Honeysuckle: beneficial properties of berries, planting and care, cultivation
Quite often, gardeners are interested in the beneficial properties of honeysuckle berries, as well as planting and caring for the plant. This is a fairly popular shrub that produces tasty, juicy and fragrant fruits. Today there are many varieties of this culture. However, only edible honeysuckle differs in useful properties. Its berries are characterized by a pleasant taste and have a beneficial effect on the body.
Description of the berry
This plant is considered a representative of the type genus of the Honeysuckle family, which unites almost 200 different species.It includes curly, creeping and erect shrubs. Today, honeysuckle is most often cultivated, which plays the role of an ornamental shrub. It brings delicious and he althy fruits. At the same time, climbing honeysuckle is considered an excellent choice for vertical gardening.
Currently, the most sought after crops are blue or blue and edible. The first variety can reach a height of 2-2.5 meters, and the second - does not exceed 1.
Useful and harmful properties
Honeysuckle berries are characterized by a large number of useful properties. With their help, you can get the following results:
- strengthen the immune system;
- stabilize pressure;
- reduce stomach acid;
- speed up the healing of stomach and intestinal ulcers;
- remove toxins from the body;
- deal with bacterial infections and inflammation;
- strengthen blood vessels;
- improve blood circulation.
At the same time, you need to use honeysuckle in moderation. It is important to consider that it can cause allergies. Flowering bushes can also provoke an attack. In addition, the berries of the plant are forbidden to be given to children under 5 years old.
Types of edible honeysuckle
Of the 200 types of honeysuckle in Russia, about 50 grow. Most of them are inedible. At the same time, each region grows its own varieties. It is especially important to carefully choose a plant for Siberia and other northern regions. In this case, frost resistance should be taken into account.
Among edible honeysuckle, separate categories are distinguished - early, mid-ripening, late. They are also divided into sweet, large-fruited, resistant to shedding.
When choosing a particular variety of edible honeysuckle, consider the following:
- Regional features - when choosing, it is worth comparing the lowest temperatures in winter and the frost resistance of a particular variety. It is best to give preference to zoned varieties.
- Shape - can be oval, round-oval, spindle-shaped, cylindrical. There are also elongated berries and fruits with a truncated tip.
- Color - The edible fruits are usually blue and purple. Sometimes they are almost black. From above, the berries are covered with a white-gray bloom. At the same time, poisonous varieties usually have red, orange or yellow berries.
- Fruit size - the maximum size is 2 centimeters. The mass of small berries is 0.5 grams, and large - up to 1.5.
- Taste qualities - differ depending on the variety. Fruits can be sweet, sweet and sour, without bitterness. There are also varieties with an unusual taste.
- Yield - the minimum yield from 1 bush is 500 grams. At the same time, the maximum parameters reach 4 kilograms.
How to choose a variety
Honeysuckle can reach a height of 3 meters. It is characterized by dense bushes that can be used to create hedges. For this, it is worth buying high grades. However, in some cases, it is recommended to give preference to undersized honeysuckle.
When buying seedlings of edible varieties, it is important to focus on the following parameters:
- yield;
- ripening period.
Popular varieties
Breeders are constantly improving the characteristics of honeysuckle, bringing out more and more new varieties that meet specific needs. The best achievements of scientists include the following crops:
- Vasyuganskaya - from 1 bush you can get up to 5 kilograms of fruit. The plant is characterized by sweet and sour berries, in which there is no bitterness. The fruits are dark blue in color and covered with a waxy coating. They are pitcher-shaped and have a flat top. The plant is a cross between a tree and a bush. It is characterized by high parameters of resistance to frost and medium shedding. The fruits are characterized by fast ripening and are well transported.
- Zarnitsa - 1 bush brings about 2 kilograms of berries weighing 1 gram. They are distinguished by a sweet and sour taste, in which a slight astringency is felt. The berries are spindle-shaped and dark blue in color. The bushes have a very decorative appearance and a sprawling hemispherical shape.They are resistant to frost and drought. At the same time, the fruits practically do not fall off.
- Willow - gives up to 3.5 kilograms from a bush. The fruits weigh 0.75 grams and have a dark blue hue and a sour taste. They are spindle-shaped and have a bumpy surface. Bushes have a sprawling spherical shape. The fruits contain a lot of vitamin C. The variety is characterized by high yield and precocity.
- Pavlovskaya - gives about 2 kilograms from a bush. Berries have a weight of 1.3 grams. They are dark blue in color and have a sweet and sour taste. The fruits are characterized by an elongated shape and pointed tops. The bushes are distinguished by an obversely conical shape and a height of up to 1.7 meters. The plants are also characterized by high winter hardiness.
