently large size and the same shape. But with good agricultural technology, an adult bush (aged 4–6 years) provides a yield of 1.8–3 kg of fruit.

Did you know? 100 g of honeysuckle contains 530 mg of magnesium, which is almost one and a half times the daily requirement of our body for this important element. Interestingly, in terms of the amount of magnesium, honeysuckle is second only to sesame (540 mg).

According to the timing of fruiting, the variety is classified as mid-early: depending on the region of cultivation, the fruits begin to reach biological ripeness around the end of June - mid-July.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Gardeners include the undoubted advantages of the variety:
• large fruit;
• beautiful external qualities of the fruit (same size, regular shape, bright rich color);
• good taste characteristics, rich vitamin and mineral composition, universal purpose of the fruit;
• relatively high shelf life and suitability for transportation over long distances;
• good retention of berries on the stalk, low losses from shedding, including during harvesting;
• unpretentiousness, no difficulties in care, ability to easily tolerate overheating and drought;
• small bush size (compactness);
• high frost resistance;
• stable immunity to diseases.

• The variety is not without its drawbacks. Among them:
• self-sterility;
• low yields;
• low resistance to damage by aphids and other sucking parasites;
• the presence of bitter notes in the taste, reducing the overall tasting score.

Description of honeysuckle Sorceress

Honeysuckle Sorceress was bred by Russian scientists relatively recently. The plant was obtained by crossing Kamchatka honeysuckle, thanks to which the variety turned out to be cold-resistant and disease-resistant.

Despite its young age, the variety has gained great popularity among gardeners. The plant forms a slightly spreading bush or small tree, up to one and a half meters high. In spring, dark olive, oblong leaves with a matte surface appear on thick, red-brown shoots.

In April, the bush is covered with wax flowers. Afterwards, large, oblong dark blue berries appear on the plant. The weight of each reaches up to 1.5 g. The thin, dense skin covers the juicy, tender pulp with a sweet and sour taste.

Overripe berries from the bush do not fall off and do not turn sour in the sun

In addition to its high taste qualities, the variety is hardy, undemanding in care, immune to diseases, high-yielding and easily transported over long distances.

Honeysuckle Sorceress is a cold-resistant variety. An adult shrub can withstand frosts down to - 40 °C, but flower buds freeze at a temperature of - 5 °C.

The plant is unpretentious and develops well with a lack of moisture. For this reason, Sorceress honeysuckle grows and develops well in regions with dry summers. But when growing in the south of the country, it is important to remember that the taste and presentation of the crop depend on watering.

Honeysuckle Sorceress is a productive variety; if agricultural practices are followed, up to 3 kg of berries can be harvested from an adult bush. In terms of fruiting time, the plant is considered mid-early, it all depends on the place and region of growth. In central Russia, when grown in a sunny place, biological ripeness occurs at the end of June or mid-July.

The berry has a good taste and beneficial properties.

In folk medicine, not only berries are used; the entire aerial part is used to prepare infusions and decoctions. In cooking, the harvested crop is valued fresh; compotes, preserves and jams are prepared from it. The berries can also be frozen and dried.

Honeysuckle Sorceress, like any garden plant, has positive and negative sides.

The advantages include:

• large fruit;
• good taste and presentation;
• high shelf life and good transportability;
• compact size;
• ease of care;
• high frost resistance and immunity to diseases.

Many gardeners include the following disadvantages of the variety:

• sterility;
• low resistance to insect pests;
• With a lack of moisture, the pulp acquires a bitter taste.

The pulp contains vitamins and microelements that increase immunity, strengthen blood vessels and improve cerebral circulation

Pollinators

The Sorceress, which is not characterized by good productivity, may not set fruit at all if grown in a single copy. The problem is that the variety is cross-pollinated, which means that during the flowering period there must be other flowering varieties of honeysuckle nearby that can pollinate the bush with their pollen.

Important! Experts recommend growing the Sorceress in a joint planting with several varieties of pollinators, so that, in the event of unfavorable weather conditions that prevent the flowering of one variety, the rest will ensure full pollination.
So, for example, her closest “relatives” can act as a good pollinator for the Sorceress:

• Long-fruited;
• Chelyabinsk;
• Smolinka;
• Zest;
• Blueberry;
• Sineglazka.

Features of agricultural technology, use

It is better to plant bushes in well-lit areas, with sufficiently drained and fertile soil. They can also tolerate partial shade, but in this case the yield (already not very high) will decrease. The variety is not at all afraid of winter frosts, and in the spring even blossoming flowers are able to survive a short-term drop in temperature.

It is important to consider that the Sorceress is not able to pollinate herself! Many honeysuckles are suitable as pollinators, but especially Sineglazka, Chernichka, Chelyabinka, Izyuminka.

Experts also emphasize the increased drought resistance of this variety. It can be grown in relatively southern regions. True, it was noted that in such conditions the shedding of berries increases. Even in the northern regions, in the absence of rain for a long time, the soil under the bushes should be regularly moistened, otherwise the taste of ripe fruits will taste bitter.

Mature bushes, especially after 7-8 years, require regular anti-aging pruning, without which the plant will thicken and the berries will be crushed.

The noted advantages, to which should be added the good keeping quality of the berries, make the Sorceress a valuable industrial honeysuckle. But it is also popular on private farmsteads and summer cottages. The harvest is used both fresh and processed: into preserves, jams, juices and wine.

