How and when to prune honeysuckle in the fall - timing and methods of pruning

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Honeysuckle is a fruitful shrub with high regenerative potential. Honeysuckle is pruned in spring, autumn, or when the bush is damaged by parasites or mechanical injury to the shoots by strong winds. Due to the rapid growth of the crown and side shoots, the plant most often needs sanitary and formative pruning. The choice of one method or another is made taking into account the season, the age of the bush and its general condition.

Shaping haircut

Why do you need to prune honeysuckle bushes?

Thickening of the crown during spring and summer may cause poor fruiting in the next season. Without autumn pruning, after frost the bush will begin to grow green mass, which will prevent sunlight from reaching the flowers located deep in the crop.

In the middle of the crown, bees will not be able to pollinate flowers. And berries that ripen in dense foliage will be small and taste sour. Therefore, it is necessary to prune honeysuckle in the fall so that there is a good harvest and it does not turn into a wild plant.

Formation of honeysuckle seedlings

Seedlings for planting are purchased for two to three years. Edible honeysuckle should not be pruned immediately after planting, as this will weaken the plant and delay its fruiting. The first pruning can be done in two to three years, when the bush has formed a crown. Although some gardeners believe that if the shoots of a seedling are cut off, leaving them 8 cm long, this will help to get a more lush plant. And decorative varieties can be pruned the very next year after planting. This will help it grow green mass and form a beautiful shape.

Advantages and disadvantages of autumn pruning

Honeysuckle will not produce much fruit without pruning every year. This procedure, like any other, has its strengths and weaknesses. So, the advantages include:

• sunlight will enter the bush;
• the fruits will become sweeter and larger;
• more ovaries will appear;
• annual growth becomes more powerful - the shoots will be directed towards the sun;
• Harvesting from a trimmed bush is much more convenient;
• plant growth is activated;
• absence of dry and infected branches.

Attention!

With proper pruning, the shrub can produce pods for more than 50 years.

But this procedure also has its drawbacks. For example, if you do it very early, the kidneys are able to wake up and begin to grow. In case of late pruning, the cut points may be frostbitten, which will cause the death of the bush. In addition, excessive diligence in pruning will destroy most of the harvest.

Planting and transplanting

Autumn is the most favorable time to plant or replant honeysuckle. It is irrational to leave these activities until the spring, since honeysuckle begins to grow very early, in March - April, depending on the region.

Replanting an already growing honeysuckle to a new location is possible only as a last resort, since the shrub really does not like damage to its roots . If replanting is necessary, you need to dig up the bush, keeping as much soil as possible on the roots. The dug up shrub is placed on burlap and dragged to a new planting site.

The honeysuckle bush is replanted only when absolutely necessary with a large lump of earth

Optimal timing for pruning honeysuckle bushes

In honeysuckle, sap flow begins in early spring. At this time, the buds on the bush begin to swell. The first harvest can be harvested at the beginning of summer. In order not to damage the swelling buds in the spring, as well as to expose the plant to stress, it is better to prune honeysuckle in the fall.

The procedure carried out in the spring will significantly reduce yields. In addition, there is also a high probability that the bush will be sick. In order not to encounter sad consequences, you need to prune and shape honeysuckle after the leaves have fallen. When this happens, the bush can be easily viewed. But the manipulation must be carried out before the onset of stable frosts.

Each region has its own deadlines:

1. The crop in the central regions should be pruned between the end of October and the beginning of November. At this time, the air temperature can sometimes drop below 0⁰C at night. Before the beginning of October, you should not prune here, since the crop is still sensitive to mechanical damage. As a result, the bush will be weakened in winter.
2. In the northern regions, winters are severe and frosts come quickly, so the cutting time comes earlier. Owners of garden plots here begin pruning honeysuckle in the second half of September.
3. In the South, the climate is milder, so pruning can be postponed to early November.

Attention!

The latest time for the procedure is if there are 14-20 days left before the onset of stable frosts, when the temperature is -10⁰C.

Planting honeysuckle Honeysuckle

Choosing a place

Before purchasing seedlings, you must clearly decide on the place where the honeysuckle will grow, because:

• firstly, there must be supports in this place, for example, the wall of a house, a fence, pillars;
• secondly, although this plant is very unpretentious, it does not like to be transplanted from place to place. Honeysuckle may begin to hurt, stop blooming, and the vine will become sparse. Honeysuckle honeysuckle and reproduction will be difficult. That is, shoots with roots will not be able to actively form;
• thirdly, it is better to prepare the place in advance and take into account all the nuances. That is, soil, lighting, humidity.

Let's take it in order. Honeysuckle grows many meters in length. In about 4-5 years the plant can reach 5 meters. But honeysuckle also spreads well to the sides. That’s why she needs support. It’s easy to use such a plant to cover an unsightly fence or to separate one area from another. It is better to choose a strong support, since the load will be large from the mass of the plant and during strong winds.

