Compared to currants or raspberries, honeysuckle is not at all a popular berry among summer residents. And this is more than strange, because you still have to look for such an unpretentious shrub. Honeysuckle is resistant to low temperatures, is practically not affected by diseases and has no pests, can bear fruit in partial shade, pleases the harvest before everyone else, contains many vitamins and trace elements, and helps prevent a whole “bouquet” of diseases.
If this amazing berry does not yet grow on your site, do not hesitate and be sure to plant a few bushes. And we will help you with advice on how to grow and care for honeysuckle so that there are always more than enough berries.
Honeysuckle needs cross-pollination. This means that in order to obtain good yields, it is necessary to have several bushes of different varieties of honeysuckle on the site (at least 3-4). From a lonely bush of berries you will not wait.
The first and, perhaps, the only difficulty in growing honeysuckle is the choice of a landing site. The fact is that this shrub prefers both sunny, but calm and humid places. The owners of wetlands are more fortunate in this regard, but on dry soils it is quite difficult to find a sunny, but at the same time not arid and wind-protected place. Therefore, honeysuckle is often planted in partial shade, for example, along the fence.
Honeysuckle is planted both in spring and autumn. In spring, planting is carried out in May, in autumn - in mid-September.
The first step, as always, is to prepare the landing pit. Pits for honeysuckle are dug with a diameter and a depth of forty centimeters, keeping a distance between the bushes of 1.5-2.5 meters. The distance depends on the variety: for undersized bushes, one and a half meters is enough, and for vigorous ones - no less than two.
Two buckets of compost are poured into each pit, 200 grams of ash and 50 grams of superphosphate. A small mound forms inside the fossa. Dry and damaged roots are cut off from the seedling, carefully placed on the mound and the roots are straightened so that they hang down along all edges of the mound.
Then the hole is sprinkled with a small amount of earth (and even better compost) and spilled. This is necessary to ensure better contact of the roots with the ground. Now the pit is filled with soil to the end, slightly trampled down and watered again abundantly.
Honeysuckle is very moisture-loving, so after planting it is important to prevent water from evaporating. As usual, mulch will become our assistant in this matter. Be sure to mulch the seedlings with a layer of newspaper or cardboard, and on top with mowed grass or straw. Such mulching will not only retain life-giving moisture, but will not miss a single weed.
But if you planted honeysuckle in the spring, and the summer turned out to be dry, even mulched young bushes will need abundant watering.
Do not forget to alternate varieties when planting - this is the best way to ensure pollination, and hence the ovary.
Well, honeysuckle is planted. Already in the second or third year after planting, you can expect the appearance of the first berries.
Cultivation of honeysuckle: top dressing, watering, mulching
The root system of honeysuckle is located in the surface layers of the soil, so the ground around the bushes does not need to be loosened. But honeysuckle responds with gratitude to mulching and top dressing.
So throughout the summer season, periodically sprinkle grass, sawdust, straw under the honeysuckle and feed the bushes under the root three times.
First dressing carried out during flowering. For her use a decoction of potato peelings with ash. How to prepare such top dressing can be found in the article on growing gooseberries:
A second time honeysuckle is fed during the formation of berries with biohumus infusion: a glass of biohumus is infused for a day in a bucket of water at room temperature.
Third top dressing applied after picking berries. Bushes are watered with the addition of ash.
In October, to prepare for winter, mulch the honeysuckle for the last time with kitchen waste and compost - a bucket of both under each bush.
Pruning honeysuckle
Honeysuckle forms berries exclusively on the shoots of the current year; there are no berries on old branches. Therefore, honeysuckle bushes are advised to rejuvenate every 3-6 years. To rejuvenate the bush, all old and weak shoots are cut out, leaving 3-5 of the most powerful. If the bush is already very old, it can be rejuvenated by cutting off all the branches to the base. With good watering and top dressing, new shoots grow very quickly, the bush recovers and resumes fruiting.
In the intermediate years between rejuvenating prunings, it is enough to cut out dry, broken branches in the fall, as well as shoots growing inside the bush, in order to prevent thickening.
Finally, one more piece of advice: when picking berries, it is recommended to spread a film or piece of cloth under the honeysuckle bush. Berries ripen unevenly and when harvested, overripe ones simply fall to the ground. Fabric or film will help not to miss a single gram of the precious harvest.
We wish you success and great harvests!
It’s no longer surprising anyone in the garden, but growing honeysuckle is an activity that many gardeners are not yet familiar with. The low popularity of this plant can be explained only by an unfortunate accident. The beneficial properties of its fruits are amazing, and their chemical composition is so rich in vitamins and microelements that it turns them into a real natural pharmacy. Even blueberries and blackberries, in terms of the content of substances necessary for the body, lose to these bright little ones.
Planting honeysuckle in the garden is carried out not only for the sake of its healing fruits. Its lushly branching shoots will mask all the imperfections of the garden: old walls, peeling fences, unsightly buildings. It's a miracle how good the arbors twined with honeysuckle are. And on summer evenings, its blooming flowers of an unusual shape will fill the air with a marvelous sweetish aroma, turning the garden into a fabulous corner. Caring for a culture is not difficult, but has its own characteristics. Reproduction of shrubs will also not cause difficulties; you can even get a strong plant from seeds.
Ideal Plot
Honeysuckle cannot be called a capricious culture, but it is possible to succeed in breeding it only if you choose the right place for the seedlings. The shrub will demonstrate rapid growth, high decorativeness and good yield in open areas, during the day as much as possible illuminated by the sun's rays. With weak shading, its development will slow down. Located in dense shade and on hills blown by cold winds, honeysuckle will not at all please either with its appearance or with an abundance of berries.
The plant does not tolerate drafts well, so the place where it is planned to be planted must be reliably protected from them by the walls of buildings or nearby trees and tall shrubs. The culture does not have special requirements for the composition and quality of the soil; its bushes can develop even on poor lands. It is best suited to nutrient-rich loose soils mixed with sand and clay and slightly acidic. Honeysuckle loves moisture, but stagnant water at the roots will not benefit it. Its reproduction in dense and easily swampy soil is possible only if the seedlings are provided with high-quality drainage. If groundwater in the country comes close to the surface (up to 50 cm), high ridges will have to be poured for the plant.
