Early ripening frost-resistant honeysuckle variety Avacha

The berry season opens with the early ripening Avacha honeysuckle. It grows in different climatic zones, but is not familiar to all gardeners. The berries of the Avacha variety do not become bitter and do not fall off the bush. The harvest is already harvested in June. From the article you will learn how to grow this crop in your garden plot.

Description of the Avacha honeysuckle variety

Honeysuckle is a fruiting shrub of the Honeysuckle family. It has been known in Russia for more than 300 years; wild species are found in the north and in the middle zone.

The Avacha variety was bred by breeders of the All-Russian Research Institute of Plant Growing named after N.I. Vavilov based on the northern species of blue honeysuckle.

Description of appearance and taste

The bush is medium-sized, up to 1.5 m high. The crown is lush, semi-spreading, up to 1 m in diameter. The skeletal branches are arched from the base, young shoots are erect.

The leaves are bright green, entire, elliptical in shape, up to 6 cm long, on cuttings about 2.5 cm.

The flowers are paired, white, with a fruity aroma. Located at the ends of branches.

The fruits are berry-shaped, arranged in pairs. Ripe fruits have an elongated oval shape, a length of about 12 mm and a bright blue color with a waxy coating. Berry weight - up to 3 g. The pulp is juicy, purple-red, sweet, with slight sourness and strawberry aroma. The astringency is almost not felt. The berry tastes similar to blueberries.

Features of application

Honeysuckle Avacha is a garden variety with edible fruits. The berries are dense, retain their shape well after heat treatment, and produce a lot of juice. The purpose of the fruit is universal.They are consumed fresh, made into compotes and jams, canned, frozen and dried.

Ripening time and yield

Early, high-yielding variety. In the south it ripens in early June, and in the northern regions 2 weeks later (at the end of June). Sings unevenly - from the top of the bush to the bottom. Ripe Avachi berries, unlike other varieties, do not fall off. Productivity - up to 2.5 kg per bush. It bears fruit from the age of 3 and reaches maximum productivity at the age of 5 years.

Resistance to cold and disease

The variety is resistant to environmental conditions, diseases and pests. Frost resistance - down to -34°C. The bush tolerates long-term drought well, but the juiciness of the fruit depends on watering.

Growing regions and climate requirements

Variety grow in Siberia, the Urals, in the middle zone, northwestern and southern regions of Russia. Avacha is adapted to cold winters and hot summers up to +30°C. Optimal conditions are +20…+25°С.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Advantages:

• high productivity;
• large fruit;
• adaptability to low and high temperatures;
• early ripening;
• resistance to drought, diseases and pests;
• non-shattering of berries.

Flaws:

• pollinator varieties are required;
• uneven ripening;
• the lower shoots lie down.

Agricultural technology

Avachi bushes are planted in pairs with pollinators. They should not be overfed with fertilizers; they should be pruned every few years. Important points are to choose the right place for the crop, water it abundantly when the fruits ripen and prevent the growth of weeds in the root zone.

Choosing a place in the garden

The size and taste of honeysuckle fruits depends on the lighting. In the sun the berries will be smaller, and in the shade they will be more sour.Therefore, the location for the crop is selected so that in the first half of the day the bushes are in the sun, and in the second half - in partial shade.

Avacha is not planted in swampy and flooded areas or with shallow groundwater. Due to dampness, the roots quickly rot and the plant dies.

A suitable location is a dry, level, draft-free area with shade in the afternoon (for example, along a fence).

Soil requirements

The soil is loose, moisture-permeable, enriched with humus. The plant bears fruit well on chernozem and light loamy soils. soil and worse on sandy roads. Acidity level - pH 5.5-6.5.

Preparing for landing

1-2 months before landings the site for honeysuckle is dug up to a bayonet depth, rotted manure (5 kg/m²) and wood ash (600 g/m²) are added.

Dates, scheme and rules of planting

Bushes are planted in the fall - at the end of September - beginning of October, 1-1.5 months before the first frost.

The holes are dug at a distance of 2 m. The distance between the rows (if there are a lot of plants) is 3 m. The depth of the planting hole is 40-45 cm, the diameter is 45-50 cm. 15 cm of drainage is poured into the holes if the groundwater is 1.5 m from the surface.