Landing Features

In addition to the presence of pollinators, for the development of honeysuckle of the Volshebnitsa variety, it is important to follow several more important rules during the planting process - choice of location, soil preparation, high-quality seedlings, the right time of year, the right predecessors and neighbors.

Deadlines

Two periods are traditionally suitable for planting fruit bushes: early spring or mid-autumn. In both cases, it is important that the plant is in a period of relative rest (active sap flow has not yet begun or has already ended). Most gardeners agree that honeysuckle takes root better and enters the fruiting phase faster when planted in autumn.

However, in regions where winters are especially harsh or characterized by sharp transitions from severe frost to thaw (especially in February and March, when the length of daylight increases and the bush perceives warming as a signal for the awakening of fruit buds), it is better to plant honeysuckle in the spring.

Selecting a site, preparing holes

The sorceress, like any variety of honeysuckle, needs to be planted in an open, well-warmed and lit area. In partial shade or in diffused light, the shrub can grow and develop very well, but it will not produce a high yield.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with another middle variety of honeysuckle—Lapis Lazuli.
The Sorceress shows good fruiting results on neutral or slightly acidic soil. Soils that are too heavy (alumina) or too light (sandstone) are acceptable for growing the variety, but it is better to adjust the mechanical composition of the soil to an average value during planting.
For this purpose, excess clay in the soil can be corrected by adding peat or sand, and, on the contrary, adding a little clay to sandstone. In the wild, honeysuckle grows well on the banks of reservoirs and along the edges of swamps, but stagnation of moisture in the ground due to the high groundwater level will have a detrimental effect on the development of the plant. You should make sure that the source of moisture is no closer than 100 and no deeper than 150 cm from the surface of the earth.

The planting hole for honeysuckle must be prepared in advance, at least three days before the intended planting.

The average volume of the hole should be 40x40x40 cm, but if the soil on the site is very poor, the size of the hole should be increased and the soil mixture used should be enriched more thoroughly. In any case, the soil removed from the pit is sorted into upper and lower layers, the latter is removed, and organic matter and mineral fertilizers are added to the upper one:

• compost or humus (fresh manure cannot be used) - 10–15 kg;
• superphosphate - 50–60 g;
• wood ash - 2 cups.

Selection and preparation of planting material

For planting, it is better to use a one-year or two-year-old seedling. It is recommended to purchase it in a specialized nursery of garden plants, as close as possible geographically to the final planting point (in this case, the survival rate of the seedling increases).

The root system of a young plant can be open or closed. In the first case, it is easier to verify the viability of the seedling, but, on the other hand, the soil ball protects the root system from damage and drying out. The optimal height of a honeysuckle seedling is 40 cm, the number of shoots is from 2 to 3.

When inspecting the planting material, you should make sure that it is not damaged. The presence of any inclusions and uneven coloring on the bark or root shoots of the seedling indicates that the plant is unhealthy and, most likely, will not take root well. For better rooting, before planting, it is recommended to soak a young honeysuckle bush for several hours in a growth stimulator (Heteroauxin, Kornevin, Epin).

Planting scheme

Honeysuckle is often planted along the edge of a plot in the form of a hedge, keeping a distance of 150–200 cm between bushes. This scheme, on the one hand, provides the plants with unhindered cross-pollination, and on the other hand, does not allow them to interfere with each other during the growth process. The same rule should be followed when determining the distance from the fruit bush to other tall plants (if the planting is dense, honeysuckle, if it is in the shade, will not give a good harvest).

A good fruit shrub grows in an area where tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, watermelon, radishes or meadow grasses were previously grown. On the contrary, it is not advisable to plant the Sorceress after currants, gooseberries or other varieties of honeysuckle, since similar requirements for soil composition and the same pests will not allow the bush to develop after related crops. But as neighbors, these plants can get along, moreover, when planted together, they are easier to care for. Planting honeysuckle next to dogwood and barberry also shows good results.

HONEYSUCKLE “SOG”, description of the variety.

Honeysuckle Sorceress was obtained at the Chelyabinsk Research Institute of Horticulture and Potato Growing. The variety has a medium ripening period and forms a compact spherical bush about 1.5 meters high. The berries are large (1.5-1.8g), pear-shaped, dark blue with a bluish bloom. The pulp is juicy, meaty, with a gorgeous dessert taste and bright aroma - the Sorceress gets a solid A for taste! There is practically no crumbling. The yield, depending on the season, is 2-2.8 kg of berries per adult plant. The sorceress is resistant to adverse weather factors, does not get sick, and bears fruit abundantly and annually.

HONEYSUCKLE “WIZARD” buy seedlings.

We guarantee the quality of Sorceress honeysuckle seedlings and are responsible for their safety in transit. Thanks to professional packaging and a closed root system, honeysuckle seedlings Volshebnitsa arrive in excellent condition to any region of the country.

Order seedlings: in the online store, by phone 4, by email. mail

The average cost of shipping by Russian Post is 300-350 rubles, shipping by EMS airmail is on average 1500-1800 rubles.

Answers to frequently asked questions:

2. We do not cut shrub seedlings to fit the box and do not remove strawberry leaves (the plants tolerate shipping with leaves well!; sometimes, during a particularly long shipment, the leaves may become slightly discolored - this is quite normal!)

