Growing honeysuckle from seeds. How to propagate honeysuckle: methods of propagation, their characteristics, possible problems and solutions Growing honeysuckle from seeds

Honeysuckle plants grown from. seeds do not retain the characteristics of the original variety. They are obtained as a result of cross-pollination, i.e. natural hybridization, and carry the characteristics of both the mother variety and the pollinator variety. Therefore, seed propagation is not used when propagating blue honeysuckle varieties. This method is used for its introduction into new growing areas, in breeding for the development of new varieties, in the practice of tree and shrub nurseries when growing seedlings for landscaping. Due to its simplicity and effectiveness, seed propagation is popular at stations for young naturalists and among experienced gardeners.

Using the propagation of blue honeysuckle by seeds, even a novice gardener can develop his own variety of honeysuckle. It is very important to choose the source material for sowing. Many varieties, especially hybrid ones, do not themselves have a bitter taste in the berries, but when the seeds are sown, bitter-fruited seedlings are produced in the offspring. Their number can reach 10-15%, like Tomichka or Vasyuganskaya, and even up to 86%, like Ivushka. Therefore, for sowing at home, it is better to take seeds of such dessert varieties as Gerda, Dessertnaya, Long-fruited, Cinderella, Kamchadalka, Lazurnaya, Lakomka, Leningrad Giant, Nizhny Novgorod Rannyaya, Nymph, Pavlovskaya, Blue Bird, Start, Sinichka, Roxana, Violet. Their offspring produce large-fruited seedlings with sweet-sour or sour berries without any signs of bitterness. If you use seeds from wild flora for sowing, then the best quality source material for berries is found in Kamchatka, the Magadan region, and also on the Kuril Islands.

Among the seedlings of the Tomichka, Vasyuganskaya, and Dolphin varieties, high-yielding ones will prevail, but with a mediocre taste, and among the seedlings of the Kapel variety, they will be very early in terms of ripening.

Honeysuckle seeds are flat, round in shape, brownish-brown, with a fine-mesh surface. They belong to the group of small ones: 1 g contains 700-850 seeds. Each berry contains 4-18 seeds, their number depends on pollination conditions. From 1 kg of berries you can get 9-10 g of full-fledged seeds.

Honeysuckle seeds are harvested from berries that have reached full maturity. Ripe berries are ground by hand or crushed with a mixer. The resulting crushed mass is poured with water in a bucket or jar, mixed, then the water is carefully drained along with the pulp particles. The water is changed several times. The seeds, heavier than other berry tissues, sink to the bottom. The seeds, washed from the pulp, along with a small amount of water, are poured onto gauze and dried in the shade until they flow. If you need to get a small amount of seeds, the berries are crushed on filter paper or newspaper, dried away from heat sources and stored together with the paper until sowing.

Dry seeds at room temperature retain high germination (75-95%) for 2 years, satisfactory (10-50%) - 4 years. At low positive temperatures, seeds remain viable for 7 years.

Honeysuckle seeds have a short dormant period and therefore do not require pre-sowing treatment at low temperatures or stratification. Once in favorable conditions (humidity 96-100%, temperature 22-25 ° C), fresh seeds germinate in 18-25 days. Seeds stored for more than 2 years need stratification. They are placed in damp moss or sawdust and kept in a basement or refrigerator for 30 days at a temperature of +4 ° C. A small number of seeds can be stratified on damp filter paper in Petri dishes in the refrigerator. Cold treatment for 30 days increases the germination of long-term stored seeds to 55-70%.

The soil for sowing is prepared by mixing turf soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1. Standard seed boxes, pottery flower pots, and any containers with holes in the bottom used by gardeners at home are convenient for sowing. The thickness of the soil should be at least 5-8 cm, since the roots of honeysuckle grow faster than the above-ground part. The seeds are covered with a layer of soil 6-8 mm thick. Watering is moderate, daily.

There are three possible dates for sowing honeysuckle seeds: summer - in early July, immediately after the berries ripen, autumn - at the end of October and early spring - in early March. In our experiments, it was found that the summer sowing period accelerates the entry of plants into fruiting by one year: in the third year, 87% of the seedlings of the summer and only 5% of the autumn and spring sowing periods produced the first harvest.

To obtain good results when sowing in summer, it is important to sow the seeds immediately after they are isolated from ripe berries, i.e. in late June - early July. Shoots appear after 20 days; and by the beginning of August all viable seeds will germinate. It is best to keep a box of sown seeds in a greenhouse or greenhouse and water it daily. Honeysuckle seedlings sown in summer are quite winter-hardy, so the boxes can be left in the garden for the winter.

