Honeysuckle Kamchadalka

In the last decades of the 20th century, Russian gardening was enriched by a winter-hardy crop - honeysuckle. The famous fruit grower P. Kuzmishchev, at the beginning of the 19th century, considered honeysuckle promising and recommended it for cultivation in gardens in the Far East. Honeysuckle is a relatively unpretentious berry crop for many, especially the northern regions of the country. She has already established herself and continues to gain popularity both in amateur and industrial gardening in Russia and foreign countries. Thus, Kamchadalka honeysuckle has been recognized for its very early fruit ripening, which occurs in many regions in June, while most other varieties and crops ripen from mid-July.

Honeysuckle itself is a fairly young culture. The first varieties appeared only in the 30s of the XX century. However, particular interest in it has been shown in the last 3-4 decades. Honeysuckle Kamchadalka is the fruit of the labors of two Soviet breeders I. Gidzyuk and A. Tkacheva, later it was replaced by Z. Luchnik (Bakcharsky stronghold of northern gardening in the Tomsk region). The seedling originated from free pollination of a selective form from the Kamchatka population. The work lasted for several decades, and only in 1984 Kamchadalka was submitted for verification. After 9 years, they began to actively plant it. Now this variety is used to breed new ones.

The plant is a compact bush, the height of which reaches one and a half meters. Its crown is thick and narrow. This variety is drought-resistant, self-fertile, and requires a different variety of honeysuckle bush for pollination. The branches of the bush are even and relatively long. The foliage is small, narrow, bright green, matte.

Kamchadalka honeysuckle berries have a mass of 0.8 to 1.3 grams. The fruit is 2.5 centimeters long and 1 centimeter in diameter. They are covered with a blue-blue dense skin with a slight waxy coating.

The flesh of Kamchadalka is tender, numerous fibers are noticeable, which, however, are not felt when consumed. Honeysuckle without bitterness, sweet, with a slight sourness and strong aroma. The fruits do not fall off the branches. According to experts, Kamchadalka honeysuckle is gaining 4.5 out of 5 points in taste. Nevertheless, its taste also depends on the region where the bushes are planted. The preferred landing site is Tomsk.

The ripening period of this variety covers the end of June - the beginning of July, that is, the ripening of the berry is extended. Already ripe berries do not wither for a long time, but the fruits ripen unevenly.

A little more than a kilogram of fruit can be harvested from one Kamchadalka bush. A large plant sometimes gives 3 kilograms. Even in a rainy, rainy summer, the harvest of Kamchadalka will be stable. Sometimes the owners have to organize two or three approaches to pick berries.

The Kamchadalka variety requires pollinators.According to tradition, in order for the fruits to appear, Cinderella, in Memory of Gidzyuk, Parabelskaya are planted nearby. According to the observations of breeders, a good pollinator is the Blue Spindle.

Planting Kamchadalka honeysuckle, like any other variety, is not at all difficult. The main thing is to know where the root system is, then send the seedling to the hole, and then wait for the result. However, as practice shows, some gardeners produce large and tasty fruits, while others have to be content with small, bitter-sour berries. Therefore, it is necessary to adhere to some rules when planting.

It is important that the bushes are two years old, before buying Kamchadalka, you need to check for damage, dry branches, the roots are subject to inspection. The bark may peel off slightly at the same time, but this is only a cultural feature.

Honeysuckle prefers open, sunny locations. If you plant the plant in the shade, the berry will turn out to be bitter and will ripen later. There is one more nuance: Kamchadalka does not really like strong winds, so when choosing a place you should be guided by this.

Honeysuckle Kamchadalka is a rather unpretentious crop, it grows on almost any soil, but it also has its own preferences: it does not like "acidic" soil. If the hole is well seasoned during planting, then the berry will be sweeter. When digging a recess for a seedling, the earth can be folded onto a substrate - a film, a tarp, an open bag. So the excavated earth will not remain in the grass near the hole. The hole should be 40 centimeters wide and 45 cm deep. Water the hole well before planting.

Next, you need to prepare the ground for Kamchadalka. Peat, a small amount of dolomite flour, and a couple of liters of vermiculite are added to the selected topsoil. Vermiculite does not go into the deep layers of the soil, unlike sand. Next, you need to fill the hole in half with the prepared soil. Then the soil is leveled and watered again. Kamchadalka does not take root well in the south, so in these regions it is necessary to add fertilizer based on seaweed and fish bone meal. Due to the bacteria, this fertilizer will begin to give immediate results. Kamchadalka will receive food for a long time. Two tablespoons of such fertilizer will be enough for one bush. This variety needs to be watered regularly, once a week, but only after sunset.

Pruning of Kamchadalka in the early years is prohibited. It is advisable to start carrying out such procedures in the 6th year from the moment of planting. You only need to prune dry, rotten branches.

This variety practically does not get sick. The only enemy of Kamchadalka is insects. However, tobacco infusions can protect the bush from aphids and flies. Chemicals must be used strictly until the berries appear. Sometimes birds want to feast on the fruits. In this case, you can install special grids.

According to most amateur gardeners, Kamchadalka honeysuckle is one of the most unpretentious plants. It is easy to plant, it does not require special care, it practically does not get sick. The bush bears fruit regularly, although the berries are of different sizes, they do not crumble. The only negative noted by many gardeners is that the crop has to be harvested several times during the season, and it can be quite difficult to separate the berries from the branches. All owners of honeysuckle unanimously declare that the best pollinators for Kamchadalka are Blue Spindle and Tomichka. Due to its small size, twenty bushes are planted at once. Kamchadalka is successfully used for making jams and confiture; it has a sweet and sour taste.