- Nymph - brings up to 3 kilograms from a bush. Berries have a weight of 1 gram. They are characterized by a bluish-blue color and spindle shape. The fruits are large and elongated. They are characterized by a bumpy surface, sweet taste and pleasant aroma.Bushes have a rounded shape and a height of up to 1.5 meters. They are also highly resistant to frost.
- Morena - gives up to 2.5 kilograms from a bush. The fruits have a weight of 1.7 grams and a blue-blue color. The berries are covered with a wax coating and have a sweet and sour taste and a faint aroma. The fruits are pitcher-shaped and decorative. Plant height reaches 1.7 meters.
Requirements for seedlings
When choosing seedlings, consider the following:
- 2 year old seedlings should be used for planting;
- plants should have 2-3 branches;
- optimum plant height is 30-40cm;
- branches must not be damaged or dry;
- peeling bark is perfectly normal;
- the root system should not have damaged areas;
- the branches should have buds.
Honeysuckle is a self-fertile crop. For fruiting, it needs pollinating varieties. Therefore, it is recommended to buy several varieties at once.
How to plant correctly
When planting honeysuckle, you should give preference to high-quality seedlings and properly prepare the recess. In this case, the plant adapts normally.
Honeysuckle should be planted in spring or autumn. The second option is considered more preferable. It is recommended to plant a plant from mid-September to mid-October. In the spring, planting work should be carried out early, since honeysuckle is characterized by an early awakening of the kidneys.
Seat selection
When planting honeysuckle, it is important to choose the right place. It must meet the following criteria:
- wind protection;
- deep groundwater - no closer than 1.5 meters from the surface of the earth;
- neutral, sandy or loamy soil that is well hydrated;
- good light for the crown and shade for the root system.
Honeysuckle grows well in low places. It gets along well with other trees and shrubs. When planting, it is important to think about a comfortable picking of berries. It is important to provide access to different parts of the bush. Honeysuckle can also develop in swampy soil. It is important to ensure that it is not too sour.
Preparation of soil and pits
It is recommended to dig up the soil on the bayonet of a shovel. It is important to remove the roots of weeds. If necessary, the soil is deoxidized. To do this, 1 square meter requires the use of 400 grams of slaked lime. It is recommended to feed the site well so that the seedlings take root faster and gain strength. When digging up beds per 1 square meter, it is worth adding the following:
- 30 grams of superphosphate;
- 30 grams of potassium s alt;
- 10 kilos of humus.
Fresh manure only needs to be applied in autumn. In spring, the soil can be fertilized with humus. It is also permissible to use rotted vegetable compost for this.
When preparing holes for planting crops, consider the following:
- pits are recommended to be prepared 2 weeks before planting;
- the depth of the pit should be 40 centimeters;
- it is recommended to add soil mixture into dug holes;
- The pit should be covered with non-woven material.
To make a soil mixture, it is recommended to mix the following components:
- fertile layer;
- 3 kilos of humus;
- 200 milliliters of ash;
- 30-40 grams of nitrophos;
- 250 milliliters of slaked lime - this amount needs to be mixed with a bucket of water.
The minimum period for planting honeysuckle in prepared holes is 4 days from the moment of fertilization.
Step by step instructions
Honeysuckle seedlings are recommended to be planted according to the scheme. Between adjacent bushes, an interval of 1.5 meters should be maintained, between rows - 2. When using seedlings with open roots, they should be lowered into a clay mash. For its preparation, it is recommended to use 1 liter of clay per 10 liters of water.
To plant honeysuckle, do the following:
- Form a mound out of the poured soil mixture.
- Set the roots of the seedling on top. It is important to ensure that they do not bend.
- Sprinkle the roots with soil and gently tamp it to fill the voids.
- Plentifully water the seedling with water.
- Cover the trunk circle with a mulch layer. For this, it is permissible to use peat, hay, sawdust, bark.
Plant care
Caring for honeysuckle is easy. It needs to be watered, weeded, fed, trimmed in time. Of no small importance is the loosening of the soil and the treatment of diseases and pests.
Feeding
Honeysuckle planted in open ground will not need fertilizer for 2 years. After that, the plants begin to feed with an interval of 2 years. In this case, organic fertilizers must be used. Top dressing should be carried out in late autumn. To do this, it is recommended to add 100 grams of wood ash, 5 kilograms of compost and 40 grams of double superphosphate per 1 square meter to the soil.
Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionEvery year in the spring, before they almost open, honeysuckle is recommended to be fertilized with ammonium nitrate. At the same time, it must be introduced into the ground. Also, under each plant, you can pour a composition of 10 liters of water and 1 large spoon of urea.When all the fruits are harvested, honeysuckle should be fed a third time. To do this, you should use a solution of nitrophoska or nitroammophoska. You can also take a solution of slurry with a concentration of 1:4. It needs to be mixed with 1 bucket of water.
watering
Honeysuckle is considered very unpretentious and does not need special watering. The plant easily withstands drought. It should be watered only when there is no rain for a long time. At the same time, it is recommended to moisten the soil abundantly enough.
