Honeysuckle Bakchar giant

Honeysuckle Bakchar giant is a beautiful decorative edible plant cultivated in most climatic zones of the Russian Federation. The shrub is rather large, abundantly covered with berries during the fruiting period. The plant is highly valued by gardeners for its outstanding taste properties, as well as for its general unpretentiousness and vitality, it is considered the record holder for fruit size.

The variety, entered in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2005, was bred by the Lisavenko Scientific Research Institute of Information Technologies, registered by the Bakcharskoye Federal State Unitary Enterprise. The selection used the honeysuckle varieties Turchaninov 1-39-23 and Roxana. The work has been going on since 1978.

Vigorous shrub, about 1.8 m high. The crown is oval, spreading, sparse. The branches in it are straight, thick. Shoots are strong, covered with dull brown-brown bark. The foliage is abundant, the plates are large, dark green in color, with medium-intensity pubescence.

The berries of this variety of honeysuckle are large, weighing 1.8-2.5 g. The shape is elongated-oval, with a flat surface and an intense blue color of the skin, on the surface of which a plentiful wax bloom is poured. The fruits practically do not crumble, they tolerate transportation well.

The Bakchar giant produces fruits with a very delicate sweet and sour pulp. The average tasting grade score is 4.8 points. It is classified as dessert by its taste characteristics. The seeds are not felt when eaten.

The variety is late-ripening, the yield of fruits is annual. The maximum yield period lasts about 15 years. Harvesting takes place in June-July.

High-yielding variety. Average harvesting rates are 1.6 kg, the maximum reaches 2.3 kg. About 8-15 tons are obtained from 1 hectare.

The variety is zoned for planting in most regions of the Russian Federation. It is successfully grown in the central and northern parts of Russia, in the North-West, the Urals, Siberia, and the North Caucasus. The Bakcharsky giant is popular in the Middle and Lower Volga.

The variety is self-fertile. It is preferable to plant Kamchatka and Turchaninov honeysuckle as pollinators nearby. And also other varieties of the same selection are used for these purposes: In Memory of Gidzyuk, Pride of Bakchar.

This shrub is suitable for autumn and spring planting, but due to its slow rooting, it is better to choose the period from September to October for this. In this case, in the spring, the plant will give a good growth, quickly gain green mass. Honeysuckle awakens very early, by the end of March, any intervention for it during this period is undesirable.

Plant care consists in periodic watering. Enough 1-2 times a week. For each watering, 1 bucket of water is added under the bush. This will be enough so that the berries do not taste bitter, and the root system avoids decay. In drought, the frequency of moisture application increases.

Dense soils after watering, rain must loosen. The bush is fed three times per season.Nitrogen fertilizers are used in the spring, potassium-phosphorus mixtures are given to stimulate fruiting in the summer. In the fall, organic matter will help the plant to regain strength after the return of the crop.

It is important not to start pruning the Bakchar Giant Honeysuckle too early. Such an effect will only harm young bushes. Pruning begins at the age of 3 years of plant life, removing only dried and broken shoots. Healthy, but strongly inclined are also removed. In general, up to 10-15 skeletal branches are preserved on an adult bush, since a sparse crown has a beneficial effect on the size of the fruits and their ripening.

The Bakchar giant is not susceptible to disease damage. The plant has a high immunity to fungal infections. But the bushes are often attacked by caterpillars, scale insects, aphids and ticks. It is recommended to protect the plants in advance by performing preventive spraying with special insecticidal preparations.

This honeysuckle tolerates cold well. Winter hardiness is assessed as high. A shrub without shelter can withstand frosts down to -35 degrees Celsius. In general, it tolerates winter well, since it was bred in the conditions of the Siberian climate.

When choosing a place for landing, it is recommended to give preference to areas protected from the wind on elevations, with groundwater occurrence no closer than 1.5 m to the surface. On damp, boggy soils, the Bakchar giant grows poorly. And also the place should be with good lighting, but with shading for the lower branches. Group plantings on neutral acidic loamy soil are preferred.

According to summer residents, the Bakcharsky giant honeysuckle has many obvious advantages over other varieties. Most gardeners note the ability of the shrub to bear fruit regularly, as well as the very large size of the berries, their piquant sourness against the background of the prevailing sweetness. Due to the sparseness of the branches, harvesting is not difficult. Summer residents mention that the bush practically does not have to be sprayed against fungal diseases, it is not affected by them.

Among other features of this variety, gardeners mention that in open areas without protection from the wind, yields are noticeably reduced. With a small amount of sun, the shoots stretch out, do not have time to gain thickness and strength.

The main disadvantage of this variety of honeysuckle is the extended period of fruiting.In addition, it is recommended to pick ripe berries immediately, otherwise they will crumble. Summer residents are advised to mulch the soil at the roots with a special covering material or clean sawdust, straw, so as not to lose the crop. The disadvantages include the tendency of the Bakchar giant to re-bloom during prolonged warm weather.