Honeysuckle Omega

The Omega variety is considered one of the most dessert varieties of honeysuckle. Berries are used fresh and processed: jam, juice, jelly, jam. The plant is suitable for industrial cultivation. A seemingly decorative shrub is often used in landscaping a garden.

The variety was obtained at the Pavlovsk Experimental Station of the VIR named after NI Vavilov by breeders MN Plekhanova and AV Kondrikova during the pollination of elite form No. 21-1 and Pavlovskaya honeysuckle. Included in the State Register in 2002.

The bush is medium-sized, up to 1.5 m high, the crown is round, flat, dense. Branches are straight, not pubescent, densely covered with foliage, annuals of slightly pink hue. The leaf is large, elongated, oval, flat, bright green. The buds bloom in early spring when the air temperature rises to 0 degrees. The shrub bears fruit for about 30 years.

The berries are large, weighing 1 g, elongated oval, with a sharp top and bumpy surface, blue-blue color, thick skin with a strong waxy bloom. The pulp is fibrous with a delicate aroma. The fruits are well transported, but they are not stored for long - 2-3 days.

The taste is pleasant sweet and sour. The pulp contains a lot of sugar - 8.8%, organic acid - 2.3%, a large amount of vitamins. Per 100 g concentration: vitamin A - 70 μg, vitamin B1 - 3 mg, vitamin B2 - 3 mg, C - 52 mg, potassium - 70 mg, sodium - 35 mg, phosphorus - 35 mg. Tasting score 4.5 points.

A young bush begins to bear fruit in the 3rd year after planting, it is considered mid-season in terms of ripening, the harvest begins to ripen from June 17 to June 22. Ripening of the crop is somewhat prolonged: it can capture the beginning of July.

An average of 1.7-2.8 kg is removed from one bush.

The culture is suitable for growing in all regions of Russia.

A self-fertile variety, to obtain a good harvest, they are planted as pollinators of the varieties: Blue Spindle, Blue Bird, Nymph. It is best to plant 4 different varieties side by side. For effective pollination, it is recommended to plant plants not in rows, but in small groups. Inflorescences are re-pollinated mainly by bumblebees; on industrial plots per hectare, at least 3 families are required. Pollination occurs at temperatures up to -8 degrees without loss of yield. Flowering branches will become more attractive to insects if they are sprayed with an aqueous solution with the addition of honey or sugar: 1 tbsp. l. for 5 liters of water.

For honeysuckle, the best planting time is autumn. A hole for a seedling is dug 50x50 cm in size.On the garden plot, they are planted according to the scheme: 3x1 m, and on industrial plantings, the scheme is suitable: 4x0.8 m. land of compost, superphosphate and wood ash. When planting a seedling, the root collar is deepened by 4-5 cm, the earth is compacted, then watered and mulched. The first 5 years the plant develops slowly, it is fed in the fall with superphosphate - 20-30 g, potassium salt - 15-20 g. Weeds must be removed.

The shrub requires moderate watering, it is regularly watered in May-June when the berries begin to ripen. You can install drip irrigation, in this way, mineral fertilizing is also introduced in liquid form.

In the spring, be sure to remove frozen shoots, diseased and broken branches. The crown of a 5-year-old bush must be cut off annually. Be sure to remove old branches on which ovaries do not form, or there are very few of them. This stimulates the growth of young promising shoots. In the fall, formative pruning is carried out to give the crown the proper shape.

The plant is practically not affected by fungal diseases, most likely powdery mildew or leaf spot may appear. An effective prophylactic agent will be spraying in spring and autumn with a 1% solution of copper sulfate. For the treatment of spotting, 2% Fundazol is used, for powdery mildew they are sprayed with Topaz. The species is affected by pests in an average degree - within 3 points. Highly resistant to aphids, other insects can be dangerous: honeysuckle striped sawfly, scale insect, leafworm. From them, the crown and soil are treated with "Chlorophos" and "Karbofos".

The culture is distinguished by high winter hardiness, withstands frosts down to -34 degrees, tolerates temperature changes well at any time of the year. For the winter, it is recommended to mulch the trunk circle with humus or peat. Prolonged winter thaws can trigger early flowering.

Honeysuckle requires fertile soil, rich in organic and mineral components. Under natural conditions, the shrub grows on forest and moist soils. It is suitable for heavy clayey chernozem with an acidity of pH 5.5-6.5. Prefers sunny or slightly shaded areas: drought and scorching sun are bad for the development of the plant. It is possible to plant next to barberry, blueberry, dogwood.

In the Omega variety, the berries are blue and the taste is somewhat reminiscent of blueberries, only it is a little sour and your hands do not get dirty. It is better to collect them as soon as they began to ripen, otherwise they will overripe. They are immediately ground with sugar or frozen - this is a super-useful berry. It does not crumble at all, but overripe becomes slippery inside.