Honeysuckle Morena - created for a cold climate. Gardeners of the northern regions are happy to plant it because of the sweet taste of berries, which are not often pleased with other varieties and species. The plant is not demanding to care and resistant to insects and diseases. But in order to get a good harvest, you need to know some of the features of cultivation.
Honeysuckle variety "Morena"
the fruits of the honeysuckle "Morena" are very large, at least 3 cm in length, with dessert taste without bitterness
the berries of the honeysuckle "Morena" hang on the bush for a long time without crumbling
Origin of the variety
A variety of honeysuckle Morena bred at the research center. Vavilova, St. Petersburg. Since 1995, the plant is included in the State Register. Since the Kamchatka form was the basis for the cultivation of the variety, Morena can be grown everywhere, including the northern regions.
Honeysuckle Description
Morena's honeysuckle is an edible berry that grows on bushes.
The main characteristics of the variety:
Bush height, cm | Frost resistance, ° С | Ripening time | Productivity, t / ha | Fruit bearing period, years | Tasting score |
165-170 | 35-40 | mid-early | 50-55 | 20-25 | 4,5 |
Plant Description:
- Bushes. Large enough in size - in height and width reach 170 cm. The crown is oval, dense. The branches are twisting, thin, flexible, gray-green in color.
- Leaves. They have wide plates, slightly bent in the middle. The color of the leaves is bright green.
- Berries They are large, oblong, resembling a jug of shape, blue, covered with a thick waxy coating that makes them appear blue. The weight of one berry is 1-2 g, in diameter they reach one and a half centimeter, up to 3 cm long. Sour-sweet to taste, no bitterness. The pulp is tender with a delicate aroma.
Ripening time
In terms of maturation, Morena's Honeysuckle is mid-early. The bush will be pleased with the first fruits in mid-June in the northern regions or at the beginning of the month in a warmer climate.
The ripening of the fruit does not so much depend on spring frosts, flowers can tolerate frost up to -6-7 ° C, but rather on the lack of sunlight.
Productivity and fruiting
Morena bushes are considered decorative. Productivity is estimated as not high - from one bush collect from 1.5 to 2.5 kg of ripe berries. Ripened fruits can be stored on branches for a long time without losing their presentation.
Planted bushes begin to bear fruit after 2 years. The berries ripen every year.
The video below provides an overview of the Morena honeysuckle:
The need for pollinators
A feature of the variety is self-fertility. This means that for successful pollination, it is necessary to plant pollinator crops nearby, such as:
- Kamchatka moraine;
- Viola;
- Amphora;
- Blue spindle;
- Blue bird;
- Malvina;
- Nymph.
The main requirement for pollinator crops is the coincidence of flowering dates.
Planting schemes can be 2:
- In groups. When several pollinator plants are planted on the windward side of several Morena honeysuckle plants.
- Alternating. Pollinator plants are planted between the Morena bushes, alternating between them.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of Morena's honeysuckle include:
- universality;
- the possibility of widespread growth in the territory of the Russian Federation;
- ease in leaving;
- frost resistance;
- early ripening;
- ease of harvesting;
- low flaking of fruits;
- stable and weather-independent yield indicator;
- excellent taste;
- high content of nutrients;
- high decorative plants;
- resistance to pests and diseases.
But there are disadvantages, such as:
- low yields;
- fruits are not large;
- inability to pollination.
How to plant Morena?
In order for the honeysuckle to take root well in a new place, follow the recommendations below.
Morena's honeysuckle tolerates transplantation at any age.
Selection of material for planting
When choosing seedlings, check them according to the criteria for assessing plant health:
- shoots must be resilient;
- branches may be curved;
- internodes should be the same;
- flaky bark - is considered the norm;
- the root system should not have any signs of damage;
- shoots should not be shortened.
If you get seedlings in pots, check their root system. To do this, ask the seller to remove the plant from the pot:
- the roots should be moderately braided by an earthen lump;
- There should be no signs of mold or rot;
- a fresh and pleasant smell should come from the plant.
Seat selection
When choosing a place where the bushes will grow, pay attention to:
- Territory. Choose the sunny side, in the shade, honeysuckle will also bear fruit, but productivity will decrease.