The taste qualities of honeysuckle fruits will improve if its botanical properties are taken into account when breeding the crop on the site. Its flowers are cross-pollinated, so it is recommended to plant bushes of different varieties in the neighborhood. The principle “more is better” applies here, but the site is not unlimited. You can buy for starters and 3 types of honeysuckle, trying to provide them with competent care. It is important that they have the same flowering time.
Selection of seedlings and features of their development
Shrubs are grown in different ways. If you plant honeysuckle with cuttings or layering, it will bring healthy berries faster. But gardeners also practice planting its seeds. There will be no problems with the acquisition of honeysuckle seedlings. You can buy them in ordinary markets, in specialized stores or nurseries. Practice shows that preference should be given to the latter. In order for honeysuckle berries to have good taste properties, it is important to choose high-quality planting material. And in spontaneous markets, there is a high risk of acquiring off-brand or wild seedlings that will bring bitter and unsuitable fruits for food.
It is best to take root on the site seedlings that have reached 2 years of age. It is correct to choose those that have from 2 to 4 flexible branches at least 30-40 cm long and a well-developed healthy root system. Honeysuckle is characterized by early bud break. In order for her seedlings to turn green in spring, it is important to plant them on time. It is recommended to carry out the procedure in the fall, at the end of September. If the weather conditions are favorable, you can postpone the reproduction of honeysuckle until October.
It is believed that the culture develops best during autumn planting. But you can place its cuttings on the site earlier - in spring or summer. Its reproduction is impractical only during the rapid growth of shoots, which occurs from May to June.
The shrub grows well and quickly, over time it will form a lush and wide crown, the diameter of which can reach up to 1.5-2 m. Proper planting of honeysuckle seedlings should take into account these properties. About 2 m of free space is left between neighboring plants, and between rows - at least 2.5-3 m. If you place them closer, the plantings will turn out to be too dense, which will make it difficult to care for them, and their productivity will decrease. When buying ornamental varieties of crops, you will need to take care of the supports.
Secrets of planting cuttings in the ground
The correct hole for a honeysuckle bush has a diameter of 50 cm and a depth of 40-45 cm.
Seedlings are recommended to be planted in a highly nutritious substrate. It is not difficult to prepare it: the earth dug out of the holes is thoroughly mixed with the following components:
- 2 buckets of humus (it is permissible to replace it with well-rotted compost);
- 200 g of potassium salt;
- 200 g of double superphosphate.
You can use another composition:
- 2 cups of complex mineral-organic fertilizer (drugs from the Giant series have proven themselves well);
- 3 art. l nitrophoska;
- 1-2 cups wood ash.
Prepared substrate should fill more than half of the pit. Then the hole is covered and left for 4-5 days. Honeysuckle cuttings should be planted carefully, carefully spreading their roots along the mound of nutrient substrate and preventing the formation of air-filled cavities. From above they are covered with ordinary garden soil.
Such planting greatly facilitates the survival of the shrub, the first 5 years of the life cycle of which are characterized by the active development of the root system. It is necessary to take into account the factor of subsidence of the soil and not to deepen the plant much. It is correct that its root collar be covered with soil no more than 3-4 cm. The planting of the honeysuckle bush in a permanent place is completed with abundant watering and mulching of the hole. You can use humus, sawdust, small straw for this. A layer of mulch is poured 4 cm thick.
Seed method of breeding honeysuckle
Growing edible honeysuckle from seeds takes a long time. The first berries, the beneficial properties of which for many gardeners are the main reason for growing a crop, will bring a shrub only after 5 years. Therefore, such reproduction is rarely used in practice. Sowing seeds is carried out in October, using low, but wide containers filled with sand. After abundant watering, planting material is laid out on its surface. From above, honeysuckle seeds are lightly sprinkled with moistened sand, cover the container with a lid and put it in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf.
During the winter, special care for future shrubs will not be required. Once every 1.5-2 weeks, the container in which the seeds were planted is taken out of the refrigerator, checking the condition of the sand. If its surface is dry, it is thoroughly moistened with clean water from a spray bottle. In the spring, you will need to take a higher container, filling it with a 10-12 cm layer of soil. The land is well watered. The sand in which the honeysuckle seeds were located is evenly distributed over the surface of the soil. Then they are covered with a layer of earth (1-2 cm thick), slightly compacting it, and gently moistened so as not to erode the soil.
The container is tightened with a film and placed in the country under any sprawling tree. Most of the day, crops need partial shade, but for at least 6 hours they should receive sunlight. When the honeysuckle sprouts hatch from the ground, the film is removed. Further care for them includes regular watering, which must be carried out carefully.
With the advent of autumn, part of the seedlings can be planted in open ground. It is advisable to prepare for them narrow beds, fenced with boards. So that seed reproduction of honeysuckle brings less hassle, the soil is mulched. Dry needles are well suited for this. It will protect the soil in the garden and in the container from drying out.
Rules for watering and fertilizing
With the advent of spring, young honeysuckle seedlings will need to be given special attention. Proper care will provide them with the strength for intensive development. First of all, the plant is spudded. Then the soil around the bush is dug up. The procedure should be carried out carefully, deepening a maximum of 7-8 cm and trying not to damage the roots of honeysuckle. After such loosening, the soil is mulched with organic fertilizer: humus, manure, peat.
In the future, caring for shrubs in the open field will not take much time. In one place, honeysuckle can be grown up to 20 years, annually bringing useful fruits. During the first 5 years, it is not worth waiting for the rapid growth of shoots from the culture, at which time it will form a strong root system. But in the sixth year of her life, she will please with a long-awaited harvest.
