Honeysuckle Giant's daughter: variety description, planting and care, pros and cons
Honeysuckle is a very common crop that is often grown in the temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere. In total, there are approximately 190 wild varieties, but the fruits of only a few of them are suitable for human consumption. Breeders every year bring out more and more new hybrids of this crop. At the same time, many gardeners are interested in the description of the honeysuckle variety Giant's Daughter, the features of its planting and care.
History and description
The Giant's Daughter is a very attractive variety of honeysuckle, which was obtained at the Russian Agricultural Academy. Breeders Savinkova, Pavlovskaya and Gagarkin became the authors of the culture.
Turchaninov's honeysuckle and Bakcharsky giant were used to breed this plant. As a result, it was possible to obtain an attractive crop with large fruits, high resistance to drought and frost. In 2017, the variety was entered into the State Register of the Russian Federation.
This is a fairly large culture, which by the age of 8 grows up to 1.7 meters. In the initial stages, honeysuckle develops rather slowly. Although the plant is early-growing, a marketable crop can only be obtained 5-6 years after planting. The culture differs from other varieties in that at the initial stage of vegetation, young branches are characterized by an unusual raspberry shade, which is called anthocyanin.
The honeysuckle fruits of this variety are among the largest to date. On average, their weight is 1.8-2.5 grams. The berries are dark purple in color and have a sweet dessert taste. On a tasting scale, they are awarded a score of 4.8 points.
The Giant's Daughter is a mid-late variety, which is characterized by stretched fruiting. It is better to harvest by hand - in 2 stages. The berries are tightly fixed on the branches and are classified as slightly crumbling. At the same time, the fruits come off easily and cleanly.
Honeysuckle is self-fertile. When growing one variety on the site, the bush will bloom profusely, but will bring only a few fruits. To get a good harvest, you need to plant at least 2-3 species nearby.
Appearance characteristics
Honeysuckle The Giant's Daughter forms tall and medium-spreading bushes, which are distinguished by an average thickening of the crown. They have an oval shape and straight gray-brown, hairless shoots with exfoliating bark. Annual shoots are covered with a small amount of fluff and have a spectacular crimson color.
The leaf plates are medium in size and have a green tint.The flowers are light yellow in color. The berries are characterized by an elongated teardrop shape and have a dark purple skin. Their average weight is 1.8 grams, but individual fruits reach 2.5 grams. The berries have a pleasant sweet taste with a slight sourness.
Benefits
The honeysuckle of this variety produces some of the sweetest and largest fruits. The main advantages of culture include the following:
- large size berries;
- excellent taste qualities - on a tasting scale they were awarded 4.8 points;
- stable annual fruiting;
- healing properties of fruits;
- frost resistance - this shrub is able to tolerate temperatures as low as -50 degrees;
- weak fruit shedding - the berries are securely fixed on the branches and easily break off without being damaged;
- longevity - the crop can produce crops for 30 years.
Flaws
The Giant's Daughter variety also has certain disadvantages. The main disadvantages of culture include the following:
- need for pollinators;
- shrinkage of a certain part of the fruit - this is inevitable even with reliable fixation of berries on the branches;
- slow development in early seasons;
- unfriendly fruit ripening.
What does the fruit taste like
The honeysuckle of this variety is characterized by very tasty sweet and sour fruits. They are wonderfully refreshing in the heat. At the same time, berries are beneficial even after processing. They can be used to make a unique healing jam. The fruits are also used for homemade berry lemonade and refreshing compotes.
How often honeysuckle bears fruit
The giant's daughter brings the harvest every year.The fruits must be harvested in July. However, the berries ripen unevenly, so the harvest is carried out in waves. In addition, this process depends on climatic factors. In warm regions, berries ripen at the end of June. In any case, the Giant's Daughter is considered a medium late variety.
From 1 bush you can get an average of 3.1 kilograms of fruit. From 1 hectare it is possible to collect 10.5-15 tons of berries. Specific parameters depend on the place of cultivation and the particular care of honeysuckle.
Cultivation and care
Although the culture develops best in the middle lane, with adequate care it will bear fruit in the south. It is best to use bushes aged 2-3 years with closed roots for planting. It is recommended to buy seedlings in nurseries. In this case, it is worth giving preference to plants that have 2-4 even branches and the same internodes.
Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionIn order for honeysuckle to fully develop, it should be planted in well-lit areas. The rest of the plant is undemanding. The crop can be grown in any soil, but in sandy soil it will not give a very good harvest. The optimal acidity parameters are 5.5-6.6.Do not place honeysuckle in low places and in ravines. Stagnation of moisture and the accumulation of cold air impede the full development of the culture. The giant's daughter is more accepting of manual harvesting. If you plan to collect fruits in a mechanized way, you should give preference to a flat area. If there are strong winds in the region, plants need to be protected during flowering and ovary formation.
Recesses for planting should be prepared in advance. They should have dimensions of 40x40 centimeters. It is worth adding 1-2 buckets of organic matter and 50 grams of potash and phosphorus fertilizers to each pit. If necessary, the soil is deoxidized with lime.
Honeysuckle can be left uncut before planting. At this stage, it is enough to simply get rid of the broken branches. It is important to consider that the plant has very fragile shoots. When planting a crop, you should adhere to the standard scheme. Between plants you need to make an interval of 1.5 meters. In this case, the row spacing should be 2-2.5 meters.
Planting work is recommended to be carried out in late summer or early autumn. Thanks to this, the honeysuckle will have time to take root, and in the spring it will begin to grow. To plant a crop, the recess must be filled with water. After absorbing moisture in the center of the pit, you need to form a hill and spread the roots around it. The neck needs to be deepened by 3-5 centimeters, then the substrate should be filled in and gently tamped down. In conclusion, the trunk circle must be covered with a mulch layer. To do this, use peat or humus.
When growing honeysuckle of the Giant's Daughter variety, it is important to follow simple care recommendations. At the same time, attention is mainly required for young plants. Mature bushes require minimal care.
After planting, honeysuckle is recommended to be watered frequently and abundantly. The next day after moistening, the soil must be loosened. This prevents the development of weeds and saturates the root system with oxygen. It is important to consider that in the first few years, honeysuckle is characterized by very slow growth.
If the soil was well seasoned with top dressing during planting, fertilizers can be omitted in summer and autumn. With the advent of spring, it is recommended to use a solution of urea. To prepare it, you need to take 30 grams of funds for 1 bucket of water. This composition perfectly stimulates growth processes.
In the third year after planting, honeysuckle is recommended to start feeding with a full-fledged mineral complex. In autumn, it is worth using organic matter. At the end of summer, ash can be covered under the bushes. For an adult plant, 1 liter of fertilizer is required. 0.5 liters is enough for a young bush.Further care involves weeding, loosening and periodic abundant watering in dry weather.
Until the age of 15, the culture can not be cut off - just get rid of dry and broken branches. The giant's daughter has a sparse crown. However, if its shoots strongly bend down to the ground or grow inside the bush, they must be removed immediately. Without the access of light, one should not expect the appearance of fruits on these branches.
Bushes over 15 years old need to cut old branches near the base. At the age of 20, anti-aging pruning is performed. To do this, remove all shoots, leaving 15-20 centimeters. Thanks to this manipulation, it will be possible to extend the fruiting period for another 5-10 years.
Honeysuckle The Giant's Daughter is a very popular crop that has a high yield. This plant produces tasty and he althy fruits. At the same time, the culture is considered quite unpretentious and requires minimal care. It includes periodic watering, loosening and weeding.