3. If possible, we try to take into account your wishes about delivery times, so that you have the opportunity to choose a suitable time for landing (the weather has been favorable in the region, a place has been prepared for landing, etc.)

4 . We do not purchase plants or hire hired workers: we grow, assemble and pack the plants ourselves - very meticulously, carefully and scrupulously - we work for quality, not speed! Sometimes this means you may have to wait a bit for your order - be patient!

5. Thanks to professional packaging, strawberries in parcels never get wrinkled, and bushes never break!

6 . All plants were grown in the Urals (northern Perm region) in open ground in a risky farming zone and adapted to difficult climatic conditions. For example:

– end of October 2022: no snow, temperature -16-18 degrees C; – January 2022: during the week it costs -45 UAH; – June 1, 2022: it’s snowing, etc.

The Ural weather constantly presents us with such surprises, but the species and varieties of plants we have selected live, grow, bloom luxuriantly and bear fruit magnificently no matter what!

7. Working with LIVE plants in considerable volumes, sending them to the most remote regions of the country and even abroad, we extremely rarely receive quality complaints (in 2022 there were only 4 of them!), so if, for some reason, the plants damaged during shipment, we can afford to resend the plants to the customer free of charge!

8 . Within 1-2 days after sending the parcel, we will inform you of the track number to track it (message to phone and email). In addition, we ourselves track your shipment and notify you of its arrival at the specified post office. You don't have to worry about where the package is.

9. In the off-season, you can consult with manufacturers. We will tell you how to choose the right crops and varieties, prepare the soil, plant plants, feed, shape, propagate, spending a minimum of effort, getting maximum returns. We have a wealth of experience and we are ready to share it! Contact us! NOTE! In the spring-summer period, during the work and mailing season, due to workload, we are not able to provide advice or answer all calls and messages! Hope for understanding!

10. Family works! Manual labor without outside help requires considerable time and physical effort, eliminates re-grading and confusion, and guarantees high quality planting material. This is where the price of our products comes from.

11. Our collection of plants, collected since 1988, contains new items from domestic and foreign selection, unique rarities and selected varieties of favorite classics. Do you want to get consistently high yields of berries on your plot and decorate your garden with stunningly beautiful ornamental plants? We invite you to cooperate! The choice is huge - choose!

Rules of care

Caring for honeysuckle includes watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil and weeding, as well as pruning and preventative treatment. In the short and rather cool Siberian summer, the Sorceress does not need regular and abundant moisture. It is enough to water the bush 2-3 times per season - during flowering and fruit set, after harvesting and in late autumn. However, watering should be plentiful - for 1 bush the water consumption rate is from 10 to 15 liters.

Important! You should not water honeysuckle by sprinkling - this will cause the plant to hurt. Water should be poured not at the root, but along the edge of the tree trunk circle, having first dug a small trench in it so that the moisture does not spread.

More intensive watering is necessary if the Sorceress is grown in warmer regions or in conditions of abnormally hot and dry summers. But even in these situations, soil moisture should be reduced 2-3 weeks before harvest, otherwise the quality and keeping quality of the berries will be greatly affected.

After each watering or rain, the soil must be loosened, while simultaneously removing weeds, which are not only a competitor to the fruit bush, but also a source of infections, harmful insects and other problems. You can start feeding the Sorceress no earlier than the third year from the moment of planting. Until this moment, the shrub will have enough nutrients contained in the planting hole.

The recommended fertilizer application scheme looks like this:

Twice a year - in spring and autumn - it is necessary to carry out sanitary and anti-aging pruning of the bush. During this procedure, old, diseased and damaged branches, duplicating and interfering shoots, as well as numerous root shoots are removed. To stimulate growth, it is recommended from time to time to shorten the strongest skeletal branches by about a third.

Honeysuckle Sorceress: variety description, photos, reviews, planting and care, pollinators

The sorceress is a young but promising curative. Gardeners often prefer it because it bears fruit consistently, is unpretentious and frost-resistant, which is especially important for residents of Siberia and the Urals. We will talk about the features of growing a Sorceress, its advantages and disadvantages.

Description of the honeysuckle variety Sorceress

This variety is the result of the work of domestic breeders. The berries have a rich chemical composition and a sweet and sour taste, suitable for fresh consumption and processing.

Origin and development

The sorceress was bred by breeders of the South Ural Research Institute of Horticulture and Potato Growing by free pollination of a seedling of Kamchatka honeysuckle Smolinka.

The variety has been under state variety testing since 1993. It was included in the State Register of Russia in 2000.

Characteristics, description of appearance, taste

The plant is a medium-sized bush 1.3-1.5 m high. The shoots are brown-red, thick and erect, covered with a waxy coating. The leaves are medium in size, elongated oval in shape, smooth, slightly concave along the central vein.

The berries are large, reach a length of 2.5 cm or more, weigh 1-1.3 g. The weight of some specimens reaches 1.5 g. The fruits are pear-shaped or ellipsoidal, covered with a thin dark blue skin, on which there is a dense waxy coating.

The pulp is tender and juicy. It has a pleasant aroma and sweet and sour taste, in which astringency and sometimes bitterness are felt.