Recommendation! Arches braided with honeysuckle look very beautiful. You can make several such arches by placing them above the garden path. Each of which will be entwined with a plant of a different color. Solemn and original.

Immediately determine the landing site. The soil must be fertile, have good air permeability, and not be acidified. Humus, complex preparations, and organic matter can be added as fertilizer. You can prepare the soil using the following components:

• option 1: mix turf soil, humus, sand, peat. Proportions 3:1:1:1;
• option 2: mix compost - 2 buckets, double superphosphate - 100 grams, lime - 0.5 liters, potassium sulfate - 30 grams. After preliminary mixing, all these components are poured into the hole and spilled with water - about 1/2 of a bucket.

Honeysuckle requires neutral soil, that is, a pH level between 7.5 and 8.5. If the soil is acidic, it is limed. Then choose the second soil option indicated above.

There should be no nearby groundwater, swamps, or stagnant moisture in the spring. If in doubt, make drainage using crushed stone or a special material that is sold in stores for summer residents.

In order not to wonder why honeysuckle Honeysuckle does not bloom, follow all the recommendations mentioned above and plant the plant where it will have enough sunlight. Optimally, light partial shade or the first half of the day, honeysuckle should be in the sun, the second half in partial shade.

Support from improvised means

To save money, you can make a support for honeysuckle honeysuckle with your own hands. There are different ways.

• Option 1. A frame in the form of a square is made from slats. It is sewn up with narrower slats diagonally, first in one direction, then in the opposite direction, creating diamond shapes. Below at the base of the support you can make a beautiful box or lay out a flowerbed out of brick.
• Option 2. The easiest thing is to find long round sticks. They are dug into the ground, creating a cone. The sticks are secured at the top with rope. After that, a lathing is made from small sticks. The inconspicuous structure will soon be overgrown with honeysuckle.
• Option 3. Place two pillars. You can make them carved from wood. Between them, stretch a chain-link mesh or plastic mesh. You can simply stretch the ropes.

Choosing a time

Honeysuckle can be planted in both autumn and spring. But there are some subtleties. If you plan to plant when the weather warms up, do it either in August or July. Why? Because in May and June the plant actively grows, forms shoots and blooms for three weeks.

Honeysuckle takes root very well if it is planted from August to the second ten days of October. The main thing is to prepare the soil as needed for honeysuckle Honeysuckle. Replanting in the fall is also preferable, since the plant does not take well to being moved from place to place, and in the spring it may react by not growing or blooming in the coming summer.

Recommendation! Always follow the advice of the lunar planting calendar for gardeners.

Inedible honeysuckle berries Honeysuckle

Landing

Planting a plant and caring for it in the Moscow region or other regions will be similar. Honeysuckle is a cold-resistant plant that tolerates winters well. That’s why it is planted both in warm regions and where the climate is not pleasant.

If you want to create a hedge, then dig a trench to plant a few seedlings. Depth 25-30 cm. If not, then just a hole of approximately the same depth. The main thing is that the roots feel comfortable. The soil is prepared in advance according to the principle described earlier. The seedlings are planted, buried and well watered.

Recommendation! When choosing seedlings, be sure to ensure that the roots are well developed, that they are not affected by rot, and that insects are not crawling.

You now know about landing, then there are equally important questions.

Types of honeysuckle pruning

You should start forming a honeysuckle bush when it reaches five years of age. But in the case when it is noticeable that the first-year crop is growing incorrectly, you must immediately begin to correct it by cutting it. Pruning can be rejuvenating, sanitary, shaping and detailed.

Sanitary pruning

This type of procedure is carried out when the need arises. In the process, gardeners get rid of dry and damaged branches, and also cut off shoots affected by diseases. You also need to get rid of branches that have been damaged by harmful insects.

If the bush is damaged by a fungal infection or pests, you will need:

• remove infected branches along with part of the healthy stem;
• carry out treatments with chemicals (fungicides), pesticides, insecticides or folk remedies;
• collect and burn the resulting waste.

It is also necessary to dig up the ground to destroy the larvae and burrows of pests. In some cases, the damage is so severe that the only way out is to uproot the plant.

Anti-aging pruning

Honeysuckle branches grow quickly, so in the fall it is necessary to rejuvenate an old bush that is 6-7 years old. The procedure should be carried out so that the crown of the plant does not thicken. On old branches there will be weak flowering and poor fruiting. If the bush is not pruned for several years, it will turn into a wild plant.

Rejuvenation can be complete or partial, taking into account the age of the bush. So, the second pruning option is needed when the honeysuckle has reached the age of 6-8 years. In this case, the thickened crown needs to be thinned out as much as possible.

