Today, planting various crops in the garden has become popular. It's no secret that vegetables and fruits from their own site have a huge amount of vitamins, since they do not have any artificial additives. Also, harvesting from one's own estate costs much less than purchased products.
Many gardeners are very fond of growing berry shrubs in their infield . They are very versatile plants, because they not only look great against the background of the house, but can also be used as hedges, and also bring a delicious harvest every year. One of these shrubs, gaining great popularity in recent years, is honeysuckle. The berries of this plant are of high value, so every gardener is interested in the question of when it is better to plant honeysuckle.
general information
As it turned out, only a few domestic gardeners have heard about honeysuckle and have at least some idea of this shrub. The berries of this plant are very rich in various vitamins and microelements, and in their useful properties, honeysuckle is significantly superior to blueberries and blackberries.
However, honeysuckle, how to plant and care for which will be discussed later, is appreciated not only for its useful properties. The shrub has extraordinary beauty, so it will perfectly hide all the shortcomings of the garden. In addition, honeysuckle can be used in landscape design. Summer arbors twined with shrubs will look simply amazing, and during the flowering period the plant will fill the air with an amazing sweetish smell.
However, in order for shrubs to always please you, it is necessary not only to know how to plant honeysuckle correctly, but also to have an idea of the features of caring for it. After all, not only the beauty of the bush, but also the amount of the crop, and the taste of the berries depend on this. With proper care, a good harvest is guaranteed.
The perfect place to land
Honeysuckle is a very unpretentious plant that perfectly adapts to any climatic conditions. However, in order for the bush to take root in a new place and grow strong, it is very important to choose a place suitable for its planting. So where to plant honeysuckle? The plant feels best in open areas, which penetrate a large amount of sunlight.
In darkened places, honeysuckle will not only grow slower and yield less yield, but will also be more susceptible to various diseases. And in the places blown by the northern winds, the bush will not only look unattractive, but may also stop producing berries. Drafts adversely affect honeysuckle, so there must be other plants, a fence, or some kind of building nearby. If there are none, then artificial canopies should be created.
Soil requirements
Honeysuckle, how to plant and care for which you learn a little later, does not have any requirements and preferences for the composition and quality of the soil. The shrub grows well even on poor soil. Best plant survives on loose soil, which contains sand or clay.
It is not recommended to plant honeysuckle in wetlands, since increased humidity can lead to decay of the root system and death of the plant. If there is wetland in your region, it is very important to organize a reliable drainage system that can efficiently remove excess moisture from the roots. And if the groundwater is very close to the surface, then you need to plant bushes on high ridges.
A few words about productivity
If the honeysuckle is planted on favorable soil, then every year it will bring a decent harvest. As for the taste of berries, they depend on many factors. In order for the fruits to be tasty and rich in vitamins, it is necessary to take into account the botanical properties of the plant, and also to know at what distance to plant honeysuckle. Shrub flowers are well pollinated, so it is best to plant them close to other garden plants.
Honeysuckle planting methods
Honeysuckle can be grown in several ways, however, there is no unequivocal opinion which one is better, since each gardener practices a certain method.
The following methods of growing a bush are:
- cuttings;
- layering;
- by seeds;
- seedlings.
The first two are more preferable, since in this case the honeysuckle heals faster and begins to bring in a crop. However, despite this, most gardeners prefer to plant seeds. This is because the seeds are very easy to find. The negative side of this method is that the taste of the berries in this case is very dependent on the quality of the planting material. Therefore, the best option is to plant seedlings that take root well and begin to grow rapidly. About when to plant honeysuckle, you will learn further.
How to choose the right seedlings: general tips and tricks
If you decide to plant seedlings, then you should consider their age when buying. Experienced gardeners recommend the use of two-year-old seedlings, which have from two to four branches with a length of about 35 centimeters. In addition, it is very important to pay attention to the root system. She must be well developed and healthy. It is equally important to know when to plant honeysuckle. The thing is that the buds at this shrub begin to bloom very early, so that in the spring the plant will delight you with its fragrance and delicious berries, it is important to plant seedlings in time. The optimal time for this is considered to be the beginning or mid-autumn.
Experienced gardeners who have long been engaged in the cultivation of honeysuckle, also fully adhere to this opinion. If you plant a bush in late September or early October, it will be able to adapt normally to the type of soil and climatic features of your region and will winter well. Therefore, the answer is clear: we plant honeysuckle in the fall.
The plant grows very quickly and a magnificent beautiful crown is formed on it, which can reach a diameter of two meters. Therefore, when choosing a place to land, you should take this into account. It is not recommended to plant bushes very close to each other, as this will negatively affect the yield and quality of the berries.
How to plant cuttings?
So, how to plant honeysuckle in the spring with a seedling, we figured out, so it's time to talk about the proper planting of cuttings. The hole under them should be about half a meter wide and about 4 centimeters deep. In order for the stalk to take root well, the bottom of the hole must be anointed with a substrate rich in nutrients. You can either buy fertilizer or make it yourself.
This will require:
- humus or compost - 2 buckets;
- potassium salt - 200 grams;
- double superphosphate - 200 gr.
