Medium early dessert variety of honeysuckle "Magic"

The sorceress is a young, but promising cure. Often, gardeners give preference to him, since he stably bears fruit, is unpretentious and frost-resistant, which is especially important for the inhabitants of Siberia and the Urals. We will tell you about the features of growing a Sorceress, its advantages and disadvantages.

Description of the variety of honeysuckle Sorceress

This variety is the result of the work of domestic breeders. The berries have a rich chemical composition and a sour-sweet taste, suitable for fresh consumption and processing.

Origin and development

The sorceress was brought out by breeders of the South Ural Research Institute of Fruit and Vegetable and Potato Growing by free pollination of the Kamchatka honeysuckle seedling Smolinka.

The variety has been under state variety testing since 1993. It was entered into the State Register of Russia in 2000.

Characteristics, description of appearance, taste

The plant is a medium-sized bush with a height of 1.3-1.5 m. Shoots are brown-red, thick and erect, covered with a waxy bloom. Leaves are medium in size, oblong-oval, smooth, slightly concave along the central vein.

The berries are large, reach a length of 2.5 cm or more, weigh 1-1.3 g. The weight of some specimens reaches 1.5 g. Fruits are pear-shaped or elliptical, covered with a thin dark blue skin, on which there is a dense waxy coating.

The pulp is tender and juicy. It has a pleasant aroma and sweet-sour taste, in which astringency and sometimes bitterness are felt.

Application features

Berries are consumed fresh, frozen, dried, dried, ground with sugar, canned, pre-cooked jam, jam or compote. Fruits are suitable for squeezing juice and making alcoholic beverages - wine, liqueur, liqueur.

In folk medicine, the entire aerial part of honeysuckle is used, preparing infusions and decoctions from it.

Ripening period, yield and fruiting

The Sorceress is a variety of early maturing honeysuckle. The timing of the onset of biological maturity of fruits depends on the growing region. So, in central Russia, the harvest is ready for harvesting at the end of June - mid-July.

With proper care, 1.8-3 kg of berries are harvested from an adult (4-6 years old) bush. The average yield is 40.6 c / ha.

Reference. Fruiting is impossible without pollinating varieties.

Disease and pest resistance

The variety is resistant to many pests, fungal and infectious diseases. However, with improper care, it can be hit by:

• ramulariasis;
• cercosporosis;
• tuberculariosis;
• powdery mildew;
• aphid;
• scabbards and false scabbards;
• ticks;
• leafworm, moth and other caterpillars.

Cold and drought resistant

The variety is frost-resistant: adult bushes tolerate a drop in air temperature to -40 ° C, but flower buds die from the cold already at -5 ° C.

The lack of moisture does not affect the growth, development and productivity of the Sorceress, but causes the appearance of bitterness and astringency in the taste of berries and their premature shedding.

Growing regions and climate requirements

The variety does not have any special requirements for climatic conditions and soil composition, therefore it is successfully cultivated in all regions.

Advantages and disadvantages

Sorceress Benefits:

• large-fruited;
• good commercial qualities;
• high content of vitamins and minerals;
• the possibility of universal use;
• relatively good keeping quality and transportability;
• lack of tendency to shedding;
• unpretentiousness;
• drought and frost resistance;
• good immunity.

Cons of the variety:

• the need for pollinators;
• low productivity;
• tendency to be damaged by pests;
• the presence of bitterness in the taste.

Difference from other varieties and hybrids

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

Agrotechnics

In order for the bushes to grow and develop, it is important to comply with the agrotechnical requirements of the culture and choose the right place and time for planting seedlings.

Choosing a place in the garden and preparing holes

Honeysuckle planted in an open, well-lit area. Groundwater must be at least 100 m and maximum 150 m above the ground.

Reference. Shrubs can grow and develop in partial shade, but in this case their yield decreases.

Preparing for landing

For planting, use one- or two-year-old seedlings 40 cm high with 2-3 shoots. If at the time of purchase the root system of the plant is open, it is easier to make sure of its viability. But the earthen lump protects the roots from mechanical damage and drying out.

To improve rooting, the seedlings are soaked in a solution of a growth stimulator (Heteroauxin, Kornevin, Epin) for several hours.

Reference. Any inclusions, uneven color of the bark or root processes are signs of plant disease.

Ground requirements

The sorceress prefers fertile soil with good moisture permeability, aeration and neutral acidity. Allowed cultivation varieties in alumina or sandstones, but during planting, peat or sand is added to the clay soil, and humus is added to the sandy soil.

Timing, scheme and landing rules

Honeysuckle is planted in early spring (in March) or mid-autumn (in October), before or after active sap flow.

Landing scheme and rules:

1. Dig out the planting holes in the prepared area with a size of 40 × 40 cm at a distance of 150-200 cm from each other.
2. Throw away the lower layer of the extracted earth, and mix the upper layer with compost or humus (10-15 kg), superphosphate (50-60 g) and wood ash (2 tbsp).
3. Fill the bottom of the planting holes with soil enriched with fertilizers and a layer of drainage.
4. Spread out the roots of the seedling and place it in the center of the hole.
5. Fill the voids with soil.
6. Tamp, pour and mulch the top layer.
7. After the soil subsides, leave the root collar above the surface or deepen it by 3 cm.

