Honeysuckle Leningrad giant

Honeysuckle Leningrad giant is a large-fruited culture with very tasty berries, which belongs to the elite varieties of Russian selection. The plant is valued for its unpretentiousness, frost resistance. This variety is even suitable for growing in difficult climatic conditions of the northern regions of Russia.

The plant was bred at the Pavlovsk experimental station of the VIR. The work was carried out by a group of specialists under the leadership of M.N. Plekhanova. The seeds of Kamchatka honeysuckle in its wild form were used as a starting material. This made it possible to exclude the characteristic bitterness in the taste of the fruits, to achieve a high degree of cold resistance of plants. Today the Leningrad giant itself acts as a parent variety for many new plants.

Bushes vigorous, with a rounded oval crown. They are compact, slightly spreading, of medium density. The plant reaches a height of 1.5-2.5 m, grows in diameter to 1.6 m.

The shoots on the bush are light green in color, pubescent, become brown as they mature, the bark exfoliates. The leaves are oblong-oval, large, with dark green plates. Inflorescences are pale yellow, bell-shaped. The berries are formed in bunches.

The berries of the Leningrad giant honeysuckle are large, weighing 1-4 g. The fruits are elongated-cylindrical, the surface is slightly tuberous, the base is rounded. The skin of the berry is dense, but thin, easy to bite, and dark blue. The wax coating is pronounced, of a beautiful bluish shade. The fruits are not prone to shedding.

Sweet and sour berries do not taste bitter, they have a very pleasant taste. The tender, dense pulp has a pronounced fibrous structure. The aroma of the fruit is strong.

The variety is fast-growing. Begins to yield crops at 2-4 years of plant life. In terms of ripening, the mid-ripening, extended period of fruiting falls on the 3rd decade of June - 4th decade of July. Productivity is maintained for 25-30 years.

This honeysuckle is a high-yielding honeysuckle. The maximum recorded collection is 3 kg per bush. The average yield reaches 0.7-1 kg per bush.

The variety is suitable for the regions of the northern fruit-growing zone, where other berry crops grow poorly. In the south, the variety can be prone to re-flowering, which negatively affects subsequent yields. Also, in hot climates, fruit deformation can be observed.

This variety of honeysuckle is self-fertile. Blue bird, Start, Gzhelka are suitable as pollinators. Without them, flowering will not end with the formation of ovaries. For the best result, a group planting of 2-3 varieties of honeysuckle with flowering times similar to the Leningrad giant is recommended.

In the process of growth of honeysuckle, the Leningrad giant requires regular abundant watering 3-4 times per season.Top dressing for 2 years from the moment of planting is not required. Fertilizers are then applied annually to compensate for soil depletion. No pruning is performed in the first 2 years either. For this period, weeding and loosening of the root zone is enough for the shrub. Mulching will also be useful, allowing you to provide an optimal microclimate for plant development.

It is important to leave enough space for the plant when planting. They retreat from neighboring bushes and trees by at least 1.5 m. If this rule is not followed, fragile shoots will break from bending. Planting is preferable in rows (for the formation of a hedge), and the bush can also be used as a specimen in the landscape design of sites in the local area. The preferred period for transferring the bush to a new place is late summer or autumn.

Starting from the age of 3 years, the Leningrad giant begins to be cut off. This is necessary to thin the crown of the plant. All shoots are cut except for the 5 main skeletal branches. Root shoots, barren thin twigs, shaded lower tier are removed completely. The procedure is carried out in late autumn, after leaf fall, when night temperatures drop below 0 degrees.

From the age of 7 years old, the Leningrad giant has been recommended anti-aging pruning. All stems should be shortened to a height of 0.5 m. In the spring, young shoots will appear on these branches. This approach will maximize the duration of the active fruiting of the bush.

The variety is well protected against fungal diseases. The Leningrad giant is weakly affected by pests. For the prevention of all forms of spotting, it is recommended to normalize watering, especially during wet periods, to get rid of root growth in a timely manner. Risks of powdery mildew contamination will be minimal with the right planting site.

To prevent tuberculary disease in bushes, you need to regularly thin out the crown. When reddish swelling is detected on the shoots, spraying with chemicals is performed. The affected areas of the crown are cut out.

During the ripening of the berries, the bushes of the Leningrad giant are a bait for birds. Nets will help to avoid crop loss. Of the insects, the most dangerous for plants are aphids, honeysuckle birdwing.

High frost resistance. During the period of return cold weather, the ovaries tolerate a decrease in atmospheric temperatures to -7 degrees without harm to the future harvest.

When choosing a landing site, it is recommended to give preference to sunlit areas without a strong through wind; a fence is not required to be installed.Shading is contraindicated for this variety, since it significantly affects the productivity of the bush. The best soil is neutral or slightly alkaline, loamy, air and moisture permeable. Damp soils in lowlands are not suitable, and the level of occurrence of groundwater should be at least 1.5-2 m.

Summer residents speak very well of the Leningradsky Giant variety. This honeysuckle is often advised as a pollinator for other plants, planted next to apiaries as a northern honey plant. It is noted that fully ripe berries turn out to be very sweet, the sourness is practically not felt, and if they are harvested ahead of time, they have a pronounced wateriness. The fruits are prone to doubling, this is due to the peculiarities of their carpal formation.

Care, according to reviews of summer residents, plants need minimal. For many gardeners, the shrub grows even without watering and fertilizing, one mulching is enough. The disadvantage of the Leningrad giant is the strong growth of shoots, as well as the tendency of the crown to thicken. Summer residents also mention that the berries ripen unevenly, so there are difficulties with an objective assessment of the yield. The inability to bear fruit independently is also considered an obvious disadvantage.