The holes are filled with a mixture of earth and compost (2 kg of mixture in a 1:2 ratio). On chernozems, add 1 tsp to each hole. superphosphate and potassium salt, on less fertile land - superphosphate and potassium salt 100 g each.

The seedlings are placed in holes, the roots are straightened, watered (a bucket of water for each), and sprinkled with earth. The root collar is buried 5-7 cm. The root zone is compacted, watered again (a bucket per bush) and mulched with 1 cm of peat or humus.

Reference. The bushes are not pruned after planting. This will slow down their growth.

Features of cultivation

In spring, honeysuckle wakes up very early, and any intervention during the active growing season affects the dynamics of development. Therefore, bushes are planted, pruned and replanted only in the fall.

The root system is wide and superficial. Water not at the root, but along the trunk circle, which is 50 cm wider than the diameter of the crown. It is better to do this in the evening with water heated in the sun. During the period of flowering, formation and filling of fruits, the soil is not allowed to dry out completely; it is watered so that the soil maintains moderate moisture. After harvesting, watering is reduced to once every 2 weeks. The water requirement is 10 liters per bush.

Attention! Due to lack of moisture, the berries will be small and tart in taste.

After each watering, the tree trunk area is loosened to a depth of 5-7 cm and weeds are removed. In spring and autumn the bushes spud.

Honeysuckle is fed once every 2-3 years. 5-7 kg of organic fertilizers are applied to each bush. Every year the root zone is mulched with grass or humus. No other additional feeding is required, otherwise the plants will grow and the yield will noticeably decrease.

Avacha is not circumcised for the first 5 years. Only the fallen and dried lower branches are removed. After 5 years, the center of the bush is thinned out - all shoots are cut out from the middle and old skeletal branches are removed. On long shoots, cut off the tops to 3 buds. A properly formed bush is left with 10-15 strong branches of different ages. The next drastic pruning will be needed after 3-4 years.

Pollinators

Avacha is a partially self-fertile variety. The bush forms 20-35% of the fruits of the total number of flowers. To increase the yield by 50-70%, other pollinating varieties with the same flowering period are planted nearby. The following varieties of garden honeysuckle are suitable for Avacha:

• Kamchadalka;
• Cinderella;
• Blue spindle;
• Azure;
• Blue bird;
• Malvina;
• Tomsk

Disease and pest control

Honeysuckle practically does not get sick. The risk exists only under very unfavorable conditions for the crop:

• swampy or weed-filled area;
• extreme heat and prolonged drought;
• mass infection of the garden.

Infestations of aphids and honeysuckle borers sometimes occur. Plants are treated with insecticides (Tanrek, Iskra, Actellik) and biological products (Inta-Vir, Jaguar, Fitoverm) 20 days before flowering and again after harvesting.

If insects appear during fruit ripening, use folk remedies:

• soap solution - 200 g of laundry soap or 100 g of tar soap per 10 liters of water;
• solution of wood ash or tobacco dust - 1 tbsp. powder per 10 liters of water;
• water with the addition of a few drops of lemon, calendula or mint essential oils.

These remedies will get rid of aphids and borers in 2-3 weeks. Spray every 3 days.

Bushes become infected with powdery mildew from other plants during sprinkling. After harvesting, they are treated with the preparations “Tiovit Jet”, “Agrolekar”, and during the ripening of the fruits - with solutions of wood ash and soda.

Preparing for winter

The variety is winter-hardy, so it is not specially insulated for the winter. But branches can break under the weight of snow or strong winds. They are harmed by rodents, and the fruit buds attract birds.

In autumn, the branches are collected in a bundle and tied at the top. The bush is wrapped in breathable material, carefully bent to the ground, sprinkled with a little soil and covered with spruce branches. In the spring, when the snow melts, the protection is removed.

Reproduction

Honeysuckle has 4 methods of reproduction:

• cuttings;
• layering;
• dividing the bush;
• seeds.

Only strong, healthy plants are selected for propagation.Rooted shoots are always grown and planted in a permanent place at the age of 2-3 years.