The holes are prepared at least 3 days before planting the seedlings.

The nuances of care

The best predecessors of honeysuckle are eggplants, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkin, peppers, watermelon, radishes, zucchini, or meadow herbs. The culture is not planted after currants, gooseberries and other varieties of honeysuckle.

In the northern regions, the bushes are watered 2-3 times per season: during flowering and fruit setting, after harvest and in late autumn. In this case, the water consumption is 10-15 liters per 1 bush. The frequency of watering is increased when growing Fairy women in warm areas or in case of abnormally hot summers.

Watering is stopped 2-3 weeks before harvesting. Otherwise, the keeping quality and quality of the fruit deteriorate.

Important! When watering, water is poured along the edge of the near-trunk circle, having dug a trench in advance. The sprinkling method provokes the development of diseases.

The bushes begin to feed from 3 years after planting, applying fertilizers according to the scheme:

• early spring - ammonium nitrate or carbamide (15 g per 1 m²);
• budding and flowering - double superphosphate (40 g per 1 m²) and potassium sulfate (20 g per 1 m²);
• after harvesting - "Nitroammofoska" or "Nitrofoska" (25-30 g per 1 m²);
• for digging - compost (5 kg per 1 m²).

After watering or rain, the soil is loosened to improve the access of oxygen and moisture to the roots, and weeded.

In spring and autumn, sanitary and anti-aging pruning is carried out. It consists in removing old, diseased and damaged branches, interfering shoots and numerous root shoots. From time to time, strong skeletal branches are also shortened by a third - this stimulates their growth.

Pollinators

The sorceress is a cross-pollinated variety, therefore, pollinating varieties are planted nearby to set fruits:

• Long-fruited;
• Chelyabinka;
• Smolinka;
• Zest;
• Blueberries;
• Sineglazka.

Disease and pest control

Possible diseases and pests of the variety:

Scheme of treating bushes for the prevention of diseases and pest attacks:

• swelling of the kidneys - urea, Bordeaux liquid or copper sulfate;
• before flowering - "Biotlin" or "Calypso";
• after flowering - biological products "Trichodermin", "Fitosporin".

Preparing for winter

The sorceress is a frost-resistant variety, the bushes do not need winter shelter, even when grown in Siberia and the Urals.

Preparing plants for cold weather:

• clear the land around the bushes from plant debris;
• pour abundantly with settled water;
• shallowly (about 10 cm) dig up the near-stem area and apply organic fertilizers;
• process the aboveground part of the bush with copper sulfate to increase its immunity.

Reproduction

Growing honeysuckle from seeds takes a long time, so most often the Sorceress is propagated vegetatively - by layering or dividing the bush.

To root the cuttings, the bush is dug in in June, a strong shoot is chosen, located at the bottom of the outer side of the bush, bend it to the ground, fixed and instilled so that the top remains above the ground. Within 2-3 months, this shoot is watered abundantly, and a year later it forms an independent root system, after which it is separated from the mother bush with pruning shears and transplanted to a permanent place.

During transplantation, the method of dividing the bush is used. To do this, the plant is dug up and divided into several parts with a sharp knife so that each has the same number of shoots. For better rooting, before planting in the ground, the cuttings are kept in a solution of a growth stimulator ("Kornevin", "Epin").

Important! The method of dividing the bush is not used for plants over 7 years old.

If after anti-aging trimming healthy shoots remain, they are placed in a mixture of garden soil and sand or peat, covered with a film, watered regularly, ventilated and wait for the shoots to appear.

Growing difficulties

Difficulties in cultivating the Sorceress:

• low productivity - bushes grow in the shade;
• bitterness is pronounced in the taste of berries - a lack of moisture;
• plants weaken, leaves and shoots wither - bushes attacked by pests.

Harvesting

In the middle lane, the harvest is harvested at the end of June - mid-July within 5-6 days after the berries ripen.

Honeysuckle is kept in the refrigerator for a maximum of 2-3 days. After that, she loses its freshness and lets out the juice.

Tips and reviews of experienced gardeners about the variety

Experienced gardeners recommend:

1. Use several varieties of pollinators. If one variety does not bloom due to adverse weather conditions, others will provide pollination.
2. Plant bushes along the fence or buildings - so the seedlings will not be damaged by drafts and wind.

Farmers speak positively about the Sorceress:

Oksana. Severodvinsk: “I love honeysuckle very much, so I planted several seedlings in my area. Of all the varieties I chose the Sorceress, because she is unpretentious, frost-resistant and consistently bears fruit. I also like the fact that the berries are delicious both fresh and canned. "

Alexey, Orenburg: “I bought and planted the Sorceress saplings 6 years ago. The variety turned out to be frost-resistant and unpretentious, however, the bushes began to bear fruit only 4 years after planting. The berries are large, sweet and sour; they make a very tasty jam. Of the minuses, I will only note the need for pollinators. "

Conclusion

Edible Honeysuckle Sorceress is suitable for cultivation in personal backyards and large areas for sale. Minor disadvantages - the need for pollinators and a relatively low yield - compensates for the mass of the variety's advantages: unpretentiousness, drought and frost resistance, large-fruited, lack of tendency to shatter and good immunity.