Plant a plant on a plain, avoid troughs and depressions in which water will stagnate. - Priming. Despite the fact that honeysuckle is not whimsical to the composition of the soil, it is better to plant it on loose, slightly acidic soils. If this is not possible, be prepared for the fact that productivity on the sandstones is reduced. And acidic soils have to be deoxidized. To do this, add dolomite flour or ground limestone to the planting pit.
Bedding
The best time to land is considered the last week of September. Moraine is planted in the fall. So, by the time spring arrives, it will have time to take root in order to empty its buds in time.
Sequential description of planting:
- Divide the site into rows at a distance of 2-3 m from each other.
- In the rows, designate a place for each bush at a distance of 1.5-2 m between them.
- Dig a seat with a diameter of 40-45 cm under each bush.
- Pour water into a hole and wait until it is absorbed into the ground.
- Pour compost or manure into the hole in an amount of about 10 liters, you can add superphosphate and potassium sulfate according to the instructions.
- Mix the fertilizer with the ground, forming a small mound of it inside the hole.
- Place the honeysuckle seedling in the pit and spread its root system over the surface of the knoll.
- Gently sprinkle with soil, deepen the root neck by 3-5 cm.
- Tamp the soil in the hole without excessive force.
- Pour the planted seedling in an amount of 10 liters.
- Sprinkle on top with dry soil.
- Mulch the landing site, this helps to preserve the fluid inside the soil.
Do not shorten the branches before planting - this affects the survival rate badly.
Care
To cope with the care of Morena’s honeysuckle can and not the most experienced gardener. To get a crop you only need to provide watering, pruning and timely feeding.
Caring for a plant will vary depending on its age.
Young plant
Basic Compound Care:
- Watering. Permanent soil moisture after planting is required. Do not allow the landing circle to dry out, otherwise the honeysuckle may be affected by diseases.
- Loosening and weeding. After watering, plow the soil to provide oxygen to the roots.
During loosening and as necessary, remove the weeds by taking them out along with the root system. - Undercutting. Honeysuckle does not belong to branched, fast-growing shrubs, but starts to grow immediately after the snow has melted. Therefore, in the first 4 years, do not cut it, as when shortening last year's shoots, the forming ovary is cut off, which significantly reduces yield.
- Top dressing. If phosphorus and potassium fertilizers were introduced during planting, then the next 2 years, honeysuckle does not need autumn and summer top dressing.
In spring, add a solution of ammonium nitrate or urea under each bush. Water more in the snow.
Adult plant
Caring for an adult plant includes the following activities:
- Watering. Produce during periods of drought.
- Loosening and weeding. It can be produced with watering and as needed.
- Top dressing. Need on a regular basis starting from 3 years of age. It consists of 4 fertilizers:
- At the beginning of the growing season. As soon as the snow falls or even before that, sprinkle nitrogen fertilizer in the root zone for good development of shoots, flowers and leaves.
- After the harvest. Add fertilizer from nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to compensate for the nutrients spent on the formation and ripening of fruits.
- Before wintering (late summer-early fall). Add phosphoric and potassium fertilizers for laying the crop for next year. You can use a mixture of 1-2 glasses of ash and a few tablespoons of superphosphate.
- Once every 3 years or every year on poor soils. In the period of the formation of flowers, include one more feed. Bring a bucket of humus or compost under each bush. You can use slurry, for the preparation of which dilute bird droppings with water in a ratio of 1: 7. Leave the solution to infuse for 2 days. Dilute with water 1:10 before watering.
- Pruning. It is carried out depending on the age of the plant.
- In the period from 5 to 15 years of growth. Cut only dry, broken, diseased, and growing inward branches.
- In the period from 15 to 20 years of growth. Saw out part of the oldest branches annually replacing them with new ones.
- After 20 years of growth. This period can be determined by the decrease in yield. Remove all branches, leaving stumps 15-20 cm high. This method helps the plant quickly rejuvenate and bear fruit for another 5-10 years.
- Preparing for the winter. Morena's honeysuckle does not need any special preparation for winter or additional shelter.
We recommend reading the article on how to care for honeysuckle in the autumn.