The plant loves frequent and abundant watering, especially in need of regular moisture in the spring, during the period of active development, budding and fruiting. At this time, honeysuckle is watered daily. For each bush spend 1-1.5 buckets of water. If the summer turned out to be hot and dry, the volume of liquid is increased to 2 buckets. The lack of moisture negatively affects the yield: the quantity and quality of berries suffer from it, the taste properties of which deteriorate. Once a year, the soil on which honeysuckle is bred is deoxidized. They do this in the summer, watering each plant with a solution of wood ash (1 liter of the drug per 1 bucket of water).
Proper care of shrubs in the country is impossible without autumn and spring dressings. When the snow has already melted, but the honeysuckle buds have not yet opened, it is fertilized with ammonium nitrate (15 g of composition per 1 m² of surface). In late autumn, plants are fed with compost, double superphosphate and ash. It is important not to overdo it with fertilization. Their excess will only slow down the growth of bushes. It is recommended to do autumn top dressing with a break of 1 year.
Features of working with soil and pruning
Honeysuckle responds well to loosening the soil. Spend it throughout the growing season. Through the porous soil, the oxygen they need easily penetrates to the roots of the plant, and the evaporation of moisture is delayed. Weeds interfere with the normal development of seedlings, so beds with honeysuckle should be weeded regularly. To prepare the shrub for the dormant phase, in September the ground around it is dug up and mulched. The culture tolerates wintering well, it does not need to be covered, it is not afraid of frosts down to -50 ° C.
Pruning will help to increase the yield and decorativeness of the plant. Removing old and damaged branches stimulates the growth of new shoots, which after the procedure will be better lit. The need for anti-aging pruning will appear when the shrub reaches 8-10 years of age. Professionals advise to carry out such care in early spring, in April, leaving 3 to 5 of the strongest branches on the plant. It is even allowed to completely cut off all the shoots, exposing the honeysuckle bush to the base, if it is very old. If properly watered and fed, it will quickly release numerous young branches that will bear fruit the very next year. Sanitary pruning of plants is carried out every autumn, removing dry and broken shoots, as well as those that grow inside. 
Honeysuckle is an interesting culture that has a lot of advantages that will delight any gardener. The shrub is surprisingly unpretentious, it is successfully grown in areas with a wide variety of climatic conditions. It easily tolerates harsh winters and does not suffer from spring frosts.
Honeysuckle fruits ripen early, ahead of even strawberries. They contain many important substances for the body, and the range of their use for medicinal purposes is extremely wide. Culture is easy to care for. Compliance with the rules of planting, abundant watering, periodic top dressing, loosening and mulching of the soil, weeding and pruning will make the reproduction of the shrub successful.
Top dressing of honeysuckle in spring, summer and autumn is carried out in accordance with the gardening schedule. Fertilizers are selected taking into account the season and the condition of the bush. In order not to harm the plant and avoid its death, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the classification of drugs suitable for this crop.
Honeysuckle is a common plant. Modern biological reference books contain information about 190 varieties of this shrub. Among them there are both fruit and berry and ornamental species. On the territory of Russia, about 14 wild plants and more than 50 cultivated varieties are known. The mode and composition of preparations for top dressing depends on the species properties of the perennial.
If fertilizers were applied during planting, then they begin to feed the seedling from the age of three.
To care for honeysuckle, modern farmers use:
Mineral simple fertilizers for honeysuckle
This category of drugs is represented by various inorganic compounds. These include salts of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, as well as all microfertilizers. Spring top dressing is not complete without adding nitrogen to the soil. Simple nitrogen compounds are divided into amide, ammonia and nitrate. Russian soils are deficient in nitrogen content. Due to the lack of this element, the seedling grows slowly and deforms over time, the green mass does not reach the established norm, inflorescences and fruit ovaries are poorly formed. Regardless of which one is chosen, Siberia and the Urals, they need timely fertilization.
For honeysuckle, regardless of its type and variety, the following nitrogen compositions are suitable:
- ammonium nitrate,
- urea,
- ammonium sulfate,
- ammonium chloride.
They are applied by the root method at the rate of 15 g per 1 m² as a dry powder or an aqueous 10% solution until the bush blooms. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the properties of the soil. Ammonium nitrate is suitable for slightly moistened soils. With its prolonged use, the land under the bush acidifies and requires the application of lime fertilizers. In waterlogged soils, ammonium chloride is recommended. Ammonium sulfate is used for sandy areas.
Most gardeners feed fruit and berry crops in their plots with urea (carbomide). Due to the high nitrogen concentration (46%), it is the most effective for growing green mass in spring, early summer. Under an adult bush, 20 g is applied or watered with a solution (20 g per 10 l).
Simple phosphorus formulations in spring and after flowering
This is a group of drugs that improves the general condition of the shrub, increases the absorption potential of the rhizome, and stimulates the active formation of fruits. This category includes phosphate rock, superphosphate, double superphosphate, and precipitate. Most often, gardeners use superphosphate and double superphosphate. They are applied by the root method into the hole in the form of an aqueous 10% solution or a granular mixture at the rate of 40-60 g per 1 m².
It is advisable immediately after the shrub fades. Ornamental types of honeysuckle do not need phosphates, since their fruits are not eaten. However, some gardeners drop a small amount of granules under the tillering node in May or late June. The main thing is that the interval between nitrogen and phosphorus top dressing is at least 1 month.
Potassium for autumn
The category of simple potassium preparations is represented by 2 popular preparations - these are kainite and sylvinite. The potassium included in their composition increases the resistance of the shrub to adverse environmental influences: insect pests, soil diseases, freezing. Potassium preparations provide maximum rooting of the plant before the onset of hibernation.
For honeysuckle fertilizer, kainite is the most effective, since it contains a lower amount of nitrates. It is applied to the hole in the root method in early autumn after harvesting at the rate of 40-60 g per 1 m².
Organic complex formulations
Organic fertilizers, which include compost, bird droppings, manure, humus, wood ash, biohumus and peat, unlike mineral preparations, completely decompose in the soil, which is why they are actively used in the private gardening sector. Fruit honeysuckle prefers organic fertilizers.
