Honeysuckle Berel

The cultivation of edible honeysuckle has become very popular in recent years, since these berries are a real storehouse of vitamins and trace elements for the human body. The main thing is to choose a suitable variety that quickly adapts to growing conditions. One of the varieties that can grow in any climatic zone is Berel's honeysuckle.

The Berel variety appeared thanks to the work of scientists from the Scientific Research Institute of Horticulture of Siberia. M. A. Lisavenko more than 40 years ago. The authors of the variety are breeders I. P. Kalinina and Z. P. Zholobova. When creating this berry culture, the following parental forms were used: Altai 12-19 and a mixture of pollen of three varieties. In 1996, after many years of variety trials, honeysuckle was enrolled in the State Register of the Russian Federation. The plant can grow in any climatic zone.

Berel is a vigorous shrub characterized by a neat, medium spreading crown, which reaches 130-150 cm in diameter. In a favorable environment, berry culture grows to a height of 1.7 meters. The shrub has moderate foliage with bright green leaves, upright greenish-pink shoots without edges, as well as a treelike root system with a huge number of small shoots.

The flowering shrub begins in the middle - in May. At this time, the compact shrub is densely covered with large white-pink flowers, which smell incredible, attracting insects.

Honeysuckle Berel represents a class of large-fruited varieties. An adult bush grows berries weighing 1.3-1.6 grams. The fruit has an oblong-oval shape with a blunt-pointed end. The color of the berries at the stage of technical maturity is dark blue, and when they fully ripen, they become almost black. On the surface of the berries, a bluish bloom resembling a waxy one is noticeable. The peel of the berries is of medium density, with a pronounced tuberosity. The fruits are fastened firmly, so they do not crumble even when ripe.

Unlike other varieties of edible honeysuckle, Berel fruits tolerate transportation well, and can also be stored for a long time without loss of taste and marketability. The purpose of honeysuckle is wide - the berries are eaten fresh, because their composition is unique, processed into preserves and jams, drinks. In addition, berries are used in the production of natural food coloring, and are also massively used in alternative medicine (fruits and leaves). Not so long ago, an interesting wine was made from honeysuckle berries.

Berel is characterized by excellent taste and good commercial qualities. The pulp of the fruit is tender, fleshy, of medium density, rather juicy. The taste is balanced - sweet and sour, complemented by a spicy, subtle bitterness. A feature of the berries is the composition of the pulp, which includes many vitamins (vitamin C, A, beta-carotene, riboflavin, thiamine).

This variety is early maturing. The berry bush begins to bear fruit in the 3rd year of life. The berries are ripening together - first the top, then the lower branches. The peak of fruiting occurs in late June - early July.Having provided the fruit shrub with good care, its life cycle can be about half a century, half of which it bears fruit abundantly.

The berry crop is famous for its good yield. With proper agricultural technology and favorable conditions, 3-4 kg of useful berries can be harvested from 1 bush per season. Growing berries for commercial purposes, from 1 ha, on average, is harvested up to 6.6 tons.

Honeysuckle is self-fertile, so it is recommended to take care of planting pollinating bushes on the site. The most suitable and effective is the Kamchadalka variety, as well as other varieties of Kamchatka origin. For good yields, you need to plant 3-4 honeysuckle bushes.

It is recommended to plant a berry bush in the fall - in the first decade of October. Experienced summer residents recommend buying seedlings with a closed root system. The best place to plant will be an area where vegetables (cucumbers or radishes) were previously grown. The distance between plantings should be at least 150-170 cm.

Honeysuckle is unpretentious in care, therefore, care consists of standard procedures - watering, feeding, forming a bush, thinning and sanitary pruning of branches, preventive measures to protect against viruses and insects, weeding, fluffing and mulching the soil, preparing for cold weather.

The shrub should be watered sparingly, but regularly, since a lack of moisture can negatively affect the taste - the berries acquire a pronounced bitterness. Fertilizers are applied from the third year of growth. During the season, they are fed three times - before the growing season, after flowering, at the end of fruiting. The plant reacts very well to feeding with an organic complex.

This variety is declared highly resistant to most diseases and viruses. The only danger to the culture is aphids, which feed on the sap of leaves and young shoots. With significant violations of the rules of agricultural technology, honeysuckle can be exposed to brown and pale gray spot, as well as powdery mildew.

The frost resistance of the berry culture is excellent, so adult shrubs do not need shelter for the winter. Wood and leaf buds are able to withstand temperature drops down to -43 ... 45 degrees, and rhizome and flowers up to -35. It is characteristic that during the flowering period, the bushes are not afraid of recurrent spring frosts, up to -8 degrees. It is recommended to wrap with burlap only young shrubs planted 1-2 years ago.

Honeysuckle shrubs that love light, sun, warmth and moderate moisture need to choose the right place to grow. The berry bush grows best in loose, breathable, nutritious and moisture-permeable soils. The most comfortable are fertile, loamy and sandy loam soils. Bushes need protection from cold winds and drafts.