For some time among gardeners, the growing of honeysuckle edible has become very popular. The fact is that this plant is not only a beautiful ornamental shrub that is used to decorate alleys and arbours. Honeysuckle edible has oblong dark blue fruits, which have a pleasant sweet and sour taste and a high content of vitamins and healing properties, which allows the plant to compete with the benefits of blueberries and blackberries, and even surpass. That's why many people want to grow shrubs on their plot of land, rather than walk through the woods in search of berries or buy at the bazaar, worrying about the environmental friendliness of the product. In addition, the plant is rather unpretentious and does not require special efforts. But to know about the peculiarities of planting and care for edible honeysuckle - this, of course, is necessary.
Planting honeysuckle edible
Before planting the honeysuckle edible it is important to choose the right place. Since the plant is rather photophilic, a place for it should be chosen solar. Shade and waterlogging shrub does not like, as well as dry or sandy soils. The honeysuckle also grows poorly on the hills.
Concerning when to plant edible honeysuckle, then its seedlings are better rooted in autumn in September, although in early spring and in the middle of summer, planting is also possible.
Honeysuckle bushes are planted at a distance of 1 m from each other. First, it is necessary to excavate a 40-cm-deep landing pit, and then add a mixture of humus, wood ash and superphosphate . After that, a seedling is inserted into the pit and carefully buried, not forgetting to trample the earth around the trunk. It remains only to water the bush with water and cover it with dry soil.
By the way, many experienced gardeners recommend planting at least 3 different varieties of edible honeysuckle on the site to improve the taste properties of its fruits, as the plant undergoes cross-pollination.
Care for edible honeysuckle
As mentioned above, honeysuckle does not require much care. It is important to water the plant in time (1-2 buckets per bush), especially in spring and summer, mulch the soil and weed it from the weeds. Honeysuckle and feeding are required, which is carried out every two to three years. In the spring, when the buds bloom on the bush, humus, manure or urea are applied to each bush. But in autumn honeysuckle needs ashes.
Pruning edible honeysuckle can be performed from the age of six in autumn or early spring. Removed sick or withered branches, and young shoots should not be touched - there knots are fastened. For shrubs at the age of 20 years, it is recommended to rejuvenate pruning at a level of 50 cm from the ground level.
If you need to transplant the honeysuckle edible, then it can be produced in autumn for shrubs at least 6 years old that have already discarded the leaves.
The main diseases of honeysuckle eatable are powdery mildew, spotting and phytoviruses. As a rule, the main treatment involves treating the infected bush with a copper-soap solution or a Bordeaux mixture .
How to propagate honeysuckle edible?
Perhaps the honeysuckle edible reproduction of cuttings, seeds, layers and bush division. The most effective is the first method. To work cuttings of honeysuckle edible should be during flowering or when the first fruits appeared. After selecting strong annual shoots, they are cut off. For the cuttings, the middle part of the shoots is suitable. It must be cut in length of 10-12 cm so that on each cutting there are several kidneys and leaves. Cuttings are inserted into a container with a peat-sand mixture in a greenhouse. In September
If we talk about how the edible honeysuckle breeds, then in spring in the end of April it is necessary to pin the strong one-year shoots to the ground and cover them with soil with humus. In the autumn, when the layers have roots, they can be transplanted. In the method of dividing the bush early in spring or late autumn, 3-5 summer plants are excavated and divided into several parts, then planted.
Honeysuckle seeds are planted in spring in a small box with soil and covered with a 2 cm layer of soil. Before the emergence of the gatherings, the container should be covered with a film. In September, seedlings can be planted in the ground.