Autumn sowing gives good results at a very late date at the end of October-November. Boxes with seeds are left outside under the snow for the winter. Under these conditions, the seeds undergo natural stratification and germinate in spring. Early spring transfer of boxes with seeds to a film greenhouse and regular watering accelerate the emergence of seedlings.

The technique for early spring sowing is no different from sowing tomato seeds for seedlings. Shoots begin to appear on the 15-18th day after sowing. Germination is quite extended: all germinating seeds sprout within a month. A small number of seeds (up to 50 pieces) can be pre-germinated in a humid chamber, preferably in Petri dishes lined with filter paper. The seedlings are transferred to the soil when a root emerges from the seed. When germinating, blue honeysuckle brings the subcotyledonous knee to the surface in a loop, then two small dark green, leathery cotyledonous leaves open.

Picking is carried out when the plants reach a height of 2-3 cm and have 2-3 pairs of true leaves. You can dive into open ground on a ridge, but it is more effective to grow seedlings in a greenhouse or nursery during the first year of life: this accelerates their growth and entry into fruiting. Picking pattern 5X5 cm. Plant care is simple: watering as needed, regular weeding and loosening the soil to a shallow depth.

In the spring of the second year of life, the seedlings are transferred to open ground, to ridges, where they are placed according to a 20X20 cm pattern or in rows of 70X15 cm.

Typically, seedlings begin to bear fruit in the 3-4th year after sowing. Based on the first fruiting, plants with large fruits with a dessert taste, without signs of bitterness, are selected. In the fall, after selection, the best seedlings are planted in the garden, and the remaining plants may be useful to you for creating a hedge.

In summer cottages, amateur gardeners can see many bushes and trees. But they always want to have something extraordinary. For example, honeysuckle. These attractive bushes are unique for their bell-shaped fruits.

Previously, this plant was widespread, as its healing properties were widely used in the treatment of atherosclerosis, anemia, scurvy and other diseases.

Now you can plant such a “miracle” in your dacha. The average height reaches 2.5 meters and width 3 meters. Dense thickets will perfectly decorate country gazebos and arches. Honeysuckle tolerates cold perfectly; even -50 degrees below zero will not harm it. But the heat has a detrimental effect on the bush, the leaves turn yellow and fall off, the fruits become bitter. You need to carefully monitor its watering.

Propagation by seeds

1. Planting takes place in October.
2. Buy a wide container with a height of no more than 6 cm. A vessel with such parameters is ideal.
3. Fill it with sand and water it thoroughly, sparing no water.
4. Make holes with your finger.
5. Place honeysuckle seeds.
6. Cover with wet sand on top.
7. Pack the container in cling film.
8. Place in the refrigerator on the lowest shelf.
9. Water periodically if you see that the sand is dry.
10. The duration of care takes two seasons (until spring).

After all the manipulations, at the end of the period, remove the box. Now it needs to be thoroughly prepared for landing. But before that, a transplant is needed.

1. Take a box up to 20 cm high.
2. Cover 10 cm with soil. Water.
3. Apply a layer of sand on top that was in the previous box.
4. Place the seeds and sprinkle with a little sand.
5. Cover with film and place in the sun.
6. The first shoots will appear closer to the month of planting in the ground.
7. Transplant the seedlings to the chosen location.
8. Don't forget to mulch using pine needles. The needles help maintain moisture.

Care

Honeysuckle bushes are not picky. The main thing for them is watering. Trim off weak branches. Leave only healthy shoots. For the next five years, you don’t need to do anything, just remove the dried branches and that’s it.

A bush that has reached seven years of age produces a smaller harvest. Its density interferes and therefore it is necessary to cut off the old branches, making room for young shoots.

Of course, it takes years to grow such a wonderful bush, but it’s worth it. But after a certain time you can sit in a charming gazebo, entwined with marvelous vegetation.

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Edible honeysuckle has literally burst into Russian gardens. Lovers vied with each other to plant this berry crop - tasty, healing, extremely flexible and winter-hardy. If it is difficult to purchase planting material in your region, you can grow seedlings yourself. Vegetative propagation of honeysuckle at home ensures the preservation of varietal characteristics of the mother specimen, good survival rate of the crop, and rejuvenation of old bushes.