Disease
During wet and cold summers, Morena's honeysuckle can be affected by such fungal diseases as:
- Powdery Mildew Whitish spots appear on plants. Over time, droplets of liquid appear on them. A wide range of drugs is used: But, Rayok, Tilt, Topsin, Fundazim, Bayleton, Quadris, Skor, Topaz, Tiovit Jet and Fundazol.
- Rust plants. Different forms of pustules are formed on the leaves, according to the color of rust. When they are destroyed, a powder of the same color pours out. It is treated with Abiga-Peak, Cumulus, Poliram, Strobi or others, which include sulfur.
Treatment is carried out only after the appearance of ovaries or after harvesting.
Since diseases are rare, no preventive measures are taken to prevent them.
Pests
Old plants are quite resistant to attack by pests, but young shoots can be affected:
- A smolder. It appears in the presence of twisted, dry leaves, which fall off over time. The bush changes color to brown, insects can be seen with the naked eye. If a pest is found, treat the plant with Actellic or Confidor.
- Butterfly leaflet. The danger is its caterpillars, which suck the juice from the plant. On the bush, rolled up leaves appear, pulled together by a cobweb. Over time, the plant turns yellow and dries. In the fight against this pest, Dimilin and Fitoverm drugs will help.
- Willow Shield. Very rare, but, nevertheless, occurring damage to plants under the bark. Bulges appear on the surface of the branches, resembling a comma in shape. In the fight comes Fitoverm.
- Spider mite. First, the pest settles on the bottom of the leaf, and on the top - small white dots appear. Over time, it moves to the top of the leaf, and the plant becomes covered with cobwebs. You can deal with the pest using a solution of laundry soap. If the lesion is extensive, it is better to treat the bush with insecticides - Vertimek, Fitoverm, Aktofit.
Processing is carried out only with the visual detection of parasites. The plant is sprayed 2-3 times with an interval of 10-14 days.
During the ripening of the crop, only folk remedies or bio-drugs are used.
Breeding methods
The best ways to reproduce honeysuckle are:
- Division of bushes. They dig up the earth in the part where young shoots formed. From the peripheral part of the root system, young roots with shoots are separated from the central root to obtain a young bush.
- Layering. The branch is covered with earth, leaving only the top on top. After the formation of the root system in the lower part of the branch, it is carefully separated from the main bush.
Methods of propagation from seeds and cuttings do not give positive results. Since the sprouted seeds do not retain varietal characteristics, and the cuttings do not take root well.
Collection, storage and processing
Harvest in 2-3 receptions every other day, focusing on ripening berries.
Fresh fruits are very useful to eat without additional processing - Morena contains many useful substances: pectin, tannins, organic substances and acids, magnesium, iron, copper and many other substances.
Since it cannot be stored for a long time - only 2-3 days in the refrigerator. It is processed:
- Grind with sugar. Can be stored in the refrigerator all winter.
- Preparing fruit drink. Can be stored in a cold place for several months.
- Cook jam. The delicacy has a bright taste.
- Dried. After, you can add berries to tea or compote.
- Freeze. Morena does not flow and does not change shape after defrosting.
Gardeners reviews of Morena's honeysuckle
Catherine, 40 years old. In our garden, Morena’s honeysuckle grows along with pollinators Longfruit and Kamchadalka. The bush is well developed, but there is no size of 170 cm, a maximum of 140. Perhaps this is because we have a warm climate. The berry itself ripens well, large, tastes sweet.
Elena, 50 years old. Of all the varieties of honeysuckle, which I have 10, Morena seemed the sweetest and most dessert. I wintered well. This year, despite the dry weather, I was pleased with the harvest of large berries without bitterness. Compared to other varieties, it had the least amount of dry branches.
Daria, 43 years old. I’m growing a bush of Morena’s honeysuckle. It bloomed early this year, not many berries ripened, I think this is due to the autumn transplant. In general, our berries are not large, but very tasty, reminiscent of blueberries.
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The Morena honeysuckle cultivar belongs to the early varieties, tolerates winter well, and is bred specifically for cultivation in the climatic conditions of the North. The plant does not require the creation of any special conditions for growing, resistant to diseases and pests. In addition, a decorative and attractive bush will become a real decoration of the garden.