Edible sweet variety of honeysuckle "Strawberry" with amazing taste and aroma

Strawberry honeysuckle occupies a special place among edible varieties. Having virtually no drawbacks, it enjoys well-deserved popularity among gardeners, since it requires minimal care, is frost-resistant and produces a stable harvest of large, tasty and healthy berries. We will describe in detail what conditions are necessary for growing Strawberries in this article.

What kind of honeysuckle is this?

Strawberry - edible variety honeysuckle early ripening. The harvest is harvested from late June to late July.

The average yield is 2-4 kg per bush. Due to their delicate skin, the fruits do not tolerate transportation well and are stored in the refrigerator for no more than 4-5 days.

Brief history of origin and distribution

This hybrid was bred by breeders of the South Ural Research Institute of Horticulture and Potato Growing based on seedlings of the Altai group of honeysuckles.

Work on the creation of Zemlyanichnaya began in the 90s. XX century, and ended at the beginning of the XXI century.

Reference. The variety is not included in the State Register of Russia.

Characteristics and description of bushes

The plant is a vigorous 2-meter shrub with an oval, slightly elongated crown and strong, strong and densely leafy shoots.

The size and shape of the leaves vary. They can be small or medium in size, oval, elongated elliptical or very oblong in shape. The leaf blades are dark or bright green.

During flowering on the bushes, small yellow bisexual flowers appear in the ovaries of the leaves, collected in small racemes.

Temperature resistance

Strawberry is a frost-resistant variety of honeysuckle. The bushes tolerate drops in air temperatures down to -50°C, and during the flowering period - down to -10°C.

Moisture and drought resistance

The culture does not tolerate a lack of moisture. Because of this, bitterness appears in the taste of the berries. If the bushes are under the scorching sun and do not receive enough moisture, the leaves begin to dry out.

Excessive watering or stagnation of moisture due to the proximity of groundwater is also dangerous for honeysuckle. In this case, there is a risk of rotting of the root system.

Resistance to diseases and pests

The variety is characterized by average resistance to diseases. Most often, bushes are affected by powdery mildew, ramularia and cercospora.

Dangerous pests include leaf beetle caterpillars, honeysuckle aphids, false scale insects and honeysuckle mites.

Characteristics and description of fruits

The berries are large, weighing on average 1.5-2 g, elongated oval or pitcher-shaped. Covered with thin blue-violet skin.

The taste is dessert, sweet, with a slight sourness, taste and aroma of strawberries.

The fruits contain amino acids, sucrose, fructose, vitamin C, A, B, calcium, phosphorus, copper, potassium, iodine and magnesium, pectin and tannins.

Areas of their application

Berries are most often consumed fresh, and to increase shelf life they are dried, dried or freeze. The fruits are also suitable for various types of preservation and preparation of compotes, juices, jams, preserves.

The leaves and branches of this plant have also been used in folk medicine: medicinal decoctions and infusions are prepared from them.

Due to their decorative appearance, bushes are actively used to decorate garden plots and create hedges.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Pros of Strawberry Honeysuckle:

• good yield;
• excellent taste and rich chemical composition of the fruit;
• early maturation;
• unpretentiousness;
• frost resistance;
• lack of tendency to shedding.

There are practically no downsides to this variety. Minor disadvantages include only average resistance to fungal diseases and demanding watering.

Growing technology

Strawberry honeysuckle does not have any special agrotechnical requirements. She is unpretentious in care and steadfastly endures the mistakes made by the gardener during cultivation.

Optimal conditions

This variety is planted in a place protected from gusty winds and drafts. It is advisable that it be slightly shaded - this will protect the bushes from the scorching sun.

Strawberry prefers moderate humidity, so for planting seedlings on the site, choose a low-lying place, but make sure that the groundwater level is at least 1 m from the soil surface.

Plants are unpretentious to the soil composition, but grow, develop and bear fruit better on air- and moisture-permeable sandstones and loams with a neutral or low acidity level.

Reference. If the site has heavy clay soil, it should be structured to improve aeration and water permeability.

Landing dates and rules

The optimal time for planting seedlings is the last ten days of September. Spring planting is permissible only before the buds open. In autumn, plants take root better, but in spring they often die from lack of moisture in the soil.

Before planting, the roots of the seedlings are kept for 2-3 hours in a solution of growth stimulants (Epin, Heteroauxin) - this helps to avoid drying out of the root system and improves the survival rate of plants.

Landing rules:

1. Dig planting holes measuring 50x40 cm in the area.
2. Pour a nutrient mixture into them - half the dug up soil, 350 g of wood ash, 80 g of double superphosphate, 40-50 g of potassium sulfate, 10 kg of rotted manure or compost.
3. Form a hill of soil, place a seedling on it, straighten its roots and cover it with a fertile mixture so that the root collar is buried 5-6 cm.
4. Water the plants generously in several stages. The total water consumption is 10-20 liters per bush.
5. Mulch a tree trunk circle with a diameter of 75-90 cm with peat, humus or straw.