Edible honeysuckle is one of the earliest temperate berries.

Conditions for successful honeysuckle breeding

Having been inspired by the idea of ​​​​growing honeysuckle, but not fully understanding the intricacies of its cultivation, gardeners are often disappointed in the culture. It seems that everything was done correctly, care was provided, but the plant refuses to bear fruit or produces few berries, and even those are bitter. To get high-quality planting material and then a productive berry garden, it is not enough to know how to propagate honeysuckle. A mandatory plus for technology is knowledge of the biological characteristics of the plant.

1. The most important condition for the yield and taste of berries is cross-pollination of different varieties of honeysuckle (at least 3-4), located in close proximity to each other. It is desirable that the garden collection include varieties with different ripening periods, dessert, sweet and sour, and with a spicy taste.
2. To get high yields, plant the shrub in an open, sunny place. The preferred planting pattern is not in rows, but in curtains. The large area of ​​flowering attracts bumblebees, and these are the most effective pollinators of honeysuckle's tubular flowers.
3. For vegetative propagation, choose young mother honeysuckle bushes with good growth vigor and no visible signs of disease.
4. At the first stage of propagation, the main task is to stimulate root formation. This requires a favorable thermal regime, high soil and air humidity, and shading from the bright sun. In essence, these are greenhouse conditions that are necessary for nascent life to emerge.
5. Grown seedlings need growing, hardening, adaptation to growing conditions in an open environment. During this period, a viable root system is formed and the plant acquires immunity. The optimal age for transplanting a seedling to a permanent place is 2–3 years.

Methods of vegetative propagation

At home, vegetative methods of propagating honeysuckle are most often used. They allow you to reproduce offspring while preserving all the genetic characteristics of the mother plant. To do this, use its various parts:

• shoots (stems) – green and woody;
• layering from shoots in contact with the soil;
• root suckers developed from adventitious buds on the roots;
• root by mechanical division into several parts.

Let's look at each option in more detail.

Green cuttings

The method of propagating honeysuckle by green cuttings is used in the summer.

First of all, it is necessary to correctly determine the time for harvesting cuttings. There are different recommendations in the literature - simultaneously with the appearance of green fruits, when the first berries ripen, immediately after harvesting. The optimal date is mid-June. By this time, the current year's shoot has completed its growth, it is no longer so juicy, and is not prone to rotting in a humid environment. In addition, there is plenty of time ahead to form a viable root system and prepare for winter.

Advice! Before harvesting, check young shoots for flexibility. If the stems bend, let them grow some more; if they have not lost their green color, but are already breaking, they are suitable for cuttings.

The most powerful young growths are selected for cuttings. From the middle part of the branch, cut pieces 8–12 cm long so that each part has one internode and 2 pairs of leaves. An oblique cut under the lower node at an angle of 45⁰, the leaves are removed. The upper cut is straight, 1–2 cm above the node, the leaves are shortened by half.

There are 2 methods of rooting green honeysuckle cuttings:

• in the substrate;
• in water, with transplantation into soil after the roots appear.

In the first case, the cutting is immediately planted in a light, loose, moist substrate consisting of peat and sand (1:3), immersing the lower cut to the middle of the internode. Cover the top with a transparent cap to create a greenhouse effect. If it is a garden bed, place arcs and cover them with film (to retain moisture) and spunbond (to protect from direct rays of the sun).

For 2-3 weeks, make sure that the soil and air are moist - this can be easily checked by evaporation on the inside of the film. After the roots appear, watering is reduced, the cuttings are ventilated, but the shelter is maintained for some time, gradually accustoming the young plant to the street.

In autumn, young plants rooted in the garden bed are covered with spruce branches and leaves. In early spring, they will begin to grow and will be nursed for at least one growing season, after which they can be transplanted to a permanent location.

Some gardeners prefer to start propagating honeysuckle by germinating green cuttings in water. Only the part with the lower assembly is immersed in the container; water is periodically added, but not changed. To enhance root formation, during the first day the cuttings are kept in a solution of a growth stimulator. As soon as the roots grow, the cuttings are transplanted into the substrate.

Lignified cuttings

You can use lignified cuttings to propagate honeysuckle, but they are harvested not in the summer, but after the leaves fall. Cut strong, healthy branches with a diameter of at least 7–8 mm. Store the mother material in the basement, having previously wrapped it in a damp cloth and buried it in the sand.