Features of application

The berries are consumed fresh, frozen, dried, dried, ground with sugar, canned after making jam, marmalade or compote. The fruits are suitable for squeezing juice and preparing alcoholic beverages - wine, liqueur, liqueur.

In folk medicine, the entire aerial part of honeysuckle is used, preparing infusions and decoctions from it.

Ripening period, yield and fruiting

Sorceress is an early ripening honeysuckle variety. The period for the onset of biological maturity of fruits depends on the growing region. So, in central Russia, the crop is ready for harvesting at the end of June - mid-July.

With proper care, 1.8-3 kg of berries are harvested from an adult (4-6 years old) bush. The average yield is 40.6 c/ha.

Reference. Fruiting is impossible without pollinating varieties.

Resistance to diseases and pests

The variety is resistant to many pests, fungal and infectious diseases. However, if not properly cared for, it can be affected by:

• ramulariasis;
• cercospora;
• tubercularosis;
• powdery mildew;
• aphid;
• scale insects and false scale insects;
• mites;
• leaf roller, moth and other caterpillars.

Resistance to cold and drought

The variety is frost-resistant: adult bushes can tolerate air temperatures down to -40°C, but flower buds die from cold even at -5°C.

Lack of moisture does not affect the growth, development and productivity of the Sorceress, but causes the appearance of bitterness and astringency in the taste of the berries and their premature shedding.

Growing regions and climate requirements

The variety does not impose special requirements on climatic conditions and soil composition, so it is successfully cultivated in all regions.

Advantages and disadvantages

Benefits of the Sorceress:

• large fruit;
• good commercial quality;
• high content of vitamins and minerals;
• possibility of universal use;
• relatively good shelf life and transportability;
• lack of tendency to shedding;
• unpretentiousness;
• drought and frost resistance;
• good immunity.

Disadvantages of the variety:

• need for pollinators;
• low yield;
• prone to pest damage;
• presence of bitterness in taste.

Difference from other varieties and hybrids

A comparison of the Sorceress with other early ripening varieties is presented in the table:

VarietyRipening periodAverage weight of berries, gTasteForm of berriesYield, c/ha

Agricultural technology

In order for the bushes to grow and develop, it is important to comply with the agrotechnical requirements of the crop and choose the right place and time for planting the seedlings.

Choosing a place in the garden and preparing holes

Honeysuckle is planted in an open, well-lit area. Groundwater must lie at a minimum of 100 m and a maximum of 150 m from the ground surface.

Reference. Shrubs can grow and develop in partial shade, but in this case their productivity decreases.

Preparing for landing

For planting, one- or two-year-old seedlings 40 cm high with 2-3 shoots are used. If the root system of the plant is open at the time of purchase, it is easier to verify its viability. But the earthen ball protects the roots from mechanical damage and drying out.

To improve rooting, seedlings are soaked for several hours in a solution of a growth stimulator (Heteroauxin, Kornevin, Epin).

Reference. Any inclusions, uneven coloring of the bark or root shoots are signs of plant disease.

Soil requirements

The sorceress prefers fertile soil with good moisture permeability, aeration and a neutral acidity level. It is possible to grow the variety in alumina or sandstone, but during planting peat or sand is added to clay soil, and humus is added to sandy soil.

Dates, scheme and rules of planting

Honeysuckle is planted in early spring (March) or mid-autumn (October), before or after active sap flow.

Landing scheme and rules:

1. Dig planting holes measuring 40x40 cm in the prepared area at a distance of 150-200 cm from each other.
2. Throw away the bottom layer of the extracted soil, and mix the top layer with compost or humus (10-15 kg), superphosphate (50-60 g) and wood ash (2 tbsp).
3. Fill the bottom of the planting holes with soil enriched with fertilizers and a layer of drainage.
4. Straighten the roots of the seedling and place it in the center of the hole.
5. Fill the voids with soil.
6. Compact, water and mulch the top layer.
7. After the soil settles, leave the root collar above the surface or deepen it 3 cm.

The holes are prepared at least 3 days before planting the seedlings.

Nuances of care

The best predecessors of honeysuckle are eggplants, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkins, peppers, watermelon, radishes, zucchini or meadow grasses. The crop is not planted after currants, gooseberries and other varieties of honeysuckle.

In the northern regions, bushes are watered 2-3 times per season: during flowering and fruit set, after harvesting and at the end of autumn. Water consumption in this case is 10-15 liters per 1 bush. The frequency of watering is increased when growing Sorceress in warm areas or in the event of abnormally hot summers.

Watering is stopped 2-3 weeks before harvest. Otherwise, the keeping quality and quality of the fruit deteriorate.

Important! When watering, water is poured along the edge of the tree trunk circle, having dug a trench in advance. The sprinkling method provokes the development of diseases.

The bushes begin to be fed from 3 years after planting, applying fertilizers according to the following scheme:

• early spring - ammonium nitrate or urea (15 g per 1 m²);
• budding and flowering - double superphosphate (40 g per 1 m²) and potassium sulfate (20 g per 1 m²);
• after harvesting - “Nitroammofoska” or “Nitrophoska” (25-30 g per 1 m²);
• for digging - compost (5 kg per 1 m²).

After watering or rain, the soil is loosened to improve the access of oxygen and moisture to the roots, and weeded.

In spring and autumn, sanitary and anti-aging pruning is carried out. It involves removing old, diseased and damaged branches, interfering shoots and numerous root shoots. From time to time, strong skeletal branches are shortened by a third - this stimulates their growth.

