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Gerda's honeysuckle is a welcome guest on the backyard, as the berry has a good taste and medicinal properties. But in order to grow a strong and healthy shrub, you need to know the description of the variety, photos and reviews of Gerd's honeysuckle. Subject to agricultural technology, the bush will delight you with beautiful flowering and a large harvest.
Description of Gerd's honeysuckle
Honeysuckle Gerda was bred by Siberian scientists in 1987. Thanks to crossing with the Blue Bird variety, which is part of the Kamchatka honeysuckle group, the plant turned out to be cold-resistant and resistant to diseases.
Gerda's honeysuckle is a spreading plant, the height of the bush is about 1.5 m. In spring, on flexible, matte shoots, pointed leaves of a rich olive color appear.
Barrel-shaped berries of medium size, weighing up to 0.7 g. The delicate skin is colored blue-black; when overripe, the color changes to sky-gray. The pulp is tender, sweet and sour, with a pleasant aroma. The variety is early ripening, the first berries appear in early June, in the second year after planting. Thanks to the strong and dense stalk, the overripe berry does not crumble from the bush. A full harvest is removed 3-4 years after planting the seedling.
The variety is high-yielding, subject to agricultural technology, up to 1.6 kg can be removed from the bush
Berries have beneficial properties. They help with anemia, improve cerebral circulation, strengthen the immune system and blood vessels. The harvested crop does not have a long shelf life. Therefore, it is better to use ripe berries fresh as soon as possible, freeze or prepare winter preservation from them.
The shrub is cold-resistant, withstands frosts down to -45 ° C without shelter, and flower buds do not freeze out with slight spring frosts. Also, the variety perfectly tolerates heat and drought, but during the period of pouring the fruits, the bush is recommended to be regularly irrigated with settled water.
Gerd's honeysuckle looks very decorative, so it is often used to decorate the backyard.
Planting and caring for Gerd's honeysuckle
To get a generous harvest, you need to know the timing of planting and choose the right place. Also, experts recommend planting only high-quality planting material and take into account the layout of the beds. Before purchasing a seedling, it is important to find out the description of the Gerda honeysuckle variety and view the photo.
Gerd's honeysuckle is planted in the fall, a month before the onset of cold weather. The landing site should be sunny and located along the fence or other buildings. This will help protect the plant from gusty winds and drafts.
The variety prefers a sunny, draft-free location.
The soil should be well-drained, loamy or sandy loam, with weak or neutral acidity. The bush does not tolerate waterlogged soil, the roots rot from an excess of water, and the plant dies.
The best survival rate for seedlings with a closed root system. When buying, the plant is examined for the presence of diseases and pests. A healthy seedling should have smooth shoots, no mechanical damage, and brightly colored foliage. The ideal option for planting is a seedling 50 cm or 1 m in size. Lower specimens do not take root well, while tall ones are hard to get used to a new place.
Landing rules:
- A hole 30x40 cm in size is dug at the chosen place.The distance between the plantings is maintained at least 1.5 m.
- The well is filled 2/3 with fertile soil.
- A seedling is placed in the center so that the root collar is at ground level or deepened by 3 cm.
- The voids are filled with a nutrient mixture.
- After planting, the soil is spilled at the rate of a bucket on the planted plant.
- From above, the soil is covered with peat, straw or fallen leaves.
Caring for Gerda's honeysuckle consists in watering, feeding and pruning the bush. Top dressing is applied during the growing season. For this, a mineral complex is used.
Irrigation is carried out with settled water as the upper soil dries out
Also, once every 3-4 years, rejuvenating pruning is carried out. In autumn, aging skeletal branches are not cut out for a stump, but only the tops are shortened, leaving shoots of 30-40 cm. After rejuvenating pruning, you can start decorating the bush.
Since the plant is cold-resistant, it does not need shelter for the winter. But young specimens are better protected from frost. To do this, the trunk circle is mulched with straw, peat or horse manure. This will help keep the soil loose and moderately moist.
Reproduction
Gerda's blue honeysuckle is propagated from May to June. To do this, use cuttings, dividing the bush and propagating by seeds.
- Cuttings. From a healthy shoot, at an acute angle, cuttings 7-10 cm long are cut and set in a nutritious soil. For better rooting, the container is covered with a jar and removed to a warm, sunny place. In the fall, rooted cuttings can be transferred to a prepared place.
- Seed reproduction - the work is difficult and lengthy. Before planting, you need to stratify the seeds, so this method will not work for inexperienced growers.
- Dividing the bush - a simple and effective breeding method for Gerd's honeysuckle. For this, the mother plant is dug up in the fall and divided into a certain number of parts. Each division must have well-developed roots and at least 3 healthy shoots.
An adult bush is not propagated by divisions
Gerd's honeysuckle pollinators
Any Kamchatka honeysuckle is suitable for pollination of the Gerda variety, but the best pollinators are those with one ripening period: Assol, Chelyabinka, Kuvshinovidnaya. Experts do not recommend planting inedible varieties next to Gerd's honeysuckle. Since during pollination the crop will be unsuitable for human consumption.
Diseases and pests
Gerd's honeysuckle is resistant to many diseases. But if agricultural technology is not followed, the following may appear on the bush:
- Phytoviruses. The infection manifests itself in the form of light green spots on the leaf plate and mottling along the veins in the center. When a disease is detected, all affected parts are burned.
Infection manifests itself as light spots on the foliage.
- Fungal diseases. Diseases can be recognized by spots on the leaf plate, which grow and dry without treatment. For prophylaxis in the spring, the bush is sprayed with foundation and copper-soap liquid.
Fungal disease without treatment leads to the death of the shrub
- Aphid. Appears in large colonies on foliage and shoots. Insects suck out the juice, as a result, the plant weakens, stops growing and development. For pest control, an infusion of garlic, tobacco and hot pepper is used.
The pest settles mainly on the aboveground part
Conclusion
The description of the variety, photos and reviews of Gerd's honeysuckle show how good the shrub is for growing on a personal plot. Subject to agrotechnical rules, it will bring a good harvest of sweet and sour berries. And thanks to its decorative appearance, the plant can be used to decorate a personal plot.