In the spring, as soon as the honeysuckle in the garden begins to grow, the prepared material is cut into cuttings and planted using the same technology as green ones. Rooted and established seedlings will form an independent root system by autumn and will overwinter without any problems. In another year they will be ready for planting.

Root and horizontal layering

For those who do not dare to take cuttings or consider this method too troublesome, a simpler option for propagating honeysuckle is possible - by obtaining layering and then transplanting the daughter shoots to a permanent place.

Horizontal layering is obtained if, in early spring, one or more branches of the lower tier are pinned to the ground. To stimulate root formation, shallow cuts are made on the bark (furrow) at the point of contact of the shoot with the soil. This method gives 100% survival rate, since before rooting the daughter branch maintains contact with the mother bush. By autumn, the cuttings form their own roots, but they are separated from the main bush only next spring, when they are transplanted to a permanent place.

Note! Honeysuckle does not often produce root cuttings (suckers). This happens when an adventitious bud wakes up on an overgrown root system and grows into an above-ground shoot. Such a shoot is grown on site for 2 years, then separated from the mother bush and replanted.

Air layering

Another way to propagate honeysuckle is by air layering. It is used when branches grow vertically and it is impossible to bend them to the ground. The branch selected for layering is furrowed in the lower part under one of the buds. A plastic cup for seedlings or a bottle is cut lengthwise, the halves are filled with a loose, damp bud and “put” on the branch at the place of the furrow. The halves are connected and secured with tape, as shown in the photo below. During the summer, the air layering is watered, and after the roots have formed, it is cut below the planting container and sent to the garden bed for growing.

Bush division and replanting

By the appearance of honeysuckle you can determine whether it is suitable for propagation by dividing the bush or not. It should be an adult but young plant, no older than 5–6 years, with 6–8 skeletal branches buried in the soil at the base. If you are not sure that there is a root system suitable for division, the bush can be hilled up to a height of 20 cm in the spring, thereby stimulating the formation of lateral roots.

In the fall, the plant is dug up and divided into parts using pruning shears. Each fragment should contain at least 2-3 shoots and a decent piece of rhizome. The technology for planting cuttings is the same as for ordinary seedlings.

Advice! Spring hilling of the bush is carried out if you want to get vertical layering. In this case, in the fall, not the entire bush is dug up, but several side branches with independent roots that have grown over the summer are separated.

Generative propagation (by seeds)

Fans of experimental gardening practice propagation of honeysuckle by seeds. With this method, it is impossible to predict the varietal characteristics of the seedling in advance - either a completely edible variety or a wild-growing form can be obtained.

Seeds are collected from large ripe fruits, washed to remove pulp, and dried. They practice 3 sowing dates.

• In the summer, immediately after collection. By autumn they will germinate and form several leaves. The seedlings need to be covered for the winter, and in the spring they will continue the growing season.
• Pre-winter sowing (at the end of October) has its advantages. The seeds undergo natural stratification and are hardened by cold. Such seedlings are stronger and have a more powerful root system. In the summer they are transplanted for growing.
• In early spring (March-April), the seeds are sown in closed ground. The container is filled with loose nutrient substrate for seedlings, the honeysuckle seeds are buried 1 cm, moistened, and covered with film or glass. The planting container remains in this form until germination, about a month. They are then opened and grown in a container for a year. They dive into open ground in the spring of next year (May).

When you start propagating honeysuckle, don’t be afraid to experiment and try different ways of obtaining planting material. A win-win option, but with a limited number of copies, is layering. Cuttings provide great opportunities - a gardener should master this technology.

Propagation of honeysuckle by green cuttings:

Honeysuckle is an infrequent guest in our garden plots: many summer residents do not even know what kind of berry it is. Nevertheless, the berry is quite worthy: it is one of the very first to ripen, when you still really want vitamins. Planting honeysuckle bushes is not difficult, and it reproduces in the same way as most berry bushes.

How to propagate honeysuckle

Most summer residents know that it is not at all difficult to propagate, for example, currants, and they do it with success. And honeysuckle? Almost everything is done in exactly the same way: it is propagated by dividing the bush, horizontal layering, green or lignified cuttings and even seeds. Not all methods are used equally in the country garden, but it is worth having a brief understanding of them.

Let's start with the simplest thing. To propagate honeysuckle by layering, the gardener does almost nothing at all.