Pollinators

Sorceress is a cross-pollinated variety, so pollinating varieties are planted nearby to set fruit:

• Long-fruited;
• Chelyabinsk;
• Smolinka;
• Zest;
• Blueberry;
• Sineglazka.

Disease and pest control

Possible diseases and pests of the variety:

Disease/pest Signs What to treat

Scheme for treating bushes to prevent diseases and pest attacks:

• swelling of the kidneys - urea, Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate;
• before flowering - “Biotlin” or “Calypso”;
• after flowering - biological products “Trichodermin”, “Fitosporin”.

Preparing for winter

Sorceress is a frost-resistant variety; the bushes do not need winter shelter even when grown in Siberia and the Urals.

• clear the ground around the bushes from plant debris;
• pour plenty of settled water;
• shallowly (about 10 cm) dig up the tree trunk area and apply organic fertilizers;
• treat the above-ground part of the bush with copper sulfate to increase its immunity.

Reproduction

Growing honeysuckle from seeds takes a lot of time, so most often the Sorceress is propagated vegetatively - by layering or dividing the bush.

To root the cuttings, they dig up the bush in June, select a strong shoot located at the bottom of the outside of the bush, bend it to the ground, secure it and dig it in so that the top remains above the surface of the ground. Within 2-3 months, this shoot is watered abundantly, and after a year it forms an independent root system, after which it is separated from the mother bush with pruning shears and transplanted to a permanent place.

Source: https://vegetory.ru/sorta/zhimolost-volshebnicza-opisanie-sorta

Description of honeysuckle Sorceress

Honeysuckle Sorceress was bred by Russian scientists relatively recently. The plant was obtained by crossing Kamchatka honeysuckle, thanks to which the variety turned out to be cold-resistant and disease-resistant.

Despite its young age, the variety has gained great popularity among gardeners. The plant forms a slightly spreading bush or small tree, up to one and a half meters high. In spring, dark olive, oblong leaves with a matte surface appear on thick, red-brown shoots.

In April, the bush is covered with wax flowers. Afterwards, large, oblong dark blue berries appear on the plant. The weight of each reaches up to 1.5 g. The thin, dense skin covers the juicy, tender pulp with a sweet and sour taste.

Overripe berries from the bush do not fall off and do not turn sour in the sun

In addition to its high taste qualities, the variety is hardy, undemanding in care, immune to diseases, high-yielding and easily transported over long distances.

Honeysuckle Sorceress is a cold-resistant variety. An adult shrub can withstand frosts down to - 40 °C, but flower buds freeze at a temperature of - 5 °C.

The plant is unpretentious and develops well with a lack of moisture. For this reason, Sorceress honeysuckle grows and develops well in regions with dry summers. But when growing in the south of the country, it is important to remember that the taste and presentation of the crop depend on watering.

Honeysuckle Sorceress is a productive variety; if agricultural practices are followed, up to 3 kg of berries can be harvested from an adult bush. In terms of fruiting time, the plant is considered mid-early, it all depends on the place and region of growth. In central Russia, when grown in a sunny place, biological ripeness occurs at the end of June or mid-July.

The berry has a good taste and beneficial properties.

In folk medicine, not only berries are used; the entire aerial part is used to prepare infusions and decoctions. In cooking, the harvested crop is valued fresh; compotes, preserves and jams are prepared from it. The berries can also be frozen and dried.

Honeysuckle Sorceress, like any garden plant, has positive and negative sides.

The advantages include:

• large fruit;
• good taste and presentation;
• high shelf life and good transportability;
• compact size;
• ease of care;
• high frost resistance and immunity to diseases.

Many gardeners include the following disadvantages of the variety:

• sterility;
• low resistance to insect pests;
• With a lack of moisture, the pulp acquires a bitter taste.

The pulp contains vitamins and microelements that increase immunity, strengthen blood vessels and improve cerebral circulation

Planting and caring for honeysuckle Sorceress

To get the maximum yield from a bush, you need to choose the right planting material, know the place, time of planting and care rules. It is also important to study the varietal characteristics of the tree, its advantages and disadvantages, and view photos and videos about the edible honeysuckle Sorceress.

It is better to purchase a seedling in a specialized store at the age of two years. A healthy plant should have strong shoots with brightly colored bark. The root system must be free of mechanical damage and signs of rot. The optimal height of the seedling is 40-50 cm.

Honeysuckle Sorceress is planted in spring and autumn. Autumn rooting is carried out a month before the onset of frost. Spring - after the soil warms up and the end of spring frosts.

Honeysuckle Sorceress grows well and bears fruit in a sunny place with fertile, well-drained soil, neutral acidity. In the shade, the plant will develop well, but the yield will be minimal, and the taste will not be the best.

It is better to plant bushes along a fence or other buildings, as drafts and gusty winds can damage the young seedling.

Landing rules:

1. In the selected area, dig a hole measuring 40x40 cm.
2. A drainage layer and nutrient soil are placed at the bottom.
3. The roots of the seedling are straightened and placed in the center of the hole.
4. The void is filled with soil.
5. The top layer is compacted, spilled and mulched.
6. After the soil settles, the root collar should be located above the soil surface or it should be buried 3 cm.