It is necessary to trim branches that are located close to the base and have slowed down in growth. This must be done so that a stump 12-15 cm high remains. Next spring, new and healthy shoots will begin to form on it. It is important to preserve the central young stems. After rejuvenation, 6-7 branches should remain.

Partial trimming should be done every 3-4 years. As a result of this method, honeysuckle fruiting will be extended for several more decades.

Attention!

Experienced gardeners advise removing 1/3 of shoots that are older than 5 years at a time. It is better to trim the rest next season.

Complete rejuvenation should not be done, since in this case the restoration of the crown will be slowed down. But if you still need to carry out this procedure, then the plant should be 13-15 years old.

The manipulation must be carried out before the onset of frost. Regardless of age, all branches need to be completely shortened, leaving stumps about 0.5 m high. During the next season, young shoots will be actively growing. In this case, fruiting should not be expected earlier than after 2 years.

Pruning honeysuckle honeysuckle in the fall involves removing shoots that are dry and broken. You also need to get rid of all the branches that come out of the decorative fence and disrupt the appearance of the design composition.

Formative pruning

Thanks to it, you can give the bush the correct shape. Basically, the procedure is carried out at the age of honeysuckle 3-5 years with a frequency of 1 time in 2 years.

During the pruning process you need to get rid of:

• old branches that do not bear fruit;
• lower shoots resting on the soil;
• young stems growing deep into the bush;
• branches that are directed vertically deep into the crown;
• excess young growth;
• weakened thin shoots;
• branches with weak growth.

Attention!

You should not trim the shoots at the age of 1 year - their fruiting will begin in the next season.

Detailed trimming

This type of procedure requires preparation in advance. First of all, you need to reduce watering. In August it should be minimal. This is necessary to start the process of enhanced development of the root system by reducing the nutrition of the above-ground part of the bush.

Taking into account the climate of the region, pruning should begin in mid-September or early October. You need to remove branches that have stopped bearing fruit and root shoots.

Attention!

Ornamental shrubs planted as hedges need to be pruned frequently. The foliage will grow intensively if you feed it with fertilizers in time.

Honeysuckle Honeysuckle. What kind of plant is this and where does it come from?

Before starting to plant something on a personal plot, every summer resident must clearly understand and know this or that information about plants. After all, each of them has its own planting time, cultivation technology, size, and flowering time. If you do not take these factors into account, you can turn your garden into a place with an absurd design, full of flowers, shrubs, and greenery.

Honeysuckle Honeysuckle, which you will learn about planting below, is used for landscaping summer cottages. Its beauty is that it not only looks very aesthetically attractive, but has a subtle pleasant aroma, creating unsurpassed comfort. The plant is a vine that twines around any supports next to which it is planted. The beauty of honeysuckle is not only its decorativeness, but also its practicality, because you can cover an unsightly fence or, for example, unsightly outbuildings with a vine.

Did you know? Many of us know the legend of Tristan and Isolde - tragic and romantic. The beautiful Isolde was a healer and saved her lover more than once. Her beauty had no equal. And it is with honeysuckle Honeysuckle that the girl is compared.

In the wild, this plant is most often found in the Caucasus mountains, as well as in the southern parts of Europe. It is noteworthy that in one summer, honeysuckle vines can grow more than two meters in length. Life expectancy can reach more than 50 years.

Honeysuckle Honeysuckle has an unusual appearance - its flowers sit close to the greenery, but their stamens proudly move forward. Unusual flowers can be of different shades - red, pink, white, yellow.

Recommendation! If you want your garden to have a zest, then not only plant Honeysuckle and provide it with care so that it looks luxurious, but also combine two different colors in one place at once. For example, red and white honeysuckle.

How to properly prune honeysuckle bushes in the fall

If you prune honeysuckle correctly in the fall, you can not only reap a rich harvest every year, but also extend the life of the bush. But you need to prepare for the procedure: choose a cutting scheme and the necessary materials.

Required tools and materials

Preparing honeysuckle for the winter is not difficult. The main thing is to have the right tools at hand. It is better to buy them in specialized stores. This is about:

• pruning shears or scissors;
• gloves - will help prevent hand injuries;
• garden pruning knife;
• containers for cut shoots - they cannot be left in the garden;
• a rake for collecting leaves and small branches;
• hacksaw;
• ripper;
• fresh mulch.

All instruments must be well disinfected. To do this, you can use special products or a solution of potassium permanganate.

Trimming schemes

The scheme for autumn pruning of honeysuckle differs depending on the age of the bush.