We wait until mid-June, when the new shoots have already grown quite well, and take a closer look at the bush. It is necessary to choose the most powerful shoots from those that grow closer to the edge and can be easily bent to the ground. How many escapes are needed? Yes, one is enough, but just in case, a couple.

We take a hoe and in the place where the selected shoot will lie, we thoroughly loosen the soil. If it doesn’t give in, dig shallowly with a shovel or hand cultivator. We find a thick wire and make several brackets of 8 centimeters each from it. No wire at all? It's not scary either. We prepare several pieces of bricks or stones.

We lay the shoot on the ground, trying not to break it, and pin it in 2-3 places with wire or press it down with stones. You can even dig a shallow groove first, 3-4 centimeters, it will be even more convenient to lay. We fill it with soil a few centimeters high. The tip of the shoot has the right to stick out: it must see the sun and know where to aim! We water our preparation well. If the soil is heavy and often cracks from watering, mulch with a thin layer of dry soil or compost.

Scheme for laying young shoots: after some time, roots appear in the ground

During the summer, we systematically water the cuttings. It doesn't need to be wet, it needs to be damp. Always. If this happens, almost every buried bud can turn into a small bush. At least in a month it will be clear whether they will succeed.

For the winter we leave the entire structure as is. Next spring, use pruning shears to cut off the pinned shoot, carefully dig it up and cut it into ready-made seedlings with roots. We throw away the bad ones, and plant the good ones in a permanent place. They will bloom in a couple of years.

Propagation by seeds

Propagation by seeds is a hassle for those who like it hotter. And, most importantly, it is not clear in advance what will happen: it is not at all guaranteed that it will be a seedling of the variety from which you took the seeds. For most berry growers, propagation by seeds is the prerogative of breeders; it is used mainly for breeding new varieties. But if you want to experiment, let's try it.

So, it’s still the same June, the end of the month. Or early July. Dark blue berries have ripened on the honeysuckle bush. In most varieties, ripe berries do not stick to the branches and fall off easily. We take 10–15 ripe soft berries and extract the seeds from them using any available method. For example, rubbing the pulp through a fine strainer. The seeds are also small, but not very small: 2 millimeters maximum. We rinse thoroughly with water and decide: to plant immediately or in the fall? If not immediately, you need to dry it properly and store it in a paper bag (no more than 2 years). But you don’t have to wait.

Sowing seeds in summer

Any light soil is suitable for germinating seeds; it is important that it does not dry out quickly. It is best to take equal amounts of humus, soil and sand, adding a little ash. We pour soil into any box, moisten it and sow the seeds very shallowly: to a depth of about 1 mm, for example, like snapdragons or annual phlox. We cover it with glass and make sure that it is constantly humid in such a “greenhouse”. To avoid unnecessary thinning, you should try to sow the seeds about 1 cm apart from each other. If it’s difficult, it doesn’t matter, just in 20–25 days, when the seedlings hatch, you’ll have to arm yourself with small tweezers, or for some, a magnifying glass, and start pulling through the extra ones. The seedlings will live in the box for a long time. Not even until autumn, but until next year. They need to be cared for like vegetable seedlings: watered, loosened, maybe even fed a couple of times with complex fertilizer. But in late autumn, right in the box, they will need to be taken outside, where they will spend the winter, covered with snow. What if there is no snow? Well, yes, for the first time you need to cover the box with at least burlap or spunbond.

Honeysuckle seeds are not very small, they can be arranged individually

In winter, the seedlings will continue to grow outdoors. And as soon as it becomes clear that they can be replanted (although they will still be only a few centimeters high), carefully remove one from the box and dive into the bed at a distance of 5–7 cm from each other. In the garden we look after them again like little children until they grow up. And in another year they will grow up, and then, most likely, they can be planted in a permanent place. And after another three years, try the first berries.

Is it possible to do without boxes and sow directly into a garden bed at the dacha? Of course, it is possible, but it will be much more difficult to care for: not every summer resident can monitor the constant soil moisture in the garden bed and the slow growth of miniature seedlings, especially those who come to the site only on weekends.

Sowing seeds in autumn

If you don’t want to bother with boxes in your apartment, you can wait until autumn and put the dried seeds in a bag in your nightstand. And already in November we take the same box with soil and sow seeds into it in the same shallow way. We immediately take the box outside, where it will spend the winter. Until spring, honeysuckle seeds will naturally undergo stratification, and in spring sprouts should hatch and begin to grow. Dry seeds sown without stratification sprout only after a month, and throughout this month it would be necessary to monitor soil moisture.

