Honeysuckle Blue Spindle

The Blue Spindle variety is a widespread variety. Differs in drought and frost resistance. The taste of the fruit largely depends on the climate conditions in which the honeysuckle grows. Berries are eaten fresh, rubbed with sugar, are very much appreciated in processed form - compote, jelly, jam, juice, wine, dried fruits. Suitable for gardening (including decoration as a hedge) and industrial cultivation.

The variety was obtained in the 80s of the 20th century on the basis of the Lisavenko Barnaul Scientific Research Institute of Information Systems by breeders Z. P. Zholobova, I. P. Kalinina, Z. I. Luchnik as a result of free pollination of the Kamchatka honeysuckle Start. Included in the State Register in 1989.

The bush is medium-sized, up to 1 m high, rather compact, the crown is reverse conical. The bark tends to flake off after 3-4 years of age. The branches are curved, thin, dull, greenish in the sun, acquire a brown tint. The leaf is large, elliptical, pointed, dark green, folded in the middle of the leaf plate. Flowering begins very early, sometimes during the first spring thaws. The flowers are yellow, medium-sized, bell-shaped and are not afraid of frost. Fruits are set even at temperatures as low as –7 degrees. The shrub bears fruit for about 20 years. Moisture-loving variety.

The berries are large, weighing about 0.9-1.3 grams, in the shape of a spindle, dark blue with a bluish waxy bloom, the skin is dense with a bumpy surface, the flesh is tender. They have a good marketable appearance, they are stored in the refrigerator for about 5 days.

The taste is refreshing sweet with sourness and light bitterness, which disappears after processing. Sugar content - 7.6%, acid about 2%, ascorbic acid - 106 mg per 100 g. Tasting score 3.7 points.

Honeysuckle begins to bear fruit in the 5th year of the plant's life, the first berries can be tried the next year after planting. The variety is early in maturity. Fruiting annually, the fruits ripen unevenly by mid-June. In warm climates, ripening begins at the end of May. The ripe crop begins to crumble, about 10-15% falls off. Can be collected mechanically.

Up to 2.5 kg of fruits are removed from one 11-year-old bush.

The variety is recommended for planting throughout Russia. Depending on the place of growth, the taste characteristics of the fruit can change: in warm climates, the pulp becomes sweet, with a lack of moisture it acquires a bitter tint.

A self-fertile variety, to obtain a high yield, pollinating varieties are planted nearby: Azure, Cinderella, Blue Bird, Tomichka, Blue Bird, Kamchadalka, Morena, Memory of Gidzyuk.

Plants with an open root system are recommended to be planted in the fall a month before the onset of cold weather. Spring planting is undesirable, as this species begins to wake up early. Seedlings in containers are planted throughout the season. You can offer the following landing pattern: 4x1 m.Pits for planting are made 40-50 cm deep, on clay soil a little deeper, in order to still place drainage with a layer of 10-15 cm. Usually these are branches, chips, broken brick. 1 bucket of compost, 300 g of ash, potassium sulfate 30 g, superphosphate 100 g are added to the garden soil taken out of the pit. A mound is poured from this substrate at the bottom, the roots of the seedling are spread over its surface and watered with 1 bucket of water. Then they cover it with soil and deepen the root collar by 5-7 cm. The soil around the seedling is tamped and watered with 1 bucket of water. Mulch with fallen leaves, peat, sawdust, humus with a layer of 5-7 cm. Young bushes are often watered: 2-3 times a week.

An adult plant needs regular watering, especially in early summer before fruiting: 4-5 buckets of water are poured under each weekly, especially in dry seasons. The soil under the honeysuckle is not loosened so as not to damage the roots. To saturate the earth with air, it is pierced with a pitchfork in several places.

The culture requires feeding 4 times throughout the year. The first is carried out before the snow melts - half a bucket of compost or humus mixed with mulch is poured under each bush.

During the budding period, 1 glass of wood ash is poured under each plant. After harvesting or a little later - in August, they are fed with ash. In September-October, a groove with a depth of 20 cm is made in the near-trunk circle and, by adding 1 tbsp of superphosphate, it is covered with earth, then watered.

Formative pruning is not required for the plant; it can be done if desired, giving the tree an aesthetic shape. In the first few years, the bush actively grows upward, then the upper buds freeze and lateral shoots begin to grow. At this time, it is not pruned, removing only broken and weak branches. In subsequent years, it is recommended to carry out periodic pruning so that the crown does not overgrow too much. Every spring, shoots are cut out, which grow inside the crown, down to the ground, crossing and spoiling the overall decorative appearance. Curved branches are cut into pieces and removed. After 10 years, they begin to cut out the oldest branches located near the ground, usually weak growths grow on them, or they do not exist at all. With heavy pruning, it is best to leave no more than 15 skeletal branches on the plant.

The variety is very resistant to major diseases and pests. Preventive treatments are usually not carried out. Bushes can be affected by brown spot, megaloseptoria, powdery mildew, tuberculariosis. Spraying 3-4% Bordeaux liquid or the Skor preparation helps to cope with these diseases. The caterpillar of the honeysuckle finger can attack the berries, and the following remedies are effective against it: "Confidor", "Inta-vir", "Decis", "Actellik".

The culture is distinguished by high winter hardiness, without shelter it can withstand temperatures up to -45 degrees.It is a drought tolerant variety, but it should be noted that stressful weather conditions can affect the taste of the future harvest.

Blue spindle prefers slightly alkaline or neutral soils, loamy and sandy loam. The shrub is placed in bright areas, but it can withstand short shading, for example, several hours a day. Usually planted against the south wall of a house or other fitting that protects from the wind. Groundwater should be located at a depth of 1 m, not closer. In hot climates with little rainfall, the shrub grows slowly, which is reflected in the yield.

Gardeners like the Blue Spindle variety: it practically does not require care and hibernates without shelter, it produces crops regularly, other honeysuckles, for example, Amphora, are planted nearby for pollination. For some, the shrub not only bears fruit, but also serves to decorate the site, it never gets sick and is not affected by insects. Fresh berries are not very sweet, but the jam from them is delicious.