Honeysuckle Delight

The Delight variety is a novelty that has already become popular with many gardeners. Differs in endurance, unpretentious care and regular high productivity. Dessert fruits with blueberry flavor have a universal purpose: they are used to cook compotes, jam, and freeze. Can be grown as an ornamental shrub.

The variety was bred by breeders N. V. Savinkova, A. V. Gagarkin on the basis of the Bakcharskoe horticultural farm. Included in the State Register in 2020.

The bush is vigorous, up to 180 cm high, strongly spreading, up to 170 cm in diameter, the shape of the crown is reverse conical. Branches are straight, sparse, hanging at the top, matte, brown. The leaves are medium-sized, dark green, ovoid, the leaf plate is smooth, dull, concave. Young leaves are slightly pubescent. The flowers are large, pale yellow or pink-white, bloom in May, can be damaged by spring frosts. Fruiting of the bush begins to decline after 15 years, at 20 it is considered old. Reproduction by division, layering or cuttings is possible.

The berries are large, weighing 1.2-2.8 g, wide, fusiform, almost black in color, with a bluish waxy bloom. The skin is firm, the pulp is very firm and juicy with a light aroma. The fruits are well transported and have a good presentation.

The taste is harmonious, sour-sweet, without bitterness, sugar content - 8.5%, acid - 2.6%, ascorbic acid - 52.6 mg per 100 g. Tasting score 4.8 points.

Honeysuckle begins to bear fruit in the 3rd year of life, then annually. It is considered an early species in terms of ripening, the harvest ripens simultaneously in the 10th of June. Sprinkled slightly: no more than 20% of the harvest. The berries are removed when they turn dark blue. They are collected manually and mechanically.

About 1.5 kg are removed from one 3-year-old shrub; under favorable conditions, up to 5.5 kg can be collected from an adult plant.

The variety is recommended for planting in Western Siberia. It can be grown in the Urals and in the middle lane, but in these regions, winter prolonged thaws are most dangerous for the variety. Not suitable for planting in the north-west of the European territory of the Russian Federation.

A self-infertile species, to obtain a harvest requires replanting additional pollinators: Silginka, Strezhevchanka, Yugana, Giant's daughter, Bakcharsky giant. Plant at least 3 different types of honeysuckle in the garden.

Young plants can only be planted in spring in southern climates after the snow melts, before the buds open, around March.In other regions, they are planted from late September to mid-October. In the northern regions of the European part of Russia and in Eastern Siberia, they are planted from the end of August. Bushes are placed at a distance of 1.5-2 meters, the interval between rows is 3.5 m. The most successful position for honeysuckle is when the roots are in the shade and the crown is illuminated by the sun.

A pit for planting is dug 40-50 cm in size. Drainage is poured at the bottom of the planting pit, compost is added to the garden soil - 2 buckets, wood ash - 1 liter, superphosphate - 3 tbsp. l. A mound is made in the hole, and then water is poured in, the roots of the seedling are placed on the slopes of the mound, soil is carefully poured around and compacted. The neck of the root is deepened by 5-6 cm.

The variety must be watered abundantly and regularly: in the spring during flowering and in early summer when pouring the fruit. For young plants, 2-3 buckets of water are enough, and for adults - 5-6 buckets. After harvesting, fruit buds are laid for the next year, so the soil must be moistened periodically. To retain moisture, a layer of sod is mulched or laid. Watering is carried out at the end of the season, in August or early September. Sometimes Delight can bloom again in the fall.

They begin to feed them only in the 3rd year after planting with organic fertilizers: infusion of chicken droppings, mullein or fermented grass. Fertilizers are applied in March before the buds awaken, when flowers appear and after the end of leaf fall. During the formation of ovaries, they are fed with wood ash. In the fall, a layer of humus is poured around the bush.

An adult plant should have no more than 18 skeletal branches, the rest must be removed, usually in September. Fruit buds are formed on young shoots, so they are not shortened. Rejuvenating pruning begins to be carried out only after 15 years, for this, all shoots are cut off on a stump. Young will grow up next year.

The culture showed good resistance to typical diseases and pests. The variety can suffer from tuberculariosis, powdery mildew, reddish-olive spot. For prevention, honeysuckle is treated with Bordeaux liquid. Among insects, the greatest harm is brought by: aphids, leafworms, willow scale insects, honeysuckle fingerfly. For pest control use the drug "Fitosporin". From natural remedies, spraying with an infusion of wormwood or garlic helps. To protect against insects, calendula or marigolds are planted nearby. Berries in summer, and swollen buds in spring attract birds, it is better to cover the bushes with special nets from them.

Delight is distinguished by a very high winter hardiness and frost resistance: without shelter it can withstand frosts down to -40 degrees. The shrub can suffer from sudden changes in temperature during the winter. The plant is distinguished by high drought resistance, it can withstand for a long time without irrigation, but the taste of the berries deteriorates from lack of moisture.

The shrub prefers flat, sunny and wind-protected areas with groundwater at least 1 m from the surface. The variety is undemanding to soils. The best option for her is loamy substrates, neutral or slightly acidic.

Reviews of honeysuckle Delight are controversial: someone likes sweet and juicy fruits - a real delight. And someone thinks that they are sourish. The bush survives the winter well, but requires regular pruning, and has a good yield. It is noted that the variety bears fruit better in the southern regions and beyond the Urals than in the European part of the country.