Organics differ from minerals in a complex composition. It contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and a number of useful trace elements. Humus, peat and biohumus are applied when digging the soil at the beginning of the growing season, and are also added to the fertile layer during transplantation. If there is such a composition for her on the site, it will also be favorable.
Dry manure, bird droppings and wood ash are used as mulch. Ash has a high concentration of potassium and calcium. She is sprinkled with the root zone of honeysuckle as the soil is exposed. Bird droppings and horse manure fertilize the hole in the fall to protect the plant from freezing. In winter, a fertile pillow will have a warming effect on the root system, and with the onset of spring, it will gradually mix with the ground and will feed the shrub over the next 2-3 years.
It is recommended to lay nutritious pillows by the root method no more than 1 time in 3 years.
If organic matter is not used as mulch on the site, then it is better to feed flowering honeysuckle in the first decade of summer. You can alternately apply:
- bird droppings, prepared in a ratio of 1:10;
- mullein, diluted in a ratio of 1:6.
Organic fertilizers are complex, so they are applied 1-2 times per season: in spring or autumn. The consumption of organic matter per bush is minimal.
Folk remedies as top dressing after winter and the next flowering
If there are no suitable drugs at hand, you can resort to proven folk remedies. These include:
In addition to these funds, gardeners use yeast, tea leaves, banana peels.
How to feed honeysuckle for a good harvest: fertilizer timing
Plants are fed according to their individual needs. The schedule is strictly tied to the vegetative processes taking place in the shrub during the season:
- The beginning of April and the middle of May is the phase of active growth of green mass, the laying of flower buds. During this period, the perennial needs mineral nitrogen fertilizers.
- June is the period of active flowering, the formation of berry ovaries. The beginning of summer is the time to apply phosphate fertilizers. Ornamental shrub owners can skip this phase.
- Mid-August and early September - rooting of the bush. At the end of August, most varieties of honeysuckle leave the fruiting stage and prepare for wintering. During this period, potassium supplements are needed.
Honeysuckle is an economical crop and does not require a lot of nutrients. She needs 4 baits per season, 2 of which are nitrogen in the period from April to the end of June.
Video with tips for resuscitation of plants in the spring.
The difference between dressings for ornamental and fruit species
Ornamental shrubs do not need annual phosphorus additions. Mineral nutrients are applied to the soil in the following order:
- end of March - potato decoction under the root 1 time (optional);
- mid-April - nitrogenous solutions are applied 1 time in 2 weeks for a month for better flowering;
- end of June - phosphorus granules 1 time (optional);
- end of August - potash mixtures 1 time.
Fruit crops need phosphorus, as it is involved in the growth and ripening of fruits. Mineral nutrients are applied according to the above technology with the following amendments:
- end of June and beginning of July - phosphorus supplements 1 time in 2 weeks for 1 month.
Organic fertilizers with mineral fertilizers are not mixed. Transfer from one substance to another is carried out with the onset of a new growing season.
Honeysuckle is a perennial shrub with tasty and healthy berries. In order for the plant to develop intensively after planting, proper care and feeding will be required. By following the rules for fertilizing, the horticultural crop will bring a large harvest every year. At what time it is necessary to fertilize the bush, how to feed the honeysuckle in the spring, what types of mineral and organic fertilizers are used, we will consider in this article.
Organic Plant Supplements
The dacha of a gardener who pays due attention to growing plants looks well-groomed, fruit crops bring a good harvest.
When planting an early variety on a garden plot, it is important to choose a good place and soil favorable for shrubs. Garden honeysuckle is considered an unpretentious plant, but for the normal development of the bush and a large harvest, it is necessary to take care of it.
organic fertilizers
Berry culture needs regular moderate watering, timely feeding of the soil. Plant care procedures are recommended every season.
Young seedlings should be planted in a sunny, calm area. Before planting, organic fertilizers are added to the soil. As the plant grows, gardeners wonder how to feed honeysuckle bushes.
Top dressing before bud swelling
A plant needs a lot of strength and energy to swell buds, grow leaves, bloom flowers, set fruits.
Soil preparation before planting
You can increase the fertility of the soil by adding organic fertilizers. The rotted manure and compost have a beneficial effect on the development of the shrub. Before the flowering period, 5 kg of manure is applied under each bush. The spring procedure is carried out every three years.
If the humus was not introduced in the spring, then you can feed the shrub in the fall. Gardeners should know a few facts about organic fertilizers:
- Fertilizers in the form of humus mixed with peat can serve as mulch for shrubs. The roots of the plant are located close to the surface;
- Decomposed manure and compost are nutritional supplements with a prolonged effect, so it is important to observe the measure;
- Watering the shrub, rains allow the nutrients to dissolve and penetrate the soil, thereby nourishing the roots of the plant.
Before flowering
The optimal time for the introduction of organic matter is the period before the flowering of the shrub. Honeysuckle is fertilized:
- chicken manure;
- slurry.
To do this, take 1 kg of fertilizer, pour into 5 liters of water and mix thoroughly. Such a solution will saturate the root system with nutrients, increase the immunity of the plant.
Note! Proper dosing of organic matter for top dressing improves the quality and quantity of the crop, increases the resistance of the shrub to environmental influences.
The root system of a plant with an excess of organic matter can be damaged. Honeysuckle, which begins to dry out and turn yellow, indicates a glut of the soil with additives. Therefore, it is better to apply a little less fertilizer for the normal development of the shrub.
Ways to prepare effective organic fertilizer at home:
- Take compost from wormwood, clover, mustard, weed residues. Water the ground under the bush during the flowering period;
- Grind lawn grass and straw, 150 g of dolomite flour, mix the ingredients. Pour 5 liters of water, let it brew.
DIY organic fertilizer
To feed honeysuckle in the spring, you can prepare your own effective organic fertilizer. Suitable herbs for this:
- Clover;
- Mustard;
- Sagebrush;
- weeds.