The distance between bushes should be 1.5-2 m.

Further care

This is a moisture-loving variety. Young plants are watered abundantly 1-2 times a week, adults - 4-6 times during the growing season. Water consumption – 1-2 buckets for each bush.

In hot weather, additionally finely dispersed sprinkling of the crown is carried out for 6-7 minutes daily. The foliage is sprayed in the morning or evening so that it does not burn under the sun.

During the first 2-3 years of life, Strawberry is fed with a solution of mullein (1 liter per bucket of water) or bird droppings (1:20) twice a year: before flowering (late April) and before fruiting (May - early June).

Starting from the 3rd year, plants are fed according to the following scheme:

• April - nitrogen fertilizers to stimulate the formation of vegetative shoots;
• after harvesting - a solution of nitrophoska (1.5 tbsp per bucket of water) or manure diluted in water;
• late autumn - potassium-phosphorus fertilizers (100-120 g of superphosphate or 50-60 g of potassium sulfate for each bush).

4-5 years after planting the bushes they begin to carry out pruning. In April, all old, diseased, deformed and damaged branches are cut out, and zero shoots are removed. For plants older than 15 years, anti-aging pruning is also carried out every 3-4 years, cutting off all shoots and leaving only stumps no more than 40 cm long.

Reference. The pruning procedure is combined with the application of fertilizers.

Possible problems, diseases, pests

Diseases that can affect Strawberry are presented in the table.

Bushes of this honeysuckle variety are attacked by honeysuckle aphids, leaf beetle caterpillars, false scale insects and honeysuckle mites. To combat insects, insecticidal or insectoacaricidal preparations are used, for example, Actellik, Confidor, Rogor.

Wintering

Due to its high frost resistance, Strawberry can tolerate winter well and does not need insulation or shelter.

In winter, there is a risk of damage to plants by rodents or birds. To avoid this, the bushes are covered with special nets or synthetic bags.

Reproduction

The easiest and most effective way to propagate honeysuckle is by layering. To do this, at the beginning of spring, several shoots are selected from the lower tier of the bush, bent to the ground and secured with wooden hooks.

In the place where the branch comes into contact with the soil, lightly cut the skin to stimulate the formation of adventitious roots. Next spring, young plants are separated from the mother bush and transplanted to a permanent place.

Reference. The survival rate of plants obtained from layerings is 100%.

The method of dividing a bush is also often used, in which the root system of an adult plant is divided into several parts, and the divisions are planted separately.

Features of growing this variety depending on the region

The requirements for growing Strawberry honeysuckle do not change depending on the region and its climatic conditions. Due to their excellent frost resistance, the bushes do not require winter shelter even if they are cultivated in the northern regions.

The only thing that should be taken into account is the possibility of more frequent and abundant watering, provided that this variety is grown in the southern regions, characterized by hot and dry summers.

Pollinator varieties

Due to the presence of both male and female flowers, Strawberry honeysuckle is a partially self-pollinating variety. However, the yield is average.

To ensure that the bushes bear fruit regularly and the yield is plentiful, 2-3 other varieties of honeysuckle are planted next to the Strawberry bushes. This promotes cross-pollination, increases crop yield and improves berry quality.

The best pollinating varieties of Strawberry are Vostorg, Uspeh, Bazhovskaya, Sineglazka.

Reviews from summer residents

On specialized forums, gardeners speak positively about this variety of honeysuckle.

Alla, Ufa: “On my plot there are 6 bushes of edible honeysuckle, 2 of which are Strawberry. The berries of this variety have a strawberry flavor. I like it for its unpretentiousness - minimal maintenance. At the same time, it bears fruit perfectly – this year I collected almost 7 liters of berries, which is a record amount for me.”

Evgeniy, Kostroma: “I love strawberries for many reasons: the berries are very tasty, healthy, they ripen early and don’t fall off, and you almost don’t need to care for the bushes. The harvest does not last long, but this is not a drawback of the variety; all honeysuckle does not last long. You can freeze berries or make jam, but we don’t do this. These are the first fresh berries, so we are happy to eat them right away, we have a big family.”

Pavel, Voronezh: “Initially, I bought Strawberry to make a hedge and separate my plot from the neighbor’s. The idea was a success, now there is no need for a fence. The bushes grew tall, powerful, and very beautiful. There was no fruiting for 3-4 years, then they suggested to me that I needed to plant several other varieties nearby, which I did. Now every year we feast on delicious berries.”

Conclusion

Despite the fact that the Strawberry variety is not included in the State Register of Russia, many gardeners, especially beginners, choose it. This is explained by the almost complete absence of disadvantages and a lot of positive characteristics of this honeysuckle, including ease of care, winter hardiness, large fruit, pleasant taste and benefits of berries.