Reproduction of edible honeysuckle, features of planting and care

Over the winter, I'm tired of dried fruit compotes, I want something fresh. Growing edible honeysuckle will help you easily survive spring vitamin deficiency every year. The fruits ripen at the very beginning of summer, earlier than strawberries and other berries. Nature has made a generous gift to the inhabitants of the northern regions. This plant perfectly tolerates severe frosts. The branches are not damaged in the cold up to -50⁰, flower buds are tolerated up to -40⁰. The multiplication of berry crops throughout the country is growing every year.

Features of honeysuckle

To find a convenient place for a shrub and provide it with proper care, you need to know the structure and developmental features of honeysuckle. The bush can reach a height of 1.8 m, gives many shoots that form a lush crown with a diameter of up to 2 m.In order to taste juicy fruits at the end of next spring, in the middle of summer the plant begins to form flower buds in the axils of the upper leaves.

The root system of honeysuckle grows strongly both in width and depth. Powerful rods go into the ground and develop a dense network of root processes at a distance of about 70 cm from the surface. They sprout in different directions, going beyond the perimeter of the crown by half a meter. When carrying out planting, this quality of the plant must be taken into account.

Honeysuckle wood is very durable, reproduction by dividing the bush or removing unnecessary branches must be done with a saw. At about the fourth year, the bark of the plant cracks and peels off in long strips from the shoots. Do not try to determine what kind of disease or pest attacked the bush, it is healthy and very soon after that it will grow a new cover.

Choosing a place for a shrub

If you made a mistake with the planting site of the berry bush, nothing bad will happen. Honeysuckle can grow in one place until the age of 20, but it easily tolerates transplants both at a young and adult age. And yet, in order not to disturb the plant in vain, think over the layout of the garden in advance. It is very bad to move the bush to another place immediately after planting.

Honeysuckle loves fertile loams and sun. In the shade, the bushes develop well, but the harvest, despite good care, is decreasing. The reaction of the soil should be neutral, on acidic soils the plant develops poorly and bears little fruit. Honeysuckle loves moist air, but does not tolerate wet soil and groundwater. From the dampness in the ground, her roots begin to rot. If your site is located in a swampy area, make good drainage.

The plant is cross-pollinated, alone it will give a very meager harvest. The more neighbors a bush has, the more berries it will give. Do not rely on reproduction from one copy, it will not give results. Plant at least 3 specimens and it is desirable that all varieties are different. If you take planting material from friends, separate it from different bushes. When buying in a nursery, give preference to zoned varieties.

Depending on the climate, the following varieties of honeysuckle have proven themselves well:

• Sineglazka;
• Violet;
• Nymph;
• Blue bird;
• Kamchadalka.

When and how to plant

Honeysuckle wakes up very early, buds begin to release leaves at the end of March. The bushes fall into dormancy at the end of July, when other plants are in the midst of their growing season. From August to November, you can safely plant, the next year the plants will wake up and begin to develop. Spring planting is undesirable: when the soil thaws, the bushes are already actively developing, they do not need to be disturbed.If the need arises, dig up the entire bush with a large clod of soil to minimize damage to the root system.

You can plant the bushes in a row or in a group, in any case they need space. Make the distance between the bushes at least 1.5 m, then the honeysuckle will be comfortable and it will be easy to take care of it. The plant gets along well with black currants, you can settle them in one corner of the garden.

Pits for planting bushes should be at least 40 cm in diameter and depth. Honeysuckle loves organic matter very much, put 2 buckets of compost under each bush and a liter can of ash. You need to be careful with mineral fertilizers, the plant does not really like them. Three tablespoons of superphosphate is sufficient.

Spill the holes well with water, plant the bushes, spreading the roots evenly in all directions. The root collar should be 5-6 cm deep, then it will give additional processes. Water the hole so that the earth is compacted and there are no air pockets. Cover the circle with a layer of compost with a thickness of at least 5 cm, this procedure will help retain moisture and facilitate plant care.

Advice

Do not shorten the branches after planting. Pruning will slow down the growth of the bush and reduce the yield.

Plant care

Honeysuckle is an unpretentious culture, caring for it is easy. In September, cut off diseased, broken and dry shoots. Leave no more than 18 skeletal branches on the bush, remove the rest. The plant bears fruit most strongly in the 7th year. After 20 years, the bushes become old, give little fruit. If you cut out branches every season that do not produce berries, the productive period can be increased. Proper care will also help increase fruit harvest. Honeysuckle propagation is carried out using adult bushes; the plant can be divided only at the age of 8 years.