Compost is prepared from herbs and bushes are watered. You can use the remains of the lawn and straw. The grass is crushed, poured with water, allowed to brew for several days. You can add dolomite flour 150 g per 5 liters of water to top dressing.
Mineral top dressing
Gardeners can use mineral fertilizers as a top dressing for shrubs. They quickly penetrate the soil and root system, positively affecting the plant.
Among the mineral preparations that can be used to fertilize garden honeysuckle, phosphorus and potassium additives are used. They affect the increase in yield. They are introduced into the soil in early spring, before flowering. After fertilization, the ground around the bush is carefully loosened to aerate the soil. 10 g of phosphorus supplement or 15 g of potash supplement are added per square meter of plot.
Mineral fertilizers for feeding the bush
Top dressing with mineral fertilizers is carried out every two years. The disadvantage of applying potassium and phosphates as a fertilizer is that in the future, deformation of the leaf blade, shoots is possible, and the immunity of the plant is reduced.
The mineral complex is useful for the plant if you follow the recommendations for the time and dosage of the drug.
Potassium supplement
The shrub well absorbs potassium top dressing. It improves the quality of the future crop. The taste of berries becomes more intense. The mineral completely penetrates the root system.
Dusting the seedling with ash
Wood ash can be used as potash fertilizer. This is an effective folk remedy, safe and environmentally friendly for shrubs.
Ash contains calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and other useful trace elements. Such top dressing of the plant provides proper protection of the shrub from insects and pests. The folk method has no side effects, ash is introduced into the soil in the spring, before planting young seedlings.
For proper nutrition and active growth of the shrub, potassium sulfate or potassium sulfate is added to the hole before planting.
Potassium nitrate can be used as a mineral supplement. It contains 40% potassium.
Such dressings are suitable for any type of soil, they nourish it and make it fertile.
Important! It is necessary to feed garden varieties of honeysuckle, strictly observing the dosage of the drug. An overabundance of fertilizers can burn the root system of the plant, and it will dry out.
Fertilizing with phosphorus
If the garden honeysuckle stops growing, the seedlings do not stretch in height, the foliage falls off ahead of schedule, this indicates a lack of phosphorus in the soil. To do this, bone meal is introduced into the soil. Top dressing is suitable for almost all varieties of berry crops.
Fertilizer must be added to the soil in May. The recommended dosage is 5 g per 1 sq. m.
Mineral dressing ammophos has an easily digestible structure. It is brought into the ground before the start of the season. For each bush, you need to take 10 g of the supplement. The procedure is carried out 1 time every two years.
You can feed the plant in the autumn. Fertilizing the land after the season replenishes the missing supply of useful trace elements, the soil is preparing for the new season.
foliar top dressing
After planting seedlings for the first three seasons, it is important to monitor the growth and development of the plant. Therefore, if a shrub has poor growth, pale foliage, small berries, it should be sprayed.
For this, there are effective foliar preparations, which is recommended to fertilize honeysuckle bushes:
- Potassium sulphate:
- Urea;
- Superphosphate.
The gardener must apply foliar top dressing, observing the basic rules for dosing. The use of mineral fertilizers is effective for the development and growth of the bush.
Spraying with urea
Top dressing with urea garden honeysuckle has a positive effect on the quality of the crop. Berries ripen large, fragrant, transportability improves.
Spraying with urea
Urea delays flowering, reduces the risk of flower shedding due to sudden spring frosts. Spraying is carried out in the evening or in cloudy weather by sprinkling.
Advantages of spraying with urea:
- Processing improves the quality of the crop (berries are large, sweet, transportable);
- It has a beneficial effect on the growth and development of branches and leaves;
- An effective remedy for increasing the number of kidneys.
To feed the shrub, you need to prepare a solution. To do this, take 5 g of the drug and dilute it in 1 liter of water, pour the ground around each bush.
Pruning honeysuckle after fertilizing
Caring for garden varieties of honeysuckle includes removing old branches. Pruning bushes promotes the growth of new, strong shoots that will bear fruit well.
bush pruning
Sanitary pruning of edible varieties of honeysuckle is carried out in March, before the buds begin to swell, or after the leaves fall, before the first frost. Removing excess branches allows you to create a neat appearance of the bush and does not allow it to grow randomly.
The scheme for pruning garden varieties of honeysuckle depends on the age of the plant. After planting young cuttings for the first three years, the bushes do not need sanitary pruning. For the new season, only dried branches without buds should be removed.
Shrub pruning should be done to thin out and rejuvenate honeysuckle. The procedure can be carried out in autumn or spring.
- Select damaged, old branches and those that are tilted towards the ground. Trim them with garden shears or secateurs. Up to 5 strong and healthy shoots are left on the bush;
- In the old fruiting honeysuckle, it is allowed to completely remove all branches to the base;
- Thinning the crown allows light to penetrate into the shrub. This is necessary for the future harvest;
- Using a lopper, you can easily remove thick old central branches. They no longer develop and do not give young shoots;
- Bushes after removing the branches should be watered abundantly, fertilize the soil, lay out a layer of mulch.
Good feeding, watering garden honeysuckle bushes is the secret that will allow you to grow a healthy plant on the site and get a rich harvest of healthy berries every season.
An edible variety of honeysuckle can be fed with both organic and mineral fertilizers.
Spring, summer and autumn are suitable for plant nutrition. The time of fertilization depends on the condition of the soil at the time of planting the seedlings and the subsequent development of the shrub.
Knowing how to properly care for a shrub, how and when to feed honeysuckle, you can help the plant get rid of diseases and pests.
Video
1. Choose the right varieties of honeysuckle!
Only highly productive varieties can provide high yields of honeysuckle. It is the variety that largely determines the success of the business.
By planting a plant randomly acquired on the market, perhaps even a seedling from a neighboring plot, you will not achieve in the future the results that you could get from a good variety with high potential.
Which varieties you decide to give preference to will depend on your taste preferences and how you intend to use the harvest.