Cuttings

Instructions:

1. At the time of picking the berries, the annual growth is removed from the top of the bush. Select shoots up to 10-12 cm long and pinch off at the point of attachment with an adult branch.
2. All the lower leaves on the cuttings are cut off, leaving 3-4 apical leaves, which are cut in half.
3. The shoots are kept in a Heteroauxin solution (root growth stimulator) for 12-16 hours.
4. Root in a damp mixture of peat and sand (1:3) at an angle of 45°.
5. The pots are placed in the garden in such a place that after lunch the plantings are in the shade. Cover with film and maintain constant substrate moisture for a month. The greenhouse is ventilated daily.
6. After a month, roots will appear and the film is removed. For the winter, plantings are hilled up and insulated. They are planted in a permanent place after 1-2 years.

All sections are disinfected with wood ash, a weak solution of potassium permanganate or brilliant green.

Dividing the bush

Adult bushes aged 4-5 years, which have at least 6-9 skeletal branches, are suitable for this. After leaf fall, the bush is dug up and divided into parts so that 3 stems remain in each. The plots are planted in separate holes, like ordinary seedlings.

By layering

This is done in early spring, before the buds swell. Several lower annual shoots are pressed to the ground and secured with staples. To stimulate root growth, the bark is cut at the points of contact with the ground. Layers are sprinkled with soil up to 5 cm, watered and hilled once a week. By autumn, roots will appear. Next spring, the cuttings are separated from the bush and planted in a permanent place.

Seeds

Large, ripe berries are kneaded in a bowl of water. The pulp and water are drained, and the seeds are disinfected for 2 hours in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate and dried in the shade.Sow in summer, spring (April) or before winter - 2-3 weeks before the first frost. The seeds are buried 1 cm in increments of 10 cm, watered and covered with film. From the moment of germination it is removed. When sowing in autumn, the ground is mulched with dry humus. The first shoots will appear in the spring.

Difficulties in growing

Possible problems:

1. Honeysuckle doesn't grow. In the first year after planting, the bush grows roots, and from the second year new shoots appear. If the plant looks stunted even after a year, it means that the wrong place was chosen (lots of sun or constant shade). In this case, the honeysuckle is replanted.
2. Few fruits. The honeysuckle has faded, but there are no or very few berries. This happens when only one bush is planted. The plant requires pollinating varieties. If there are a lot of bushes but few berries, most likely they are pecked by birds. To preserve the harvest, the bushes are protected with nets.
3. Branches dry out after wintering. The problem has several causes: lack of watering in the fall, excess fertilizer, or damage to the roots due to deep loosening of the root circle. If there is little rain in the fall, before wintering, water-charging watering of the bushes is carried out (a bucket of water for each plant). In other cases, errors in agricultural technology are corrected.

Harvesting

The fruits ripen quickly, but not simultaneously - from the top of the bush to the lower branches. They are collected every 3 days in the phase of biological ripeness.

Fresh berries are stored for about 2 days, refrigerated immediately after picking - up to 1 week.

Reviews from experienced gardeners

Most gardeners consider Avacha a reliable variety without autumn awakening.

Svetlana, Samara: “I planted Avacha, Cinderella and Azure. For a year and a half, not a single escape, and then they began to grow sharply. Avacha's fruits are larger and less bitter than others.The most important thing in care is to water well while it blooms and sets fruit. It’s better to plant 3-5 bushes.”

Sergey P., Voronezh region: “I have different varieties. Honeysuckle grows slowly for the first 3-4 years, and then in 1-2 years it grows to 1.5 m. The branches are fragile, I recommend planting them so that you can freely approach the bush from all sides. I took Avacha because the berries do not fall off and the taste is very delicate, not sharp, not bitter. There are no diseases, but aphids often appear. I spray it with a solution of soda ash once a week (2 tablespoons per 1 liter of water and 2 tablespoons of garden soap).”

Conclusion

Avacha is grown throughout Russia. The variety is large in size edible fruits, which do not crumble after ripening. They are valued for their dessert taste and persistent strawberry aroma. The plant tolerates cold and drought, and practically does not get sick. The crop is partially self-fertile, so Avachi bushes are planted next to pollinating varieties.