Or:
- any organic fertilizer - 2 glasses;
- nitrofoska - 60 grams;
- wood ash - one and a half glasses.
Any of these substrates will need that amount to fill the hole approximately halfway. When it is cooked, the substrate is poured into the hole, after which it is covered for several days, and only then you can proceed to the planting of cuttings.
How to plant honeysuckle in spring? The stem should be very carefully placed in the hole, carefully distributing the roots in the substrate. It is very important that there are no air cavities in the fertilizer. Then the hole is covered with ordinary soil. At the same time, one should not tamp the soil very much, since over time it will settle down. When the hole is filled up, the plant should be properly watered, and the soil loosened a little to ensure the flow of oxygen to the root system. The soil of the hole is sprinkled with mulch. Subject to these simple recommendations, the stalk will take root well in the garden and will grow rapidly.
Seed planting tips
Since the seed growing method is one of the most popular and is used by most gardeners, it is very important to know how to plant honeysuckle in spring.
A step-by-step landing instruction is as follows:
- Wide containers are prepared, which are filled with sand.
- The soil is well watered with water, after which seeds are laid out on its surface, which should be sprinkled with a small layer of moistened sand.
- When the landing is completely completed, the container is covered with a tight lid and sent to the refrigerator on the lowest shelf.
It is important to understand that the seeds germinate for a long time, so you can get the first crop in about five years. In addition, the seeds need proper care. Once every 10 days it is necessary to check the moisture content of the sand. If it has become completely dry, then watering should be done. At the same time, seeds should not be very heavily poured. It will be enough just to slightly moisten the sand so that it becomes wet.
After about 6 months, when the seeds germinate, the honeysuckle should be transplanted into larger containers. Sand during transplantation is replaced by garden soil, which is sprinkled on top with a small layer of sand. After transplanting, the plant needs more intensive watering, however, do not be too zealous, as this can lead to decay of the root system.
Knowing how to plant honeysuckle correctly in the spring with seeds is only half the battle, as it is very important to provide the plant with proper care. The containers are tightly wrapped in film and placed on a summer cottage under the trees. It is best to choose shaded places protected from direct sunlight. After the appearance of honeysuckle sprouts, the film is removed and the plant is kept in the open air.
When the sprouts slightly increase in size, they can be planted in the garden. The bed is recommended to be made small and fenced with boards. If planting is carried out in autumn, then the soil is sprinkled with branches of conifers or any other mulch that is at your disposal. This will slow down the evaporation of moisture and protect the root system from frost.
Watering and feeding
So, with when to plant the honeysuckle, we have already decided, so it's time to talk about the proper watering and top dressing of the bush. The plant is very unpretentious in care, however, some features still exist. Every spring, it is necessary to make a hole formation. In this case, you should be extremely careful not to damage the root system. Then the honeysuckle is fed and mulched.
All these procedures are mandatory for the first five years after planting a bush in open ground. This is due to the fact that the formation of the root system takes so much. The lack of good yields during the first years of the plant’s life is connected with this. But in the sixth year, honeysuckle will gain all its strength and begin to bring a large number of incredibly tasty and healthy berries.
Watering the bush is necessary often, but in moderation. The plant needs abundant moisture only at the beginning of spring, when the flowering period begins. With the onset of fruiting, watering should be done every day, and on one bush you need at least a bucket of water. In the drier and hotter months, the amount of water can be increased. With a lack of moisture, the shrub begins to give much less yield, and the taste of berries deteriorates noticeably.
Answering the question of when to plant honeysuckle, it is impossible to give an unambiguous answer, since the shrub begins to grow well, both during spring and autumn planting. However, regardless of the season, a solution of wood ash is added to the plant every year, for the preparation of which a liter of the preparation is required per bucket of water.
As for top dressing, it is mandatory for honeysuckle. Spring dressing is carried out before the first foliage with the help of ammonium nitrate. In the fall, wood ash, superphosphate and compost are used. However, it is very important not to overfeed the plant, since an excess of fertilizers will adversely affect growth.
Working with soil and rejuvenation of bushes
Answering the question of how to plant honeysuckle in spring, one should not ignore the equally important issue of working with soil and rejuvenation. So that the crops are plentiful, and the taste qualities of the berries are preserved, throughout the entire period of active flowering, it is necessary to loosen the soil. This will saturate the roots with oxygen and prevent the soil from drying out. It is also very important to deal with weeds in a timely manner, since they interfere with the normal growth and development of the bush. In late autumn, before the onset of the first frosts, the holes are sprinkled with mulch, with which honeysuckle can tolerate even very severe frosts.
For normal growth and high yields, it is very important to prune damaged and diseased branches. In addition, every 10 years, rejuvenation is also mandatory, since without it the quantity and quality of the crop will significantly decrease. Experienced gardeners recommend pruning shrubs in early spring. If the honeysuckle is very old, then you can cut off all the branches, leaving only shoots, after which it is recommended to feed the plant.
Honeysuckle is an amazing plant that has a lot of advantages compared to other berry bushes. It is very easy to care for and perfectly survives in any climatic conditions. In addition, the honeysuckle crop ripens earlier than other crops, and the berries have a unique taste and therapeutic effect.