If mainly for fresh consumption, then choose fruitful varieties with a dessert taste, of different ripening periods, for example: Amazon, Long-fruited, Maria, Elizabeth, Zarechnaya etc.
These are varieties UUNIIPOK(Chelyabinsk) with excellent taste, estimated at 5 points. Since honeysuckle berries are a perishable product (even in the refrigerator it is stored for no more than two or three days), then with a significant harvest, most of it. likely to be processed or frozen.
For this purpose, varieties with a slight sourness or bitterness are better suited, for example Lenita, Gerda, Blue Spindle etc. Because of the presence of bitterness, many people like processed products from them more. Although this is a matter of taste, of course, and there can be no consensus here.
Here I want to note that honeysuckle is a very plastic culture, and therefore it is possible to successfully grow on the site not only zoned, local varieties, but also varieties bred in other regions, with other soil and climatic conditions. Such varieties may be superior to local ones in a number of ways.
2. Ensure good cross-pollination of honeysuckle
Since honeysuckle is a cross-pollinated plant and practically does not yield a crop on single-sort plantings, the most important condition for obtaining high yields is planting not two or three bushes of different varieties (as is often recommended), but 10-15 bushes or more.
Having planted only 2-3 bushes, honeysuckle will, of course, bear fruit, but you will not get high yields. More than 40 varieties grow on our site. They pollinate each other well and do not cease to please with a high yield. In recent years, the Lenita variety of the Chelyabinsk selection has especially stood out with its yield. He is like a lifesaver for us.
From each bush of this variety, we annually collect 10-12 liters of berries. I believe that such a crop is largely due to good cross-pollination between varieties. Therefore, it is desirable that all varieties on your site be different, since there are plenty of good varieties, for every taste, and every year more and more new ones appear.
3. Attract insect pollinators to the site
The yield of honeysuckle largely depends on the efficiency of fruit set, which in turn depends on weather conditions and the presence of pollinating insects during flowering.
Honeysuckle is pollinated mainly by bees and bumblebees, but the most effective pollinators are bumblebees. They are more willing to attend group plantings. Therefore, it is advisable not to place honeysuckle in a row, like raspberries or currants. and a curtain (group) and, if possible, closer to the neighboring bushes. Ideally, plant bushes in the corners at the junction of four plots, in agreement with the neighbors. In this case, you can get by with fewer bushes.
An effective technique for attracting insects to the site is spraying all berry crops (including honeysuckle) at the beginning of flowering with a solution of sugar or honey: 2 tbsp. spoons for 10 liters of water.
varnish as different cultures bloom at different times, then such spraying is best done in two or three doses. If during flowering it is windy. damp, cool weather, then for better fruit set, it is good to spray the bushes at the beginning of flowering with Ovary or Bud preparations that stimulate fruit formation. Good results are also obtained by spraying plants in the budding phase with a tank mixture of Zircon (1 ampoule) and Cytovit (2 ampoules) per 10 liters of water.
4. Choose the right place to land
Another, no less important condition for obtaining high yields of honeysuckle is its mandatory planting in an open sunny place.
It is good if the landings are protected from the prevailing winds by tall trees or buildings. If the bushes are in partial shade, the yield of honeysuckle will drop sharply, as the plants will constantly be in a state of oppression, and the reproductive buds will be poorly laid.
Therefore, if possible, transplant it from the shade and partial shade to a sunny place. If you have small bushes, this is relatively easy to do (honeysuckle has a compact, highly fibrous root system).
Sometimes in the literature there is a recommendation to plant honeysuckle according to the scheme 1 by 2 m. With such a scheme, the bushes in a row will close already in the fifth year, which will greatly complicate care and lead to a decrease in yield. In our area, the bushes are planted according to the scheme 1.5 by 2.0 m, and in some places in the row the bushes have already closed. With a sparse scheme, it is easier to care for honeysuckle, you can approach each bush from all sides when picking berries, pruning, weeding.
The optimal distance between bushes in a row is 1.5-2.0 m, between rows -2.0-2.5 m. This is taking into account the fact that honeysuckle will grow and bear fruit in one place for 20-25 years.
5. Don't thicken the honeysuckle crown
A feature of honeysuckle is its high shoot-forming ability, leading to a rapid thickening of the bush. To prevent this, an annual, early spring thinning pruning is necessary. It is also necessary so that the bumblebees pollinating it can freely reach the middle of the bush. Otherwise, the harvest will be concentrated mainly on the periphery of the bush! Such thinning pruning is recommended to be done from the fourth or fifth year of life, not earlier. In the first years of the life of the bush, only sanitary pruning is carried out, removing broken and dried shoots.
6. Prepare planting holes and plant plants properly
Honeysuckle is naturally very hardy and can grow in any soil, but best results are obtained in light, fertile and breathable soils.
If it is impossible to create such conditions on the entire site, then create them at least within the landing pit, which should be at least 50-60 by 40 cm in size.
In such a hole, I usually add 1-2 buckets of humus, about 1 liter of wood ash, 30-50 g of AVA fertilizer and one or two handfuls of Agrovitkor organomineral fertilizer containing soil microorganisms of the Bacillus genus, which help to suppress pathogenic soil microflora and quickly overripe any organic matter.
The application of fertilizers in such a composition and quantity contributes to the improvement of the soil, increases the yield and quality of honeysuckle fruits. In each pit, to improve the moisture capacity and structure of the soil (if possible), I also add 3-5 liters of vermiculite.
I use this dressing of planting pits for other berry crops, sometimes adding peat, sand, dolomite flour, etc. When planting, I deepen the root neck of the seedling 4-5 cm below ground level, then water it (up to 2 buckets of water for each hole) and be sure to mulch with humus, peat or mowed grass.
7. Provide plants with moisture during fruit ripening
It is known that the yield of honeysuckle, the size of its fruits and their taste assessment varies from year to year and largely depends on weather conditions during the period of ripening and filling of berries. During this period (May-June), it is necessary to make 4-6 good waterings, spending up to 4-5 buckets of water on each bush. After watering, be sure to mulch the soil under the bushes with cut grass or other mulching material.
