Recommendations and tips for the care of honeysuckle in the fall
Honeysuckle is known to many. The inhabitants of our country plant it in their personal plots. The value lies not only in the taste of the berries, but also in their healing properties. Honeysuckle fruits can help to cope with many ailments. They are especially valuable for people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system. Berries strengthen the walls of the capillaries, help with atherosclerosis, high blood pressure and many other problems with the body. People who live in areas with a high radiation background, they are simply necessary.
But many of those who plant honeysuckle in their area are faced with a problem – the low yield of berries. The thing is that the cultivation of this shrub has its own characteristics. All the main stages must be done in the autumn, when the plant enters a state of dormancy. This article will discuss how to properly care for honeysuckle in the fall, as well as planting and transplanting it. Why is it necessary to carry out all work with this shrub in the fall? In spring, honeysuckle actively grows and forms new branches. Therefore, transplantation and pruning are contraindicated for her during this period. Otherwise, you won’t have to wait for the berry harvest..
Honeysuckle care in autumn
The care of the owner is needed both for a newly planted shrub and one that has been growing on the site for many years. And in fact, and in another case, leaving includes the following steps.
Watering
The soil around the shrub must be constantly moistened, especially during the fruiting period. The required amount of water is 1-1.5 buckets, and in a dry summer you will need 2-2.5 buckets for watering under one bush.
The soil should be moist, but too much water is not desirable. Honeysuckle categorically does not like dryness or excessive moisture..
Pruning
This is an important stage in the cultivation of a shrub, which has its own characteristics. Honeysuckle pruning is done differently depending on the variety. Shrubs that serve as hedges on the site are especially in need of rejuvenation. Pruning gives decorative varieties a beautiful appearance, helps the intensive growth of green mass, heals and gives strength. In this case, it must be carried out every autumn. During the summer, cut off only the protruding branches that spoil the appearance. The first time, pruning is carried out to the required size, then as it grows to maintain shape. It also helps the shrub bloom more intensely. For edible varieties, pruning is required for better fruiting.
It is best not to prune edible honeysuckle until it is 5-7 years old. In addition, pruning must be done very carefully in this case, because the shrub grows very slowly..
After eight years of life, it is necessary to rejuvenate honeysuckle after a season, while carrying out intensive thinning. To rejuvenate edible honeysuckle, you need to cut off the top of the old skeletal branches, and also remove dry branches and lying on the ground. Pruning is carried out only in the fall and after the shrub has thrown off all the leaves. In order to understand this issue and not make mistakes, it is better to watch a thematic video on pruning honeysuckle in autumn.
Top dressing
In order for honeysuckle to produce intense green mass and fruits, organic fertilizers must be applied every three to four years. For this, manure, compost, humus or chicken droppings are perfect..
Loosening and weeding
Every time after watering, the soil around the bushes must be loosened. You also need to remove all weeds. However, when caring for honeysuckle in the fall, do not remove the foliage from the soil around the root system. It helps the shrubs to tolerate cold weather well, and also provides additional nutrition..
How to properly plant honeysuckle in the fall
If you have not previously planted this shrub on your personal plot, then the information below will come in handy. Indeed, as mentioned above, not everyone succeeds in getting a good harvest of honeysuckle. Most often these are several berries from a bush. The thing is that the cultivation of this crop has its own characteristics..
So, the next question to be answered is how to properly plant honeysuckle in the fall. To do this, the following recommendations must be observed:
- The first thing to do is find a suitable location. Honeysuckle does not like wet soil, areas with poor penetration of sunlight. If you want your shrub to produce both green mass and a good harvest of fruits, then try to find a place on the site where the upper part of the honeysuckle will be in the sun, and the lower part in partial shade..
- The soil. Honeysuckle does not like poorly ventilated and poor soils. It is best that the soil is well-drained, sandy and slightly acidic. If there is none, then during planting you need to pour a mixture of peat, sand and sod land into the pit..
- Neighborhood. The third point means that honeysuckle belongs to those crops that cannot independently form fruits. To get a harvest of berries, you need to plant several shrubs nearby..
- Time. The best time to plant is mid-September..
How to plant honeysuckle?
To do this, you need to prepare a pit, measuring 45 by 45 cm. Add humus to it, after which planting is carried out. Further, the shrub must be well watered. Mulch from above. It is advisable to plant adjacent bushes at least one meter apart. In this case, no more than one and a half.
In order for honeysuckle to produce a good harvest, the root system must be soaked in a fertilizer solution before planting. When planting, be sure to straighten all the roots so that they do not intertwine or bend.
Honeysuckle transplant in autumn
All actions during the transfer are similar to those that you take when landing. Shrubs need to be positioned so that the distance between them is at least a meter. Dig a hole from 45 to 50 cm deep. Then add superphosphate or potassium salt to it. Organic fertilizers can be applied in advance.
Be sure to keep the root collar at ground level.
Honeysuckle transplant in autumn is best done in late summer or early September. At this point, the shrub outgrows to grow. These are all the basic recommendations, following which you can get a good harvest of honeysuckle. Also have an excellent hedge on the site.