If we want to speed up the process, and there is a greenhouse at the dacha, then early in the spring the box can be brought there, the seeds will sprout faster. Further care is the same as for home crops. Question: why then bother with summer sowing at home? It’s safer at home, under supervision! Growing honeysuckle from seeds requires special attention: careful watering and surface loosening.

Throughout the summer, the main thing is to maintain the humidity regime. Regular watering is needed until the beginning of autumn, when 3-4 pairs of leaves form on the seedlings. They also need to be constantly protected from the bright sun on hot days.

Even if honeysuckle shoots from seeds appeared on time and in harmony, this does not mean that everything will be fine. Their growth may be stunted for one reason or another, but most often due to a lack or, conversely, an excess of moisture. Watering should be moderate and careful so as not to wash out tiny plants from the soil. Heat also has a detrimental effect on young bushes. As for nutrition, there are most likely no problems here: the seedlings still need a little.

In addition, usually not all seedlings grow equally. There is nothing to do, the weakest will have to be sacrificed, and why do we need a lot? But we also remember that seed propagation does not guarantee obtaining the desired variety. And, perhaps, it is the weakly growing specimens that could produce more tasty berries. But what to do, lottery...

Video: growing honeysuckle from seeds

Propagation by cuttings

Propagation by cuttings is one of the most popular methods of propagating berry plants. In the case of honeysuckle, propagation by green, woody and combined cuttings is possible. Perhaps it is easiest to work with woody cuttings.

They are harvested and planted in the ground early in the spring, while the buds are still dormant. The thicker the cutting, the better; optimally - 7–8 mm in diameter. Length - 15–20 cm. Planting technique - elementary: into loose soil, right in the garden, you need to insert the cutting about halfway. We leave two buds above the ground: one at soil level, the second - as it turns out. If you put a plastic bag on the cuttings, the danger of drying out will be minimized, and in a month it should already sprout roots.

Such roots on the cutting indicate that now it will be able to obtain its own food from the soil and can be planted in a permanent place

It’s more difficult with green cuttings. They can be cut and planted all summer, but they should not be completely herbaceous: they should break when bent. It is better to keep cuttings up to 15 cm in size in a solution of a growth stimulator, and from the 3 buds left on the cutting, the leaves from the top are not torn off, but cut in half; the other two are carefully cut off without damaging the buds. They are planted in the same way as lignified ones, but they must be covered with a film and constantly monitor the humidity underneath: water and ventilate... You won’t be able to leave the site for a long time.

Combined cuttings are prepared from this year’s growths, but are cut so that the “heel” of last year’s shoot remains on them. This is done immediately after the bush blooms and be sure to soak the cuttings in a solution of heteroauxin or root. Plant at a depth of about 5 cm and also cover with film, monitoring the humidity underneath. Roots should appear in three weeks.

The combined cuttings must contain a piece of last year's growth

Grafting honeysuckle onto honeysuckle

Grafting of honeysuckle, as in the case of other fruit crops, is carried out in order to obtain fruits of the desired variety. However, it is clear that since honeysuckle is a shrub, this variety will only be on the shoot on which we graft. As a rootstock you can take Tatarian honeysuckle, which is easily grown in standard form, and then we will get a small tree.

Grafting of honeysuckle is usually carried out using the budding method, that is, with a dormant eye, and the rootstock must have a shoot thickness of at least millimeters. Although grafting with cuttings, using the copulation method, is also possible. The time for vaccinations is early in the spring, while there is still snow, or in the fall, after the leaves have fallen.

Obviously, different varieties of honeysuckle can be grafted into one bush onto different shoots. This is all the more useful since for normal pollination of honeysuckle in the garden it is necessary to have several varieties.

Video: grafting honeysuckle

Propagation of honeysuckle is no more complex procedure than propagation of other berry bushes. There is both a field for experimentation and a simple, well-trodden path. In the absence of time and skills, you can quickly and reliably obtain seedlings using the layering method, and if you want to work hard, you can try seed propagation or grafting.

Garden honeysuckle, which is not at all difficult to plant and care for in the open ground, is an erect and tall bush.

Until the age of seven they have the ability to reach a height of up to 1.8 m.

They are densely branched, have a spreading crown, and reach two meters in diameter.

On average, fifteen brushes grow on one bush. Every year, young cuttings grow from last year's growths from buds.

In the gaps of the lower foliage of young cuttings, peduncles are formed, and in the future - fruit ovaries.