During the same period and until the beginning of August, I spray the bushes several times with the Baikal EM-1 preparation. I carry out such watering-spraying directly from a watering can with a fine spray. I spend one watering can on about 5 bushes of honeysuckle, currants, gooseberries and other berries. (True, this is a rather laborious operation.) The use of the HB-101 preparation in liquid and granular form also gave a good result.
8.Protect crops from birds
Honeysuckle berries are liked not only by people, but also by feathered "helpers". Take care to protect the ripening berries from thrushes with a protective net and other repellents.
9. Provide plants with good nutrition
Regularly apply organic and mineral fertilizers according to your chosen scheme. (Traditional mineral or alternative AVA.)
10. Be on the lookout!
Don't stop there. Search, order, test new varieties: more productive, larger-fruited, with better taste.
By applying these simple tricks in the care of honeysuckle, you will always have a good harvest.
New varieties of honeysuckle (Kamchastka selection)
Although there is a lot of wild-growing honeysuckle in the forests of Kamchatka, cultivars of this plant are very popular with amateur gardeners.
In 2013, several varieties of honeysuckle were included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements
Variety Atlant characterized by early and friendly maturation. Bush of medium size, compact. Productivity 1.8 kg per bush. The berries are very large (average weight 1.2 g, maximum 2.2 g), with a de-sert taste. The fruits are bluish-blue with a slight wax coating. The shape of the fruit is oval, the surface is slightly bumpy, the skin is thin, the texture of the pulp is tender. Separation of fruits is light, dry.
Variety Sweetheart early term of maturing, winter-hardy. The bush is slightly sprawling, of medium size. Productivity 2.1 kg per bush. The fruits are large (1.6 g), with high palatability, elongated-oval, bluish-blue with a wax coating. Fruit surface is smooth. The tear is dry and light. The shedding of ripe fruits is weak.
Variety Rival Goryanka late ripening, high winter hardiness. The bush is vigorous, slightly sprawling, of medium density. The fruits are medium in size (0.75-0.95 g), elongated oval, the surface is smooth. Detachment of the fetus is difficult, with a rupture of the skin. The taste is sweetish with a noticeable bitterness. The yield is high.
And here are two varieties transferred to the GSI.
Honeysuckle variety Darinka medium early maturity, high winter hardiness. The bush is medium-sized, slightly sprawling. The fruits are elongated oval. The color is dark blue, the surface is smooth. The skin is of medium thickness, the texture of the pulp is tender, juicy. The taste is sweet and sour, dessert, aromatic, refreshing. The weight of one fruit is 1.2 g. The nature of the separation is dry. Yields 1.2 kg per bush in the 7th year after planting.
Variety Milkovchanka on term of maturing sredneranny, high winter hardiness. The bush is medium-sized, slightly sprawling, dense. The fruits are large, weighing more than 1 g, elongated-oval in shape, with a smooth surface, dessert taste. Separation of fruits is light, dry. Berries do not crumble. Productivity for the 6th year after planting 0.8 kg per bush.
To obtain a pure-grade planting material of honeysuckle, it is propagated by cuttings. In the conditions of the Kamchatka Territory, the optimal time for harvesting green cuttings with a heel is the I-II decade of June, green cuttings with and without a top - the III decade of July, lignified cuttings - the II decade of August. The most effective method of propagation is recommended - green cuttings with a heel and top (rooting rate 80-100%).
In garden plots, two-year-old seedlings 35-45 cm high take root best of all. To obtain annual high yields, you need to have from 3 to 10 plants of different varieties. The best time for planting seedlings is the third decade of August - the first decade of October. The soil should be well moistened, loose, without stagnant water. Since there are very few nutrients in volcanic soils, the planting hole must be filled with sufficiently high doses of organic and mineral fertilizers, which will provide plants with enhanced growth in the first 3-4 years after planting. At least 30 kg of humus or peat compost, 150-200 g of superphosphate and potassium salt are added to a planting pit measuring 40 × 40 cm and thoroughly mixed with the topsoil. You can apply complex fertilizer Nitrofoska (300 g per bush) or Ammophos (300 g per bush), Diammophos (150-200 g per bush).
E. PETRUSHA, senior researcher of the State Scientific Institution of the Kamchatka Research Institute of Agriculture and E. Churin, Chelyabinsk region, Miass-17.
Cultivation of honeysuckle - sharing experience
Honeysuckle: the sweetness of summer
You have decided to plant edible honeysuckle in your garden. Most often, for the first time, a plantation of these berry bushes is laid with two to three-year-old seedlings.
The best soil mixture for garden honeysuckle: soddy land, humus or peat, sand are mixed in a ratio of 3:1:1. For the effective cultivation of edible honeysuckle, a drainage layer is required (gravel or broken brick can be used as drainage, and the layer width should be 5-7 cm).
We buy honeysuckle seedlings
The greatest chances to take root in a new place are for seedlings with a closed root system. So
honeysuckle seedlings are best purchased in a container or plastic bag. If the root system of seedlings is open - and this is how honeysuckle cuttings are often sold - there is a great danger that the roots will be overdried and die.
Very small rooted cuttings have not yet developed, so seedlings less than 25-30 cm in height should not be bought. But seedlings growing a meter and a half in height - already fully developed and accustomed to certain conditions, will take root and acclimatize in a new place for a long time, and therefore they will not begin to bear fruit immediately.
Do not buy edible honeysuckle without specifying a specific variety. The seller needs to clarify how much this variety is adapted to the microclimate of your area. It is best to choose varieties from the breeding regions closest to your site.
Specify how compatible we are in terms of pollination with the selected honeysuckle varieties that you plan to grow nearby. After all, abundant harvests depend on this factor.
And, of course, it is permissible to acquire only healthy seedlings. Before buying, a seedling must be carefully examined: the presence of pests and diseases can usually be established visually. Healthy shrubs have even shoots and clean leaves of a uniform green color.
Planting honeysuckle - in spring or autumn?
