Honeysuckle is a very common crop that is often grown in 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. Every year, breeders produce more and more 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. The authors of the culture were the breeders Savinkova, Pavlovskaya and Gagarkin.
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 and high resistance to drought and frost. In 2017, the variety was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation.
This is a fairly large crop, which by the age of 8 grows up to 1.7 meters. In the initial stages, honeysuckle develops rather slowly. Although the plant is fast-bearing, a commercial harvest can only be obtained 5-6 years after planting. The culture differs from other varieties in that at the initial stage of the growing season, young branches are characterized by an unusual crimson hue, which is called anthocyanin.
The honeysuckle fruits of this variety are among the largest today. On average, their weight is 1.8-2.5 grams. The berries are distinguished by their dark purple color and sweet dessert taste. According to the tasting scale, they are rated 4.8 points.
The Giant's Daughter is a mid-late variety that is distinguished by extended fruiting. It is better to harvest the crop manually - in 2 stages. The berries are tightly fixed on the branches and belong to the category of weakly shedding. At the same time, the fruits come off easily and cleanly.
Honeysuckle is self-sterile. When growing one variety on a plot, the bush will bloom profusely, but will bear 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 characterized by an average density of the crown.They have an oval shape and straight gray-brown hairless shoots with peeling bark. Annual shoots are covered with a small amount of fluff and have a spectacular crimson color.
The leaf blades 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.
Advantages
This variety of honeysuckle produces some of the sweetest and largest fruits. The main advantages of culture include the following:
- large berries;
- excellent taste - on the tasting scale they were awarded 4.8 points;
- stable annual fruiting;
- healing properties of fruits;
- frost resistance - this shrub is able to withstand temperatures down to -50 degrees;
- weak fruit shedding - the berries are securely fixed on the branches and easily break off without being damaged;
- longevity - the crop is capable of producing 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;
- shedding of a certain part of the fruit is inevitable even with reliable fixation of the berries on the branches;
- slow development in the first seasons;
- unfriendly ripening of fruits.
What does the fruit taste like?
This variety of honeysuckle is characterized by very tasty sweet and sour fruits. They are wonderfully refreshing in the heat. Moreover, the berries are beneficial even after processing. They can be used to make unique healing jam.The fruits are also used for homemade berry lemonade and refreshing compotes.
How often does honeysuckle bear fruit?
The giant's daughter brings the harvest every year. The fruits need to be collected 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, the berries ripen at the end of June. In any case, the Giant's Daughter is considered a mid-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 characteristics of honeysuckle care.
Growing and care
Although the crop develops best in the middle zone, with adequate care it will bear fruit in the south. It is best to use bushes 2-3 years old with closed roots for planting. It is recommended to buy seedlings from nurseries. In this case, it is worth giving preference to plants that have 2-4 even branches and identical internodes.
You should not place honeysuckle in low places and ravines. Stagnation of moisture and accumulation of cold air prevents the full development of the crop. The giant's daughter is more accepting of manual harvesting. If you plan to collect fruits using a mechanized method, 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 potassium and phosphorus fertilizers into each hole. If necessary, the soil is deoxidized with lime.
Honeysuckle does not need to be pruned 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, honeysuckle will have time to take root and begin to grow in the spring. To plant a crop, the hole must be filled with water. After absorbing moisture, you need to form a hill in the center of the hole and spread the roots around it. The neck needs to be deepened by 3-5 centimeters, then the substrate should be filled in and carefully compacted. Finally, the tree trunk circle needs to be covered with a mulch layer. To do this, you should use peat or humus.
When growing honeysuckle of the Giant's Daughter variety, it is important to follow simple care recommendations. In this case, attention is mainly required for young plants. Mature bushes require minimal care.
After planting, it is recommended to water honeysuckle frequently and abundantly. The next day after moistening, the soil needs to 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 grows very slowly.
If the soil was well fertilized during planting, fertilizers may not be applied in summer and autumn.With the arrival of spring, it is recommended to use a urea solution. To prepare it, you need to take 30 grams of the product per 1 bucket of water. This composition perfectly stimulates growth processes.
In the third year after planting, it is recommended to start feeding honeysuckle with a complete mineral complex. In autumn it is worth using organic matter. At the end of summer, ash can be buried under the bushes. An adult plant requires 1 liter of fertilizer. For a young bush, 0.5 liters is enough. Further care involves weeding, loosening and periodic heavy watering in dry weather.
Until the age of 15, the crop does not need to be pruned - it is enough to simply get rid of dry and broken branches. The giant's daughter has a sparse crown. However, if its shoots bend strongly to the ground or grow inside the bush, they must be removed immediately. Without access to light, you should not expect fruit to appear on these branches.
For bushes older than 15 years, it is necessary to cut out old branches near the base. At the age of 20, anti-aging pruning is performed. To do this, you need to 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 is characterized by high productivity. This plant bears tasty and healthy fruits. At the same time, the culture is considered quite unpretentious and requires minimal care. It includes periodic watering, loosening and weeding.
