Unpretentious sweet and sour variety of honeysuckle Princess Diana

Princess Diana is a variety of edible honeysuckle, bred by a Russian plant breeder, and successfully combines high yields, the pleasant taste of large fruits and the decorative appearance of the bushes. Consider the advantages, disadvantages and agronomic requirements of the variety.

Description of the variety of honeysuckle

Princess Diana - honeysuckle domestic selection... The berries are large in size and have a pleasant sour-sweet taste. 100 g of fruit contains 14.7% dry matter, 9.3% sugar, 3.4% organic acids, 1.7 mg pectin and 0.15% carotene.

Origin and development

The variety was bred at the end of the 20th century. Russian plant breeder L.P. Kuminov, who at his own summer cottage in the Moscow region spent more than a dozen crosses of wild honeysuckle seedlings from the forests of the Magadan region.

Characteristic

During the flowering period, large white flowers appear on the bushesarranged in pairs.

Berries are polyspermous, oblong-oval, large... They reach 4-5 cm in length, 1-1.2 cm in diameter, weighing 1.5-2.7 g. The surface is slightly hilly, the skin is thin, rich in violet-blue color.

The pulp is tender, moderately juicy, medium-dense... The aroma is weak, the taste is sweet, with a slight sourness, without astringency and bitterness.

Application features

Princess Diana berries are suitable for use in fresh, frosts and preservation (making jams, juices, preserves).

Reference. After processing, the fruits do not lose their taste and useful properties.

Ornamental bushes this variety of honeysuckle is used in landscape design for decorating gardens and local area.

Ripening period, yield and fruiting

This is an early ripe variety - the harvest ripens in the second half of June.

Bushes begin to bear fruit for 2 years after green cuttings. On average, 4 kg of berries are harvested from a plant.

Disease and pest resistance

Culture is subject ramulariasis, cercosporosis, powdery mildew, aphid attacks, ticks, scale insects, leaf-eating caterpillars and fingerwing.

Cold and drought resistant

Bushes can withstand frosts down to -15 ° C and winter temperature drops.

The variety prefers moderate moisture... With a lack of moisture, yield decreases, and excessive watering and waterlogging of the soil lead to rotting of the root system.

Demanding climate

Despite good resistance to frost and drought, Princess Diana is not suitable for cultivation in the Urals, Siberia and others regions with extreme weather conditions... The variety is suitable for areas with a temperate climate and short frosts.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The main advantages of Princess Diana:

• dessert taste of berries;
• large-fruited;
• high productivity;
• the ability to adapt to different climatic conditions;
• lack of tendency to shedding berries;
• unpretentiousness.

Disadvantages of the variety:

• medium degree of frost resistance;
• lack of immunity to a number of diseases and pests;
• the need for pollinators.

Differences from other varieties

Comparison of Princess Diana with other early maturing varieties is presented in the table:

Agrotechnics

For successful crop cultivation, it is important to observe a set of rulesconcerning the selection and preparation of the site, planting bushes and caring for them.

Choosing a place in the garden

For landing Princess Diana choose an open, well-lit, protected from gusty winds and drafts.located at least 5 m from any tall plants. The variety is shade-tolerant, but the lack of light negatively affects the yield.

Reference. The culture is not grown on black soil, in acidic soil and soils with a low moisture capacity.

To eliminate the risk of root rot due to boggy soil and stagnant moisture, a site is chosen on the site that is not located in a lowland, with a groundwater level of at least 1 m.

Preparing for landing

Suitable for planting 2-year-old seedlings without signs of damage by pests or diseases, with intact bark, firm moist root system and at least 3 root branches.

Before planting, seedlings are sprayed with a 2% solution of copper sulfate or "Fitosporin", and the rhizome is soaked for a day in a thick solution of purified clay.

10-15 days before planting, the soil on the site is cleared of weeds, plant debris and other debris. For each 1 m² of land, 10 kg of humus, 250 g of crushed charcoal, 100 g of superphosphate and 25 g of potassium nitrate are introduced. The soil is dug 30 cm deep and leveled.

Ground requirements

The variety grows well in fertile, loose and light soil with good aeration., moisture permeability and neutral acidity. A suitable option is fertilized sandstone and loam.

Timing, scheme and landing rules

Honeysuckle planted in early spring, before budding (late March - early April), or autumn (mid-October).