The growth and development of the bush depends on care. For full fruiting, honeysuckle requires regular watering, timely fertilizing and pruning.

In cold weather conditions, the bush is irrigated 3-4 times a season: during the period of active growth, at the time of flowering and fruit formation, in the fall - a month before the onset of cold weather. Watering should be plentiful; at least a bucket of settled water is used for each adult plant. Irrigation is carried out strictly at the root, since when moisture gets on the foliage, fungal diseases appear.

Important! In regions with a warm climate, watering is increased, but 2-3 weeks before harvest it is suspended. Since excess moisture reduces the keeping quality and taste of the crop.

Watering should be plentiful and regular

After each watering, the tree trunk circle is loosened and mulched, and weeds are removed, as they are carriers of diseases and pests.

The first fertilizing is applied 3 years after planting. Scheme for applying fertilizers for each plant:

• during the growing season - urea;
• in the phase of flower and fruit formation - double superphosphate and potassium sulfate;
• in the summer, after picking the berries, use nitrophoska;
• in the fall - compost.

Important! All drugs are diluted and administered strictly according to the instructions.

In spring and autumn, sanitary and anti-aging pruning is carried out. During the procedure, old, damaged branches, as well as interfering shoots and root shoots are removed. To stimulate growth, adult skeletal parts are shortened, leaving branches of 30-40 cm.

Honeysuckle Sorceress is a winter-hardy crop, so it does not need shelter for the winter. But, despite its cold resistance, it is better to prepare the bush for future cold weather:

1. The plant is shed abundantly with settled water. Waterlogged soil does not freeze so much, so the root system will not be damaged even by severe frosts.
2. After irrigation, shallow loosening is carried out, and the tree trunk circle is sprinkled with wood ash.
3. To increase immunity, the above-ground part is sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate.

Pollinators of honeysuckle Sorceress

Blue honeysuckle Sorceress is a self-sterile variety. To obtain maximum yield, varieties that bear fruit at the same time are planted next to the bush. The following are suitable pollinators for honeysuckle Sorceress:

• Long-fruited;
• Chelyabinsk;
• Zest;
• Sineglazka.

Reproduction of edible honeysuckle Sorceress

Honeysuckle Sorceress reproduces by cuttings and dividing the bush.

To root branches, the strongest shoot is selected and placed in a trench, leaving the top above the ground. The branch is sprinkled with nutritious soil, watered and mulched. A year after rooting, the young plant is separated from the mother bush and transplanted to a permanent place.

By dividing the bush, honeysuckle is propagated during transplantation. The plant is dug up and divided into the required number of divisions. Each part must have healthy shoots and a strong root system. For better rooting, before planting in a permanent place, the cuttings are kept in a growth stimulator.

Important! Bushes older than 7 years cannot be propagated by division.

By dividing the bush, the plant is propagated exclusively in autumn.

Honeysuckle Kamchatka Sorceress has strong immunity to many diseases. But in order for the plant to grow and develop safely, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures in a timely manner. For this:

1. During the swelling phase of the buds, the bush is sprayed with urea, Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate.
2. During the flowering period, the plant is treated with the preparation “Biotlin”, “Calypso”.
3. After flowering, honeysuckle cannot be treated with chemicals, so the bush is sprayed with biological products “Gaupsin” and “Fitosporin”.

Conclusion

Description of the variety, photos and reviews of honeysuckle Sorceress show how attractive the plant is and how suitable it is for growing in a personal plot. If agricultural practices are followed, the shrub will delight you not only with its decorative appearance, but will also bring a good harvest of tasty and healthy berries. The collected fruits can be used fresh or canned.

Reviews of honeysuckle variety Volshebnitsa

Matveeva Oksana Georgievna, 66 years old, Severodvinsk

Honeysuckle is one of the most favorite berries. But, since there is no time to go to the forest, I planted honeysuckle seedlings in my garden plot. I liked the Sorceress variety for its unpretentiousness, frost resistance and stable fruiting. The harvested crop is good in fresh and canned form. I recommend the Sorceress variety to all honeysuckle lovers.

Maksimov Maxim Maksimovich, 56 years old, Orenburg

About five years ago I purchased a honeysuckle seedling of the Volshebnitsa variety. The plant brought a generous harvest only in the fourth year after planting. The variety turned out to be unpretentious and frost-resistant.

The berry ripens large and has a sweet and sour taste. The harvested fruit makes tasty and healthy jam; it can be dried and frozen.

Honeysuckle Sorceress requires pollinating varieties, since without them fruiting is incomplete.

Source: https://fermilon.ru/sad-i-ogorod/kustarniki/sort-zhimolosti-volshebnitsa-otzyvy-posadka-i-uhod-opyliteli-foto.html

Harvesting and storage

One of the main reasons why honeysuckle has not been grown on an industrial scale until recently is the tendency of the berries of this plant to fall off during harvest. This feature does not allow the use of machinery during harvesting, and manual processing of each bush makes the cost of such cultivation inadequately high. It is for this reason that breeders have been working for many years to create varieties of honeysuckle that can hold fruit well on the bush. The sorceress possesses this property to the fullest.

In order not to lose the harvest, it must be collected no later than within 5–6 days (for honeysuckle even this period is considered unusually long).

