Honeysuckle Blue Spindle

Honeysuckle Blue Spindle
The main characteristics of the variety:
  • Authors: Z.P. Zholobova, I.P. Kalinin, Z.I. Archer (NIISS named after M.A.Lisavenko)
  • Year of approval: 1989
  • Growth type: medium-sized
  • Description of the bush: medium compressed
  • Bush height, m: 0,8-1,0
  • Escapes: curved, reddish, matte, pubescent
  • Leaves: large, elliptical, dark green with hard pubescence on the upper side
  • Crown: reverse conical
  • Fruit size: large
  • Fruit weight, g: 0,9-1,3
View all specifications

The Blue Spindle variety is a widespread variety. Differs in drought and frost resistance. The taste of the fruit largely depends on the climate conditions in which the honeysuckle grows. Berries are eaten fresh, rubbed with sugar, are very much appreciated in processed form - compote, jelly, jam, juice, wine, dried fruits. Suitable for gardening (including decoration as a hedge) and industrial cultivation.

Breeding history

The variety was obtained in the 80s of the 20th century on the basis of the Lisavenko Barnaul Scientific Research Institute of Information Systems by breeders Z. P. Zholobova, I. P. Kalinina, Z. I. Luchnik as a result of free pollination of the Kamchatka honeysuckle Start. Included in the State Register in 1989.

Description of the variety

The bush is medium-sized, up to 1 m high, rather compact, the crown is reverse conical. The bark tends to flake off after 3-4 years of age. The branches are curved, thin, dull, greenish in the sun, acquire a brown tint. The leaf is large, elliptical, pointed, dark green, folded in the middle of the leaf plate. Flowering begins very early, sometimes during the first spring thaws. The flowers are yellow, medium-sized, bell-shaped and are not afraid of frost. Fruits are set even at temperatures as low as –7 degrees. The shrub bears fruit for about 20 years. Moisture-loving variety.

Fruit characteristics

The berries are large, weighing about 0.9-1.3 grams, in the shape of a spindle, dark blue with a bluish waxy bloom, the skin is dense with a bumpy surface, the flesh is tender. They have a good marketable appearance, they are stored in the refrigerator for about 5 days.

Taste qualities

The taste is refreshing sweet with sourness and light bitterness, which disappears after processing. Sugar content - 7.6%, acid about 2%, ascorbic acid - 106 mg per 100 g. Tasting score 3.7 points.

Ripening and fruiting

Honeysuckle begins to bear fruit in the 5th year of the plant's life, the first berries can be tried the next year after planting. The variety is early in maturity. Fruiting annually, the fruits ripen unevenly by mid-June. In warm climates, ripening begins at the end of May. The ripe crop begins to crumble, about 10-15% falls off. Can be collected mechanically.

Yield

Up to 2.5 kg of fruits are removed from one 11-year-old bush.

Honeysuckle pleases the owners of the site not only with a beautiful color, but also with fruits with an unusual taste. When planning to plant it on your site, it is important to learn everything about the fruiting of the bush.

Growing regions

The variety is recommended for planting throughout Russia. Depending on the place of growth, the taste characteristics of the fruit can change: in warm climates, the pulp becomes sweet, with a lack of moisture it acquires a bitter tint.

Self-fertility and the need for pollinators

A self-fertile variety, to obtain a high yield, pollinating varieties are planted nearby: Azure, Cinderella, Blue Bird, Tomichka, Blue Bird, Kamchadalka, Morena, Memory of Gidzyuk.

Growing and care

Plants with an open root system are recommended to be planted in the fall a month before the onset of cold weather. Spring planting is undesirable, as this species begins to wake up early. Seedlings in containers are planted throughout the season. You can offer the following landing pattern: 4x1 m.Pits for planting are made 40-50 cm deep, on clay soil a little deeper, in order to still place drainage with a layer of 10-15 cm. Usually these are branches, chips, broken brick. 1 bucket of compost, 300 g of ash, potassium sulfate 30 g, superphosphate 100 g are added to the garden soil taken out of the pit. A mound is poured from this substrate at the bottom, the roots of the seedling are spread over its surface and watered with 1 bucket of water. Then they cover it with soil and deepen the root collar by 5-7 cm. The soil around the seedling is tamped and watered with 1 bucket of water. Mulch with fallen leaves, peat, sawdust, humus with a layer of 5-7 cm. Young bushes are often watered: 2-3 times a week.

An adult plant needs regular watering, especially in early summer before fruiting: 4-5 buckets of water are poured under each weekly, especially in dry seasons. The soil under the honeysuckle is not loosened so as not to damage the roots. To saturate the earth with air, it is pierced with a pitchfork in several places.

The culture requires feeding 4 times throughout the year. The first is carried out before the snow melts - half a bucket of compost or humus mixed with mulch is poured under each bush.

During the budding period, 1 glass of wood ash is poured under each plant. After harvesting or a little later - in August, they are fed with ash. In September-October, a groove with a depth of 20 cm is made in the near-trunk circle and, by adding 1 tbsp of superphosphate, it is covered with earth, then watered.