The yield of the coming year gradually builds up throughout the summer days in the gaps of the upper foliage in the buds of the flower stalks. It must be taken into account that the rhizomes extend half a meter beyond the boundaries of the crown. And the rhizomes extend especially deeply into the soil, since the root system is taprooted. At a depth of 80 cm, the largest number of sucking roots is located.

The location of the buds and foliage of the crop is particularly characteristic: on the branches they grow opposite each other in pairs, and often have stipules. A location arranged in this way immediately reveals honeysuckle seedlings, in the sense that it is difficult to confuse them with other vegetation. The fruits are infructescences formed as a result of the growth of bracts, which are more often called berries.

Edible honeysuckle is a winter-hardy plant: its buds and wood have the ability to withstand severe frosts down to – 50 C, and its rhizomes and flowering buds up to – 40 C. Peduncles, buds and young ovaries are not afraid of cold temperatures down to – 8 C. The plant loves sunny areas and loams. , well flavored with organic matter, with a normal acid reaction. In general, vegetation grows well in shade too, but fruiting declines.

Due to the fact that honeysuckle is cross-pollinated, it requires suitable company. To ensure a complete harvest, it is recommended to plant the crop in a group of four plants of different varietal species.

In hot and dry weather conditions, especially on spring days and early summer days, the crop needs to be irrigated, because it is moisture-loving. In areas with high air humidity, it also feels excellent, due to the fact that it prefers moist air.

But it does not tolerate stagnation or nearby groundwater. In such unfavorable circumstances, its rhizomes rot. The reaction of the honeysuckle crop to acidic soils is negative: yields decrease and the foliage fades. To a much greater extent, honeysuckle favors organic nutrition, but does not like mineral ones.

Growing crops from seeds

• From the last ten days of September to the first ten days of October, we will try to grow honeysuckle from seeds at home. To do this, take a wide container and fill it with sand. We irrigate it thoroughly and sprinkle the seeds, then sprinkle them with sand and irrigate again.
• We cover the container with a film cover and place it on the shelf of the refrigerator compartment below in the compartment for vegetables.
• Once every half month we spray the sand with water and carry out the operation before the onset of spring days.
• In March, we prepare a box made of wood about 20 cm high and fill it with fertile soil mixture to about 10 cm, irrigate it well with water. Sprinkle sand mixed with seeds on the ground in an even layer, sprinkle it with 2 cm of soil, compact it a little and sprinkle with water.
• Next, we cover the box with a film cover and place it outside if the temperature regime is more or less warm, excluding frost. It is recommended to place the box so that the sun's rays fall on it for at least several hours a day.
• With the first shoots, remove the film. To irrigate still small sprouts, it is better to use a spray bottle.
• Cultivating seedlings in a box throughout the summer season. Then, in the first ten days of September, before frost sets in, we move them to unprotected ground. To do this, we prepare a narrow ridge, fencing it with boards.
• Sprinkle the ridge with mulch from withered leaves or pine needles, this will help reduce the evaporation of moisture.

We purchase seeds at markets or from neighbors who grow excellent fruiting honeysuckle. In the second case, mash the berries a little and fill them with water for an hour. Then we immediately sow the seeds in unprotected soil.

To do this, we prepare the ridge by loosening the soil and pouring a 3 cm layer of sand onto it.

Trying to evenly pour the seeds along with water into the ridge and sprinkle with a layer of moistened soil.

The initial shoots will appear after a month, only the pampered stems will be protected from birds and precipitation by covering them with a film covering.

A good variation is to place metal arcs over the ridge, covering them with film, but do not cover the ends to ensure aeration.

On hot days, it is more successful to replace the film coating with spunbond or lutrasil, or throw on a regular gauze cloth so that the seedlings do not become burned by the sun's rays.

In general, crops from seeds are grown quite rarely, because the initial fruits will have to wait about five years. At the same time, the vegetation wastes the characteristics of its varietal species. For this reason, summer residents often resort to propagating the crop by cuttings or layering.

Vegetation

It is allowed to propagate vegetation by dividing the bush only if it has reached the age of ten years, but not more than fifteen. The wooden trunk is especially hard, which means you can’t do without a saw for the job. When dividing a bush, it should be taken into account that each part will contain at least two skeletal branches, the same number of stems, and the length of each root system must be at least twenty centimeters. We eliminate the branches using pruning shears, saving segments of forty centimeters in length.

