Yugan's honeysuckle

Honeysuckle is a persistent and hardy plant, no matter what variety we are talking about. But not everyone has tasty, sweet, rich berries. One of the most delicious varieties is Yugan's honeysuckle.

The variety was bred by scientists of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Bakcharskoe" in the Tomsk region. This station is famous among honeysuckle growers as the author of a whole group of varieties. They are called Bakcharskie. All of them are distinguished by their firmness, large uniform berries with an excellent taste. Bakcharskie varieties do not have tasting ratings lower than 4.7 points. In the register of admitted Yugan was included in 2018.

The bush is of medium height, up to 1.5 meters, in width - up to 1.9 meters, round, of medium density. Young shoots are fluffy and do not have anthocyanin coloration, adults are also colored in a light shade. Shoots are straight, covered with matte, leathery dark green foliage. Flowers of medium size, yellowish-white, melliferous, very cold-resistant, able to withstand temperatures as low as -7 ° C.

The berries are very large for honeysuckle, the average weight of one berry is 1.4-1.62 grams. This is slightly less than that of the Bakchar Giant, Bakchar's Pride or the Giant's Daughter. The fruits are of a typical form for honeysuckle - they resemble jugs, slightly expanding towards the lower third. The skin is dense, strong, has a rich color - it is dark purple, almost black, with an intense bluish waxy bloom. The flesh is quite firm. The berries tolerate transportation well.

The taste is wonderful, sweet and sour, there is not a strong, but noticeable refreshing aroma. The variety belongs to the dessert type. The tasting score is the highest - 4.8 points. Berries for universal use. They are consumed fresh, added to desserts, mousses, ice cream, muffins, pies. Berries are used to prepare compotes, preserves, and jams. They make excellent wines and liqueurs. And also the fruits of this honeysuckle can be dried and frozen.

Ripening period is average. The crop is harvested in early July. The bush bears fruit annually. The berries are easy to pick. They adhere perfectly to the bushes, do not crumble, the stalks are comfortable to tear off, but strong. Ripening - stretched, harvested in 2-3 approaches.

The variety is productive, 3.4 kg are removed from the bush on average, the maximum yield can reach 6.5 kg. Up to 30 centners are removed from 1 hectare. Early maturity - 3-4 years after planting, by the 3rd year the plant gives 3-3.5 kg of fruits, from the 5th year up to 6.5 kg are harvested from the bush. The duration of fruiting is 30 years.

The variety is included in the State Register for the West Siberian region. But this sturdy, hardy plant can be grown in any other region as well.

The variety is self-fertile, that is, it can bear fruit without the presence of other varieties on the site. But having neighbors increases yields. Suitable Pollinators: Bakchar Giant, Giant's Daughter, Rapture. All varieties are large-fruited, vigorous, with dessert berries, hardy.

For landing, choose a calm, sunny place. The best soil type is fertile loam. It is better if the place is low-lying, honeysuckle loves places saturated with moisture. On sandy loam hills, the yield may be less. However, if water stagnates on the site, drainage is done. Honeysuckle has a shallow root system with an abundance of thin fibrous roots, the soil should be good for moisture and air, and not stick together like plasticine during rains.

The mechanical structure of the soil is one of the most important indicators. In order to check the soil, a layer of earth is removed with a shovel. If it came off in a continuous strip, it is too sticky, if it crumbles into fine dust, it is too gritty. Ideal soil will disintegrate into lumps of different sizes. Stickiness is one of the reasons why honeysuckle grows poorly on dense chernozems, despite their high nutritional value.

Honeysuckle is unpretentious to the acidity of the soil, it feels equally well on both slightly alkaline and medium acid soils. The site is dug up before planting. Ideal soil: 3 parts of sod land, 1 part of sand, 1 part of humus, 1 part of peat. It is with such soil that seedlings are sprinkled when planting in planting pits. Chalk, dolomite flour or slaked lime are added to strongly acidic soils. The soil mixture is sieved through a coarse sieve (shell mesh). Only coarse-grained sand is taken, fine becomes sticky.

Planting is possible both in spring and autumn. The period from late September to mid-October is optimal. Dig a hole with a depth and diameter of at least 40 cm. If the soil on the site is not suitable, then it is better to dig a larger hole - up to 80 cm, and fill it with suitable soil. A mixture of 1 bucket of soil, 1 bucket of humus, 1 glass of ash, 100 grams of superphosphate and 30 grams of potassium sulfate is added to the bottom of the pit. When planting, the root collar is buried by 3-5 cm.

The variety is winter-hardy, capable of withstanding frosts down to -50 ° C, therefore, even young plants do not need shelters for the winter.

Pests and diseases rarely affect Yugan's honeysuckle. She is in excellent health. But in warm areas, for example, in the Poltava region of Ukraine, it can be affected by powdery mildew. Treatment with fungicides ("Topaz", "Horus") will be required.

The plant tolerates droughts well, but the heat resistance is average. It is better to shade from the heat. In regions where there is a lot of sun, it is better to plant honeysuckle in the shade of trees with an openwork crown, trellised structures (gazebos, arches, supports for climbing plants).

The conditions greatly affect the taste of the berries. Particular attention should be paid to watering. Young bushes need frequent and abundant watering, fruit-bearing plants are watered according to the weather, however, watering is greatly reduced half a month before harvest, so that the taste of the berries is thicker.

Top dressing for a young plant is not needed, and from the 3rd year of life, a mixture of 5 kg of compost is added once a year under each bush, 2 tbsp. l. superphosphate and half a glass of wood ash. The soil is loosened. In the spring, you can feed with ammonium nitrate, and after harvesting with slurry.

Gardeners are actively trying to grow the Yugan variety, but the reviews are conflicting. Pros of the variety: excellent pollination, excellent fruit size, they are all even large, excellent yield, branches droop under the weight of berries. The main complaints are about the taste of the berries. It is uneven. The berries are sometimes too sour, sometimes watery. They have a loose consistency. However, such feedback comes mainly from gardeners in warm areas. In cooler conditions, the berry gains concentration. The taste can also depend on a combination of conditions: soil composition, climate, sun. And also critical gardeners note that all varieties of Bakcharskaya station "do not go" for them.

Some gardeners have Yugan as one of the most delicious, along with the Leningrad giant and Indigo Jam. She has a balanced pleasant taste in which acidity and sweetness are balanced and complement each other successfully. Yugan's honeysuckle is best viewed by those who live in conditions similar to those in Tomsk.