In the spring, seedlings of those varieties of honeysuckle are usually planted, which are characterized by late vegetation. Blue honeysuckle, for example, is undesirable to plant in the spring: her vegetation begins in April, that is, by the time it can be transplanted, the plant is already in bloom. Transplanting at the flowering stage negatively affects both the survival rate of the shrub and its fruiting. Sort-that honeysuckle related to early-him, it is better to plant from August to mid-October. Honeysuckle is winter-hardy, and in early varieties, shoot growth stops already in mid-summer. So the autumn planting of honeysuckle seedlings of early unripe varieties that bloom in April-le-May will not hurt. Seedlings purchased with a closed root system can be planted in soil from spring to autumn.
Before boarding
The soil must be thoroughly cleaned of weeds, especially perennials - weeds will weaken young honeysuckle bushes. In autumn, for digging to enrich the soil with nutrients, about 10 kg of manure, humus or compost, 30-40 g of double superphosphate and 30 g of potassium sulfate or potassium salt per square meter are added. If the acidity of the soil is high, it needs liming - it is necessary to add from 200 to 400 g of lime per square meter.
The planting hole for 2-3 year old seedlings should be 25-30 cm deep and 25 cm in diameter.
For seedlings to take root
Honeysuckle tolerates transplanting well. It is a cross pollinated plant. A single bush, even with abundant flowering, cannot produce a crop. Therefore, when planting edible honeysuckle in your garden, it is necessary that at least three, preferably five, different varieties grow in one area.
The distance between seedlings when planting in a permanent place should be at least one and a half to two meters. Often, honeysuckle bushes are used as a hedge along the edge of the site. If you decide to create a decorative group of honeysuckles, the distance between the bushes increases to two and a half - three meters.
Agrotechnics for planting edible honeysuckle is not complicated. Before planting, seedlings are inspected, broken branches and damaged roots are cut out and dipped in an earthen mash. It is necessary to carefully straighten the roots and carefully cover them with earth, placing them in a planting hole. The root neck should be at ground level or 3 cm lower.
After planting, the plants are watered abundantly - at the rate of about 10 liters of water per bush (but no more). After planting, the plants are mulched with humus or peat. Post-planting pruning is usually not practiced in the case of honeysuckle.
HONESKY - IN EVERY GARDEN!
Honeysuckle is a very valuable berry. Firstly, it ripens before all other berries, and secondly, it is very rich in vitamin P, which lowers cholesterol, keeps your blood vessels clean and prevents the development of cancer cells. Finally, the berries are just delicious! How to grow honeysuckle to get a bountiful harvest?
FIVE RULES FOR HONESTERING
1. Planting different varieties.
For mutual pollination, you need to plant at least two varieties, and preferably 3-4 bushes of different varieties. It is necessary to buy exactly different varieties, and not just two bushes without a name. They may be of the same variety, and there will be no cross-pollination.
Without pollination, a few berries are tied. Because of this mistake, many have become disillusioned with honeysuckle and no longer plant it.
2. Timely watering.
Honeysuckle does not like overdrying of the soil, especially in spring during flowering and laying the crop. With a lack of moisture, the plant sheds part of the ovaries, and the remaining berries ripen very small.
Watering is also important in the summer when young shoots are growing. The longer they are, the more berries will be next year, as the crop is formed on last year's stems.
3. Mulching.
In nature, honeysuckle grows in the undergrowth, on loose and damp forest floor. To keep the soil loose, you can loosen the trunk circle. But at the same time, it is easy to damage the roots, because they are close to the surface near the honeysuckle. Therefore, it is better to mulch the soil. Under the mulch, the soil is kept loose and moist.
4. Weeding. Honeysuckle does not like to compete with weeds, especially those as aggressive as wheatgrass. The trunk circle needs to be weeded. The work is thankless, as clean soil quickly overgrows. Exit - mulching. Mulch prevents grass growth and is an additional fertilizer.
5. Pest protection.
Honeysuckle is relatively recently introduced into the culture, and it did not have "its" pests. Even aphids rarely appeared. But in recent years, honeysuckle has been suffering from goldfish.
WHY THE LEAVES WITHER
It often happens that an adult healthy bush suddenly wither leaves. Sometimes these are separate branches at the ends, and sometimes quite large shoots. Gradually, the leaves dry, and the stems themselves dry out. As a rule, the reason for this phenomenon is damage to the goldfish.
ZLATKA- a golden brown beetle that lays eggs in stems. Larvae develop in them - small "worms" that eat away the shoots from the inside. As a result, the leaves wither, and later the shoot dries out. Upon careful examination, a small hole can be found on the branch.
It is difficult to deal with goldfish by spraying, as this is a flying insect and simply flies away during processing. In addition, the flight of adults coincides with the ripening of berries, and chemistry in them is useless. The larva is inside the stems and is inaccessible to drugs. Therefore, the only way out is to cut out damaged shoots. Moreover, they must be cut low enough to guarantee the capture of the pest that is inside and prevent it from pupating. Cut shoots must be burned.
ABOUT VARIETIES OF HONESKY
There are many varieties of honeysuckle, and all of them have high winter hardiness. For the Middle Strip, varieties of Leningrad selection are suitable. These are Nymph, Morena, Violet, Chernichka, Roksolana and others. The most delicious of them is the Nymph.
In the Nizhny Novgorod Agricultural Academy, varieties with large sweet berries and dry separation have been bred. The author of the varieties is Ramil Rashidovich Ashimov: this is a Gift to the Faculty of Agriculture and Berencha (translated from Tatar - the First). On the test, several more large-fruited forms, Ramil Rashidovich selects them for taste. In June of this year, their tasting took place, and they received a high score.
Gardeners already know the variety Nizhny Novgorod early. Its advantage is that it ripens very first. The disadvantage is the shedding of fruits, so you need to harvest on time.
Other varieties of honeysuckle can be found on sale. For better pollination, it is desirable to select them according to the ripening time.
: Reproduction of honeysuckle seeds If you bought ...