Young bushes should be watered regularly. In this case, it is worth using 1-2 buckets of water. After that, the soil should be sprinkled with humus, peat or sawdust. Care should be taken when weeding near-stem circles, since the root system of honeysuckle is close to the surface of the earth.
Shaping bushes
After planting, the plant should not be fed for 2-3 years. Subsequently, it is also not recommended to form a bush if the shoots are characterized by a normal growth rate, but the plant itself is not thickened. Sometimes honeysuckle is first pruned only at 7-8 years old.
However, some gardeners advise cutting the stems of the shrub immediately after planting in the ground. They are shortened to 7-8 centimeters. After that, you can wait until the bush acquires the desired density. It is worth trimming the plant in the fall.
If the bush looks too thick, it is worth removing a few zero shoots growing directly from the soil. It is also recommended to remove all damaged, short and dry branches, as they only take strength from the honeysuckle.
Besides this, you need to thin out the shrubs inside. Thanks to this, the sun's rays will be able to fall into the very thick of the plant. Most of the fruits appear on strong annual stems. Therefore, shortening the shoots can have a bad effect on the future harvest.
Stems with weak growth should be cut off the ends. However, this is done only if the shoots differ in a fairly strong base. Old branches that bring a minimum of berries are best removed. It is also worth removing all low-growing stems, as they interfere with normal soil cultivation near the plants.
If the plant is old, rejuvenating pruning can be done. To do this, it is worth removing almost all the stems and branches, and then wait for the young shoots that begin to grow near the stump.
Spring is worth doing sanitary pruning. To do this, remove branches damaged by frost. You also need to get rid of injured and diseased shoots. After fruiting, the bush should also be cut. This will help keep it in the correct shape.
Methods of reproduction
Honeysuckle should be propagated by seeds, cuttings, layering or division. Cuttings are considered the simplest and most effective way. Green cuttings should be harvested during the completion of shoot growth. It coincides with the appearance of ripe berries.
To do this, cut off the upper fragments of shoots 10-12 centimeters long. They should be cut with a sharp knife into cuttings with two pairs of leaves. They should be planted in a greenhouse or in nurseries.
To prepare the substrate, mix peat and sand in a ratio of 1:2. In this case, you must follow the scheme of 5x10 centimeters. Immediately after planting, the cuttings should be watered from a watering can with a fine sieve. This is required to be done 2-3 times a day. After a couple of weeks, the cuttings begin to sprout roots. At this stage, you can switch to one-time watering.
In autumn, the film must be removed and rooted shoots left for the winter. With the advent of spring, they need to be transplanted to the site, following the pattern of 70x20 centimeters. There, honeysuckle should grow for 2 years. Then she is moved to the garden on a permanent plot.
It is important to consider that only 70% of the total number of green cuttings take root. If you use lignified shoots, this figure is reduced to 25%. Therefore, this method is used quite rarely.
Lignified cuttings should be harvested in autumn or early winter. In this case, annual shoots 20-25 centimeters in size should be cut and stored in the basement, using sand or a snow pile for this.At the end of April, cuttings are recommended to be planted, following the pattern of 20x10 centimeters. This is done at an angle of 45 degrees.
Layering should propagate young plants. To do this, with the advent of spring, the base of the bushes should be covered with moist soil or sprinkled with peat. It is also permissible to use humus for this purpose. For propagation of shrubs, shoots that grow near the ground must be carefully bent down and pinned. At the same time, the upper parts should remain free.
During the season, you need to ensure that the soil around the bush remains wet all the time. Rooted cuttings should be separated from the mother bush and planted for 2-3 years for growing.
Propagate culture by division at the end of September. To do this, the bushes need to be dug up, shaken off the ground and divided by the number of stems that have taken root.
Honeysuckle transplant
Replanting an adult bush is quite difficult. First you need to dig it. It is important to determine the boundaries of the root system. After that, the bush should be pulled out of the ground and transplanted to a new place.
The procedure should be carried out in the summer - immediately after harvesting. In this case, the honeysuckle will have time to adapt to a new place. After transplanting, the crop should be watered abundantly.
Pest Control
Honeysuckle is resistant to various pests. However, sometimes they still attack a given culture. Among the most dangerous parasites, it is worth highlighting aphids, leafworms, moths, mites.
Decis, Inta-vir, Eleksar will help to cope with leaf-eating parasites. Sucking pests are effectively destroyed by Actellik, Konfidor, Rogor.
Honeysuckle is a common plant grown by many gardeners. The culture is unpretentious and produces tasty and he althy fruits. In order for the plant to bring a rich harvest, it is still necessary to follow a number of agricultural rules.