Basically, during this period, gardeners carry out a formative procedure according to the following algorithm:

1. For first-year bushes, the apical shoots must be shortened, leaving 4 mature buds.
2. At the age of 2 years, honeysuckle forms several branches. They should also be shortened in the fall.
3. In the 3rd and 4th years, the emerging shoots of the plant are shortened in the same way, gradually forming a bush.
4. In the fifth year, it is necessary to form a trunk of 5-8 strong skeletal branches. The lower ones need to be shortened before the growth of vertical shoots begins. A gap of 18-20 cm should be left between the soil and the lower branches for further processing of the root circle.
5. Remove shoots that grow deep into the crop and darken the middle of the crown.

Also, in the process of creating the skeleton of a bush, you must follow other rules. For example, trim branches that are crooked, thin, or broken during the formation of honeysuckle.

Step-by-step plans

To make it even clearer how to prune honeysuckle in the fall, the diagram will include the following steps:

Stage 1 – removing branches after planting honeysuckle. Leave 2-4-5 strong shoots, and remove the top part from them to create a crown. After this, mineral fertilizers and organic fertilizers are applied to the bush.

Stage 2 – sanitary removal of branches during the first 10 years, or more precisely 5-7 years after planting in a permanent place in open ground. Remove dry and broken branches below the breakage or up to the living part; they should not be completely removed. And also those that are bent towards the ground or directed into the crown, so that they do not interfere with the ventilation of the bush, the passage of light, or a decrease in yield due to the shrinking of the berries.

The exception is branches that are pinned to the ground for propagation of honeysuckle by layering. They are sprinkled with earth on top for rooting and planting the “free” seedling in a new place.

Stage 3 – removal of branches on mature and old bushes. 8-15 strong branches are left on them, bent and gnarled branches and tops are removed - long branches that do not have branches, but only a small umbrella of twigs on top. Anti-aging pruning is carried out once every 3-4 years; if necessary, branches are removed down to the ground or left at a height of 30-40 cm.

It is important to know! To prevent the entry of fungi and pests, cut areas on branches and shoots are treated with garden varnish, and the cutting tool is treated with alcohol before performing the work.

Processing slices

Processing of sections is necessary to prevent the penetration of pathogens into the honeysuckle tissue. But before the procedure, you should wait until the juice stops secreting and the cut dries.

RanNet paste or garden pitch are often used to process sections. You can buy the latter in a specialized store or prepare it yourself.

For the second option you will need paraffin, rosin, sunflower oil in a ratio of 6:3:1. Cooking algorithm:

1. Melt paraffin over low heat.
2. Grind the rosin and add it to the paraffin.
3. Boil.
4. Pour in the oil.
5. Boil for 15-30 minutes, cool. The result is an insoluble elastic mass in liquid form.

Attention!

You should not use mineral oil to prepare the brew. If you do not follow this rule, the restoration of damaged cells will be difficult.

How to care for honeysuckle after pruning

Despite the fact that the bush begins to be pruned after the end of sap flow, it still experiences stress. For this reason, gardeners advise fertilizing after the procedure. It is better to use humus or compost for this purpose at the rate of 1 bucket for each bush.

You can feed honeysuckle with phosphorus and potassium. It is necessary to scatter 10 g of superphosphate, 20 g of potassium sulfate evenly into shallow holes around the crop, and then water it.

The soil around the bush must be moistened - thanks to this it will be able to withstand frost. After this, the root zone of the crop should be insulated with sawdust and straw. There is no need to cover honeysuckle.

How to prepare honeysuckle for winter

Preparing a bush for cold weather involves removing dry and broken branches, pruning old ones, and maintaining a maximum of 5 thick trunks. The main plant varieties are resistant to frost, so they do not need to be covered for the winter. But this rule applies only to the middle zone, the Volga region, and the south of Russia.

In the northern regions, in Siberia and the Urals, shelter is necessary, for which mulch is used. In order for the crop to survive the winter well, it must also be fed with ash: 250-350 g scattered over the surface of the soil.

Attention!

Fertilizing is carried out before the temperature drops below +7⁰C. In cold soil, the root system does not absorb nutritional components, as the bush goes dormant.

Pruning honeysuckle is one of the main procedures for caring for the crop in the fall. It’s not difficult to do; even a beginner can handle this task. The main thing is to follow the recommendations of experienced gardeners and instructions with pictures.

Botanical description

Decorative honeysuckle honeysuckle is a climbing deciduous shrub up to 6 m high, the young shoots of which are light green, sometimes with a purple tint, becoming brown with age. Honeysuckle leaves are broadly elliptical, opposite, 4 to 10 cm long, dark green on the upper side, bluish below. Several pairs of upper leaves can grow together at their bases and form an elliptical blade. Yellowish-white fragrant flowers, often with a reddish tint on the outside, are collected in whorls in the axils of the upper leaves. The orange or red inedible honeysuckle fruits, 6-8 cm in diameter, ripen in late July or early August. They are located on such short stalks that it seems as if they were glued to the leaves.

Growing honeysuckle for berries - planting and care