Formative pruning is not required for the plant; it can be done if desired, giving the tree an aesthetic shape. In the first few years, the bush actively grows upward, then the upper buds freeze and lateral shoots begin to grow. At this time, it is not pruned, removing only broken and weak branches. In subsequent years, it is recommended to carry out periodic pruning so that the crown does not overgrow too much. Every spring, shoots are cut out, which grow inside the crown, down to the ground, crossing and spoiling the overall decorative appearance. Curved branches are cut into pieces and removed. After 10 years, they begin to cut out the oldest branches located near the ground, usually weak growths grow on them, or they do not exist at all. With heavy pruning, it is best to leave no more than 15 skeletal branches on the plant.

You can plant honeysuckle in open ground in spring, summer and autumn. Best of all, honeysuckle grows in an illuminated low-lying swampy place, while the site must be reliably protected from the wind. It is desirable that the soil is loamy or sandy loam. If the soil is poor, then it will first need to be fertilized.
In order for honeysuckle to bloom and bear fruit well, it needs to be properly cared for. One of the main procedures that affects the appearance and yield of this plant is shoot pruning. Without timely care, bushes prone to thickening rapidly turn into wild thickets with diseased and stunted plants, the number of young shoots decreases, the quantity and quality of berries decreases.

Disease and pest resistance

The variety is very resistant to major diseases and pests. Preventive treatments are usually not carried out. Bushes can be affected by brown spot, megaloseptoria, powdery mildew, tuberculariosis. Spraying 3-4% Bordeaux liquid or the Skor preparation helps to cope with these diseases. The caterpillar of the honeysuckle finger can attack the berries, and the following remedies are effective against it: "Confidor", "Inta-vir", "Decis", "Actellik".

Timely control of diseases and pests of honeysuckle allows you to grow a healthy crop, used both for decorative purposes and for harvesting fragrant berries. When growing honeysuckle, it is necessary to know the main diseases of the crop, common pests, as well as effective measures to combat them.

Winter hardiness and the need for shelter

The culture is distinguished by high winter hardiness, without shelter it can withstand temperatures up to -45 degrees.It is a drought tolerant variety, but it should be noted that stressful weather conditions can affect the taste of the future harvest.

Location and soil requirements

Blue spindle prefers slightly alkaline or neutral soils, loamy and sandy loam. The shrub is placed in bright areas, but it can withstand short shading, for example, several hours a day. Usually planted against the south wall of a house or other fitting that protects from the wind. Groundwater should be located at a depth of 1 m, not closer. In hot climates with little rainfall, the shrub grows slowly, which is reflected in the yield.

In order to increase the amount of honeysuckle in your area, it is not necessary to purchase planting material, it is quite possible to multiply the varieties you like yourself. There are several ways to breed honeysuckle: cuttings, layering, root shoots, dividing the bush, and also sowing seeds.

Review overview

Gardeners like the Blue Spindle variety: it practically does not require care and hibernates without shelter, it produces crops regularly, other honeysuckles, for example, Amphora, are planted nearby for pollination. For some, the shrub not only bears fruit, but also serves to decorate the site, it never gets sick and is not affected by insects. Fresh berries are not very sweet, but the jam from them is delicious.

Main characteristics
Authors
Z.P. Zholobova, I.P. Kalinin, Z.I. Archer (NIISS named after M.A.Lisavenko)
Year of approval
1989
Yield
high
Average yield
2.1 kg per bush (7.0 t / ha with a planting pattern of 4 x 1 m)
Appointment
universal
Marketability
good
Bush
Growth type
medium-sized
Description of the bush
medium-compressed
Crown
reverse conical
Bush height, m
0,8-1,0
Escapes
curved, reddish, matte, pubescent
Leaves
large, elliptical, dark green with hard pubescence on the upper side
Fruit
Fruit size
large
Fruit weight, g
0,9-1,3
Fruit shape
fusiform
Fruit color
dark blue
Skin
with a strong waxy coating, dense
Pulp (consistency)
tender
Taste
sweet and sour with a slight bitterness
Crumbling
ripe fruits fall off easily
Fruit composition
sugars - up to 7.6%, acids - up to 1.99%, vitamin C - up to 106.0 mg%, vitamin P - up to 992.0 mg%, pectin substances - up to 1.14%
Tasting assessment
3.7 points
Growing
Self-fertility
self-infertile
Pollinator varieties
Azure, Cinderella, Blue Bird
Winter hardiness
high
Drought tolerance
drought tolerant
The soil
slightly alkaline or neutral, loamy and sandy loam
Top dressing
is necessary
Watering
needs regular watering, especially in early summer before fruiting
Pruning
Formative pruning of honeysuckle is optional. The oldest branches are cut from the age of 10
Location
photophilous, although tolerates temporary shading
Growing regions
North, North-West, Central, Volgo-Vyatka, TsChO, North Caucasian, Middle Volga, Nizhnevolzhsky, Ural, West Siberian, East Siberian, Far East
Disease and pest resistance
steady
Maturation
Early maturity
begins bearing fruit at the 5th year of the seedling's life
Ripening terms
early
Fruiting period
in mid-June
Frequency of fruiting
annually
Reviews
There are no reviews.
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