Honeysuckle fruits are not suitable for long-term storage; transportation (due to the thin skin) is difficult to tolerate. In terms of keeping quality and transportability of the harvest, the Sorceress is slightly superior to other varieties, but this advantage should still be considered as very relative. In this regard, the harvest must be eaten or processed as quickly as possible, otherwise within 2–3 days, even when stored in the refrigerator, the fruits will lose their freshness, release juice and turn into an unappetizing mass.

Did you know? Of the more than 250 known species of honeysuckle, most are used in landscape design, some are used for food, and only one is used as a decorative indoor flower.
We are talking about the species Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle). One of the easiest ways to quickly prepare crops for the winter is freezing. If you use the “shock” method, the bulk of the beneficial substances contained in the berry can be preserved.
An alternative option for long-term storage of fruits without losing their valuable qualities is drying or drying. Some housewives also practice grinding fresh honeysuckle berries with sugar (1:1 ratio). Such live jam, without additional temperature treatment, can be preserved until winter in jars filled up to the neck and tightly closed, but not rolled up, almost until spring, but they must be kept in the refrigerator or cellar.

Honeysuckle can also be prepared by canning. Sweet and sour fruits make excellent preserves, jams, and compotes. The Sorceress is also well suited for squeezing juice, as well as for preparing homemade alcohol - wine, liqueur, liqueurs or distilled products.

Edible honeysuckle 'Sorceress'

Latin name: lonicera caerulea 'volshebnitsa'

Main species: Edible honeysuckle

Expand all properties
Description of the plant:

Edible honeysuckle 'Sorceress' is a seedling from the free pollination of the 'Smolinskaya' variety. Bred at the South Ural Research Institute of Horticulture and Potato Growing. At state variety testing since 1993.

Included in the state register in 2000.

Dimensions and growth form:

A weakly growing, slightly spreading bush with thick, straight, brown-red, matte shoots.

Leaves:

The leaves are medium sized, dark green.

Flowers and fruits:

The berries of Edible Honeysuckle 'Sorceress' are large, weighing 1 g, elongated-oval in shape. The skin is dark gray, with a blue waxy coating, of medium thickness. The taste is good, sweet, with a delicate aroma.

The vitamin C content is 21 mg%. The purpose is universal.

Precocity, ripening time, yield:

Early ripening. Productivity is average, 0.4 kg/m². The fruits do not fall off.

Winter hardiness:

It is characterized by high winter hardiness. Drought resistant.

Disease resistance:

The 'Sorceress' variety is relatively resistant to diseases and pests.

Preparing for winter

Honeysuckle is a frost-resistant crop, so even in Siberia and the Urals the Sorceress does not need to be wrapped or covered for the winter. However, correct agricultural technology when performing autumn work in the garden is the key to the future harvest. During this period, the area around the fruit bush must be thoroughly cleared of plant debris (fallen leaves, weeds), since it is in the organic layer that the bulk of pests and pathogenic fungi overwinter.

Then the area is watered abundantly, using double the amount of water. Waterlogged soil does not freeze so much, which means that the root system of the plant will not be damaged even by the most severe frosts. In late autumn, it is necessary to carry out shallow (about 10 cm) digging of the tree trunk area with the simultaneous application of organic and other fertilizers, according to the fertilizing calendar, and treat the above-ground part of the bush with iron sulfate to increase immunity. A bush prepared in this way will easily endure the winter and, with the onset of warmth, will quickly begin to gain green mass.

Important! The sorceress is not a hybrid, and therefore can reproduce by seeds without losing parental qualities, however, this method is not applicable for honeysuckle bred by crossing two lines.

Features of cultivation

For the variety, you should choose a sunny place with drained, non-acidic and fertile soil. The plant develops normally in slightly shaded areas, but the yield becomes less. Other varieties for pollination should be planted next to the sorceress; such varieties as Izyuminka, Chelyabinka, Dlinnoplodnaya, Sineglazka and Blueberry are suitable. The distance between seedlings should be at least one and a half meters.

The best time for planting is considered to be from late August to mid-October. The variety has good winter hardiness, so it will not be damaged by frost and will quickly take root. Spring planting is carried out very early, before the bushes bloom (until April). In most regions, at this time the soil does not have time to thaw and warm up.

When purchasing seedlings, inquire about their age. Bushes must be at least 2 years old. The standard size of the holes is: diameter 25 cm and depth 25–30 cm. In general, it is advisable to focus on the size of the root or pot in which the plant was purchased. When planting, the root collar is not buried, but is left flush with the soil.

How to care for the variety

Loosening and weeding are necessary only for the first 2 years of cultivation, then you can forget about such procedures. The roots of honeysuckle are located very close to the surface of the earth, so even the slightest digging can harm the plant. Bushes especially need regular, abundant watering in the first half of summer. Without timely hydration, the fruits will become bitter.

Fertilizers are applied immediately after planting, then one feeding every 3 years is enough. About 5–7 kilograms of organic matter are added to each bush. You should be careful with mineral complexes; they are not always beneficial. In order not to make a mistake and not to oversaturate the plants, use no more than 15 grams of potassium and phosphorus fertilizers per square meter.

Trimming

The first shaping pruning is carried out in the fall, when the leaves fall, or in the spring in March. The need for this procedure appears every 2 or 3 years. The entire aging and dry part of the crown is removed, leaving no more than five of the strongest branches. It is advisable not to touch the tops of the shoots; the largest number of flower buds are formed on them.

