Golden Honeysuckle

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Golden honeysuckle (lat. Lonicera chrysantha) - a representative of the genus Honeysuckle of the Honeysuckle family. In nature, it grows in river valleys, forests, forest edges and mountain slopes in China, Eastern Siberia and the Far East. The species in question was introduced into culture in 1849.

Characteristics of culture

Golden honeysuckle is a deciduous, slightly drooping or erect shrub up to 2.5 m high with a dense crown and thin hollow shoots inside, covered with gray bark. Young shoots are yellowish-brown, bristly pubescent, covered with small dense glands. The root system is superficial.

The leaves are simple, rhombic-lanceolate or ovate, with a rounded or wedge-shaped base, a pointed tip, up to 10-12 cm long. On the inside, the leaves have harsh pubescence. The flowers are medium-sized, yellowish or yellowish-white, fragrant (with honey notes), sit on long hairy peduncles, are formed in the axils of the leaves. Bracts are linear, equipped with round or obovate free bracts. Corolla convex, scattered hairy outside, with a thin short tube.

Fruits are red, spherical, up to 1 cm in diameter. Golden honeysuckle blooms in May-June, fruits ripen in August-September. Golden honeysuckle is frost-resistant, withstands frosts down to -50C, although slight freezing of the shoots is possible, but with the onset of heat they quickly recover. Flowers are not damaged by spring frosts. Honeysuckle is a cross-pollinated plant, so at least 2-3 bushes of different varieties should be planted on the site.

The subtleties of growing

Golden honeysuckle blooms profusely in sunny areas, in the shade it is often affected by pests and diseases. To soil conditions, unlike other representatives of the genus, the species under consideration is undemanding. However, it does not tolerate waterlogging, excessive dampness and high acidity.

Lowlands with stagnant cold air and dry areas are also unsuitable. Shrubs develop poorly on heavy clay soils, but with high-quality drainage with a layer of 7-15 cm, cultivation is possible. Optimal southern slopes with loose, permeable, drained, fertile, neutral or slightly acidic soil.

Landing

For planting, it is recommended to use 2-3-year-old seedlings purchased from specialized nurseries. It is advisable to carry out this procedure in the fall, but two months before the onset of stable cold weather (from August to the second decade of October, depending on the climate of the region). Seedlings with a closed root system can be planted from early spring to late autumn.

The planting hole is prepared for 2-3 weeks, its depth should be 30-50 cm (depending on the degree of development of the root system), and the diameter should be 30-50 cm. Part of the soil removed from the hole is mixed with well-washed river sand and peat in a ratio of 3: 1: 1. Mineral and organic fertilizers are introduced into the prepared soil mixture, namely, rotted manure (5-8 kg), superphosphate (50-80 g) and potassium salt (40-50 g). On heavy soils, drainage is laid on the bottom of the pit (broken brick, pebble or crushed stone), acidic substrates are lime.

The distance between plants should be at least 1.5-2 m, the culture does not tolerate thickening. There is no need for pruning after the autumn planting; it is carried out the next spring. Important: the root collar should be located at the level of the soil surface, it cannot be buried. After planting, the soil in the near-trunk zone is watered abundantly and, if possible, mulched with natural material.

Care

The care is standard and similar to that of all representatives of the genus Honeysuckle. Plants need annual feeding, and the first 2-3 years of fertilization are applied in liquid form (25-35 g of ammonium nitrate or urea are dissolved in 10 liters of water). For one bush, 1.5-2 liters of such a solution is enough. Top dressing is carried out every two weeks from April to the second decade of June. Organic fertilizers are applied in early spring, for these purposes rotted manure, humus or compost will do.

It should be remembered that an excess of fertilizer often leads to the formation of shoots from spare buds, as a result of which the crown thickens. Diseases and pests of golden honeysuckle are rarely affected, but preventive treatments are welcome. Pruning is carried out annually in early spring or autumn (after leaf fall), starting from 5-7 years of age. Rejuvenating pruning is carried out as needed, the plants are pruned to the "stump".