Honeysuckle

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Video: Honeysuckle

Video: Honeysuckle
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Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle
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Honeysuckle (lat. Lonicera) - is a berry and ornamental crop; shrub belonging to the Honeysuckle family.

Description

Honeysuckle is an erect or climbing shrub, reaching a height of 150-200 cm. The branches are covered with brown bark, the leaves are simple, elongated, oval. The upper leaves in some varieties form a single plate through which the tip of a branch with flowers passes. The flowers are large, collected in capitate inflorescences, can be snow-white, cream, pink, yellow or blue, are arranged in pairs at the ends of branches or corners of leaves. Fruits are elongated, cylindrical, dark blue with a bluish bloom, sour-sweet taste, used for food and for making jam and other preparations.

Cultivation conditions

Honeysuckle belongs to the category of light-loving crops, prefers well-lit areas, develops poorly on shady areas, gives low yields. Honeysuckle is distinguished by its high winter-hardy properties, the flowers are able to withstand spring frosts down to -5-7C. Honeysuckle blooms very early, practically the first of many ornamental and berry crops.

Honeysuckle is early ripening, the berries are ready for use in the first or second decade of June, they do not last long on the branches, they quickly fall off. The plant is unpretentious, grows well and develops on almost all types of soils, acidity also does not play a special role, although when cultivating a crop on loam, the fruits acquire a slightly bitter taste.

Reproduction and planting

Honeysuckle is propagated by seeds, green cuttings, root shoots and layering. Many gardeners prefer to grow crops by seed, but experienced agronomists advise using cuttings for this purpose, since they do not need long-term processing, easily form a root system, and have time to fully prepare for winter. In addition, when propagated by seeds, honeysuckle does not retain the characteristics of the mother plant.

Cuttings are cut from the middle part of the shoot, its length should be 10 cm. The substrate for planting the cut material is made up in advance, combining fertile soil, river sand and peat. Cuttings are inserted into the soil obliquely.

On the site where it is planned to grow shrubs, rooted cuttings are planted only after a couple of years, it is advisable to plant it in the fall. It is desirable to deepen the neck by 5 cm. The distance between the seedlings should be 1.5-2 m. Immediately after planting, the plants are watered and mulched with peat.

Care

Proper care is the key to obtaining high and high-quality honeysuckle yields. With the onset of heat, they carry out sanitary and formative pruning of shrubs. For the first 10 years in honeysuckle, it is recommended to remove only damaged and frost-bitten branches. Then every year, all the shoots are shortened, leaving up to 3 buds on them. Anti-aging pruning is welcome. In this case, the shrubs are cut at a height of 30 cm above the soil surface.

For better growth and lush flowering, the culture needs regular fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers. Watering is carried out two or three times per season, with prolonged drought, the number of waterings is increased. Honeysuckle is also sensitive to soil compaction, so the culture must be loosened, while removing weeds. Since honeysuckle is frost-hardy, it does not require shelter for the winter. Frozen plants recover quickly, with the exception of climbing varieties.

Disease and pest control

Honeysuckle is prone to disease and pests. The most dangerous for the plant is the honeysuckle aphid. The first signs of damage: yellowing, twisting and falling of leaves, cessation of shoot growth. To prevent the appearance of aphids on the crop, in early spring, the shrubs are sprayed with a decoction of yarrow. If the defeat could not be avoided, the plants are treated with infusion of hot pepper.

Of the diseases, the culture is often affected by powdery mildew. A white bloom forms on the foliage, which subsequently descends to the stems. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to regularly loosen the soil, remove fallen leaves and treat the plants with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid. When the first signs of damage are detected, honeysuckle is sprayed with biological products.

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