Bushes older than 7 or 8 years need heavy pruning, removing all broken, diseased, weak and dry branches. Caring for the bush is hampered by the branches, which over time have bent towards the ground, and they do not bring any benefit to the plant itself.

Some gardeners advise heavy anti-aging pruning of old plants, otherwise the berries will begin to become smaller and the yield will drop significantly. Only a stump no higher than 50 cm is left from the bush. The plant recovers quickly, young shoots grow very quickly.

Honeysuckle is a valuable berry; the plant’s popularity among gardeners is only growing every year. The sorceress will definitely appeal to lovers of large-fruited honeysuckles, especially since the process of growing the variety brings only pleasure!

Reproduction methods

Honeysuckle easily propagates vegetatively, primarily by layering and dividing the bush. To root the cuttings in June, dig up the bush, select strong shoots from the outer lower part and bend them to the ground, securing them with a pin. Then the cuttings are sprinkled with soil and actively watered for several months. As a rule, by next spring, an independent root system has already formed in the place where the branch is attached to the ground, and young shoots appear on the surface of the ground. Such a bush is carefully separated from the mother one using pruning shears, dug up and transplanted to a new place.

An old bush can be rejuvenated by carefully digging it up and dividing it into 2-3 parts with a clean knife or shovel, making sure that each root fragment has an equal number of upper shoots. After this, each part is planted as an independent plant. You can propagate honeysuckle by rooting cuttings, but this method is more complex and less reliable.

However, if healthy shoots remain during rejuvenating pruning, they can be buried in a light soil substrate (garden soil mixed with sand or peat), covered with film and wait for new shoots to appear. Periodically, the soil needs to be moistened and the mini-greenhouse needs to be ventilated. Seed propagation of honeysuckle is practiced, although it takes a very long time to grow an adult bush from a seed.

You may be interested in information about another average variety of honeysuckle - Julia.

Farms specializing in breeding honeysuckle varieties

The Bakcharskoye horticultural enterprise is located in the Tomsk region. For 84 years, varieties of fruit and berry crops have been bred there. Unique, frost-resistant species are grown here. At the moment, honeysuckle is the main crop of this farm.

Her plantation covers an area of ​​50 hectares. Many of its varieties were created here: Bakcharsky Velikan, Tomichka, Bakcharskaya, Bakcharskaya Yubileynaya, Daughter of the Giant, Yugan and many others. Below we will consider each type in detail.

In 1926, the Pavlovsk Experimental Station of the All-Russian Research Institute of Plant Growing named after Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov was opened near St. Petersburg. There are 4 plant research laboratories here. Employees study, grow plants, cross them and develop new species.

M. N. Plekhanova specializes in honeysuckle varieties.

She and her students own the following varieties:

• Moraine
• Nymph
• Amphora
• Violet
• Yoke
• Vlad and many others.

In addition to Russian breeders and biologists, this crop is propagated in other countries, for example, Canada and China.

Diseases and pests

The sorceress exhibits high immunity to fungal diseases and other infections, but harmful insects and mites can appear on the bushes from time to time, causing serious harm to the plant. In this regard, during preventive spring treatments, it is important to place special emphasis on insecticidal and acaricidal preparations. The use of fungicides is also provided, but the choice can be made to milder products with a low level of toxicity.

For example, in the phase of swelling of the buds, the bush can be treated with urea, Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate. The next spraying is carried out before flowering using preparations such as Biotlin, Calypso, Inta-Vir. After flowering, chemicals can no longer be used, but if signs of disease or pest damage appear, the bush can be treated with one of the modern biological products - Gaupsin, Trichodermin, Fitosporin M. The effectiveness of such measures is lower than that of the use of toxic pesticides, but the honeysuckle harvest can be safely used for food 7–10 days after treatment.

After fruiting is completed, honeysuckle is treated only for the purpose of treating a specific disease or to destroy a pest that has affected the bush, so the product is selected individually. For example, among the possible problems requiring urgent intervention from the gardener are:

Sorceress is one of the few varieties of honeysuckle that can be used for cultivation both in private household plots and in large areas for sale. The low yields that characterize the Sorceress are compensated by large fruits that can hold well on the branches and withstand subsequent transportation. The bush does not have high requirements for care and can develop normally both in its “native” northern regions and in warmer climates, but in order to preserve the truly magical taste inherent in the variety, in arid regions the plant needs more intensive watering.

Reviews

Alyona. We live in the Moscow region, the first honeysuckle we planted was Volshebnitsa, and the next year we began to select pollinating varieties. We still grow it, we like the taste of the berries and its undemanding nature, and it’s an ideal option for our climate. We rarely prune, the plant is strong, it emerges after winter without loss, we remove the excess only when it is heavily overgrown. Among the minuses, I can highlight the slight shedding of fruits.

Elisha. I can recommend honeysuckle Sorceress to anyone who doesn’t want to constantly tinker with bushes; this is a very easy variety to grow. When I first planted it, I wasn't aware of the side effects of growing the crop in the shade, so I placed the plant next to an old apple tree. For a long time I could not understand why the berries were tart and bitter, I thought they had deceived me and sold the wrong variety. Then I read on a dacha forum that honeysuckle should be grown in the sun, and now I enjoy the large and tasty berry.