Honeysuckle does not tolerate stagnant water, but it needs moisture. Watering should be abundant, especially when the fruits are ripe. Pour at least a bucket of water under each bush. If the summer is dry, then 2 buckets of liquid will not interfere.

At first, the plants will have enough food that you introduced when planting. In the third year in the spring, add a bucket of organic fertilizer under each bush. If the soil is low in nitrogen, feed the honeysuckle with a tablespoon of urea diluted in a bucket of water in early spring. In September, pour 0.5 liters of ash into the ground; with the beginning of the growing season, it will supply the plant with the necessary components.

Reproduction of honeysuckle

The seeds of the plant germinate well, but may not retain the qualities of the parent specimen. Which bush will grow from the grains, you will only know when you taste the fruits: in the 3rd year. If Bluebird was chosen, don't expect berries of the same variety to grow. If you like to experiment, you can try this propagation, but it is usually only used for breeding or landscape design.

Crush ripe fruit and let the seeds dry. Sow them in the ground at the end of October. Shoots begin to appear in the spring. When 2 pairs of leaves are formed on the seedlings, cut them into a nursery. The next year, you can plant the bushes in a permanent place. You need to plant every 20 cm from each other, then transfer specimens with tasteless fruits for a hedge.

There is a reproduction of honeysuckle by dividing the bush. The plant must be well developed at the age of at least 8 years. Arm yourself with an ax, saw or other sturdy tool and separate the fragment with 3 skeletal branches and a root of at least 20 cm in length. Plant the fragment immediately.

Cuttings can be prepared at the end of March. The diameter of the twigs should be at least 7 mm, the length - about 17 cm. Stick the lower cut into the thawed ground to a depth of 10 cm. At least 2 buds should remain above the surface. The roots will begin to develop in about a month. If you are late, you can prepare shoots after flowering. Take a one year old twig that has a fresh sprout on it. Embed it 5 cm into the ground.After 2 weeks, new leaves will appear on the young shoot. Green cuttings can also be cut at the end of June. Stick them about 10 cm into the soil and keep the soil moist.

Advice

Propagation by cuttings will be better if the lower cut is treated with a root growth stimulant. There are many drugs, how to use them correctly, read the instructions.

Diseases and pests of bushes

Honeysuckle berries are popular not only with humans, but also with insects. Monitor your pets closely every year.

• If, when young shoots and leaves appear, the tops are nibbled, the caterpillars of leaf rollers have tried.
• Yellow leaves are traces of aphid activity.
• On the bark, bulges in the form of commas are left by the willow scale.

Treat the bushes with special preparations from the drivers. Honeysuckle is resistant to diseases, sometimes powdery mildew may appear. For example, the Blue Bird variety almost never gets sick. Treat the plants with "Fitosporin", it is not poisonous and will not harm the crop. Do not forget that good care makes plants strong, able to cope with all problems on their own.

Don't forget about biological crop protection products. Planted next to calendula and marigold protect plantings from diseases and pests. Spray the bushes with an infusion of wormwood and other herbs that insects are afraid of. Hang birdhouses and feeders to attract birds to the garden.

Why grow honeysuckle in the garden

There are a lot of berry crops, why not grow semi-bitter honeysuckle? This plant has many benefits. First of all, it bears fruit very early every year, and it does not require complicated care. Children don't want to go to the country? Tell them that delicious berries have already appeared on the bushes, and the kids, pushing each other, will rush into the car.

Honeysuckle is not afraid of frost, it can be grown where strawberries and currants do not yield. Residents of the northern regions also need vitamins. An unpretentious shrub will help them survive the long polar winter. The only problem is that flowers can survive frosts of at least -8⁰. If the bushes bloom early, follow the weather forecast. If there is a threat of severe frosts, wrap them with non-woven fabric to save the harvest.

Output

Honeysuckle is the earliest berry, it can be grown even in the far north. In the spring, the body requires vitamins, a person is ready to eat any blade of grass. Bitter sour fruits will saturate you with vitamins, the first compotes will be a good help after a long winter.

Caring for the bushes is easy, but to get a good harvest every year, you need to grow several bushes of different varieties. If you take planting material from friends, cut off cuttings from different bushes. When buying from a nursery, ask what combination of varieties will be optimal.

You can cook jam from berries, prepare compotes and jelly. When choosing a recipe, give preference to those where heat treatment will be minimal. Berries are rich in vitamins and other useful components, do not let the heat destroy them. The earliest blue berries can grow in any area, provide the plants with proper care, and you are guaranteed a rich harvest.