Landing scheme:

1. Planting holes with a depth and diameter of 40-50 cm are dug on the site.
2. They form mounds about 15 cm high in them from the nutrient mixture (a bucket of humus, half of the excavated soil, 100 g of potassium salt, 1 tbsp. Wood ash and 100 g of double superphosphate).
3. They put seedlings on them, spreading the roots along the slopes.
4. The plants are covered with earth so that the root collar deepens by 4-5 cm.
5. Water the plantings, mulch the soil with humus or straw.

Distance between bushes should be 2–2.5 m.

Growing features

With proper preparation of the plot and seedlings, during the first 2 years after planting, honeysuckle is only watered 1 time in 2-4 weeks, spending 5 liters of water for each bush. Starting from 3 years of age, watering is carried out 3-4 times per season at the rate of 10-12 liters of water per plant. During dry periods, the frequency of irrigation is increased.

After each watering or rain, the soil is loosened to a depth of 5–7 cm in order to improve its moisture permeability and aeration. Weeding is carried out at the same time.

Fertilizers are applied according to the scheme:

• at the beginning of spring - once every 2-3 years: 10 liters of carbamide solution (50 g per 10 liters of water) under each bush;
• after 2 weeks —10 kg of humus and 200 g of wood ash for a plant;
• every year before flowering - complex mineral fertilizers for fruit bushes (Joy, "Zdraven", "Gera", Fertika).

Every 2 season, 5-6 years after planting, a sanitary pruning - remove all old, damaged and dry shoots. Plants at the age of 12-15 years are subjected to rejuvenating pruning - the bushes are cut off completely, leaving only the root rosette.

Pollinators

This is a cross-pollinated plant, therefore at least 2 pollinator varieties are planted nearby to obtain a harvest. Best pollinators for Princess Diana:

• Nizhny Novgorod early;
• Altair;
• Enchantress;
• Kamchadalka;
• Karina.

Disease and pest control

Diseases and pestsDangerous for Princess Diana:

To combat insects or diseases, plants are treated twice with an interval of 2 weeks, for prophylaxis - once a month.

Important! The last spraying is carried out at least one month before harvesting.

Preparing for winter

Late autumn the soil is cleaned of fallen leaves and other plant debris, and the trunk circle is mulched with humus (layer thickness - at least 10-15 cm).

The branches of the bushes are covered with spunbond, hay, straw or other material that allows air to pass through well.

Reproduction

Honeysuckle propagated by seed or cuttings.

In the first case planting material is collected from the most ripe fruits, sown in a container with a fertile, loose substrate and germinated at room temperature during the winter. In the spring, the most active and strong seedling is chosen and transplanted into open ground.

For grafting in March, several young shoots are cut from a 4- or 6-year-old bush and cut into pieces 20 cm long so that each has at least 3 buds. The cuttings are germinated at room temperature, and in mid-May they are transplanted to the beds.

Growing difficulties

Problems in cultivating this variety:

• slow development of bushes, low productivity, the formation of small berries - the bushes do not have enough light;
• wilting, yellowing, deformation of the leaves is a sign of pest attack;
• the formation of a white powdery coating on leaf plates is a symptom of powdery mildew, which developed as a result of planting honeysuckle in acidic soil.

Harvesting

Harvested from the second half of June to mid-August... The fact that the berries are ripe is indicated by the characteristic deep violet-blue skin color. The fruits are removed from the bushes on a dry, windless day and placed in plastic or wooden containers.

In a refrigerator or cellar at a temperature of + 5 ... + 15 ° C, honeysuckle is stored for 1-2 weeks, frozen at -20 ... -25 ° C - 6-12 months.

Advice and feedback from experienced gardeners

Experienced gardeners recommend:

• do not water the bushes immediately before harvesting - this negatively affects the storage of berries;
• regularly remove all dry and damaged shoots so that the sun evenly illuminates the plants;
• weed simultaneously with loosening or as weeds grow, otherwise the risk of disease and pests increases.

Gardeners who tried to grow Princess Diana speak positively of her.

Maria, Moscow region: “In my opinion, the only disadvantage of the variety is its inaccessibility. I do not know why, but it is very difficult to find seedlings. The rest is excellent honeysuckle: the yield is high, the berries are large and tasty, sweet, with a slight sourness, do not taste bitter ".

Elena, Bryansk region: “Good grade. Fruiting annually, I remove at least 4 kg of berries from the bush. The fruits are large, beautiful dark blue, sour-sweet. We eat them fresh, freeze and cook jam - delicious in any form. ".

Conclusion

Princess Diana is a honeysuckle variety suitable for growing in temperate climates. It is characterized by a large fruit size, stable yield and the ability to adapt to different weather conditions.Among the main disadvantages are average frost resistance, a tendency to damage by diseases and pests.