A particularly effective method of propagating honeysuckle is propagation by cuttings in the spring. It provides the opportunity to obtain up to two hundred full-fledged plants from just one bush. When preparing cuttings, we select especially powerful one-year-old branches with a diameter of at least seven millimeters. It is recommended to cut them off before the buds open and active movement of juices (approximately in the last ten days of March). We divide the cuttings into fifteen-centimeter pieces and plant them in a greenhouse structure or in unprotected soil if it has already melted.

We will deepen these parts by ten centimeters, while the buds remain on the surface.

To increase the chances of survival and make the adaptation period more painless, we cover the cuttings with a film cover or a covering sheet.

30 days after rooting, the rhizome will begin to grow.

It is also possible to propagate honeysuckle through green cuttings. Experienced summer residents claim that especially high-quality cuttings are obtained precisely from young green cuttings that were cut at the time of growth cessation.

During this period, the fruits of the plant acquire their characteristic blue tint. The thickness of the young layer is now approximately eight millimeters.

In the next autumn, grown and strong shoots can be moved to a permanent growing area, using fertilizers containing potassium, powdered ash and superphosphate. We will make subsequent replenishment only after three years. We do not feed the crop any more in the spring. It is necessary to irrigate the vegetation in a timely manner and add organic matter after harvesting.

The crop spreads its buds much earlier than other garden vegetation, so it is better to plant it in the fall: in the last ten days of September or in the first ten days of October. By this period, the activity of the movement of juices has already slowed down, and the culture began to “hibernate”, and, therefore, it will not be particularly painful to endure stress.

As usual, the planting material is rooted cuttings. This vegetation is excellently pollinated, so it is better to place several varietal species nearby, but not too close to each other.

The gaps between them should be at least one and a half meters. The territory should not be blown away by through winds and should not be located at a significant elevation. The culture feels most successful near fences and fences, as well as in the vicinity of other shrubs, but only on the condition that they do not block it from sunlight.

Before planting vegetation in a permanent place of growth, you should:

• Eliminate all weeds ahead of time, especially perennials.
• Since the vegetation is undemanding to the soil, you don’t have to worry about this. Sandy loam soil, loam and forest soil are excellent. The only exception would be excessively sandy soil. If the soil is too acidic, add dolomite flour, lime or chalk.
• We make a groove with a recess of approximately half a meter and a diameter of half a meter. If we are growing a crop in rows, we keep gaps of two meters between the bushes, and three meters between the rows. Add three tablespoons of nitrophoska, two mugs of ash powder and a small amount of organic matter to the dug ditch, mix everything with soil, irrigate and cover the ditch with a film cover for five days. By immersing the sprout in the groove, we do not allow the root system to become tangled and air spaces to appear.
• We deepen the neck of the root system by no more than three centimeters. Spring days are especially important. Then the sprouts require special care work; their future viability will depend on it.
• Plantings require a hilling procedure, followed by digging up the soil around the circumference of the growth to a depth of five centimeters, and then laying out mulch from a peat or manure composition.

Crop care work

Honeysuckle culture is particularly unpretentious, and this applies to both edible and decorative subspecies. During the initial seven years, the shrub grows especially intensively, then it slows down its development and produces fruits, growing in one area for up to twenty years.

The main principles of care work:

• We constantly irrigate the bush, especially during the fruiting period. Every day one plant requires at least one bucket of water, and in hot weather from two buckets or more.
• It is necessary to deoxidize the soil to create a neutral soil composition. We carry out this event annually once during the summer season, using wood ash powder, which is diluted in water.
• In late autumn, it is imperative to introduce nutrient mixtures and nourish the bush so that it will delight you with excellent harvests in the coming summer season. We hold this event a year later, using a mix of 4 kg for this purpose. compost, 2 tbsp. l. superphosphate and 100 gr. wood ash powder. On spring days, you can add 15 grams of ammonium nitrate. per sq. m.
• Despite the fact that the honeysuckle crop, as usual, does not suffer from anything, nevertheless, in order to prevent ailments and eliminate harmful insects, it is still recommended to disinfect it with chemical compounds, but if harmful insects are not visible, then we can skip this stage.
• The soil around the circumference of the crop must be loosened periodically and weeds must be constantly eliminated in order to achieve aeration of the rhizomes. In September, after the end of fruiting, the ground needs to be dug up to prepare the bush for the winter period.
• Sometimes it is necessary to eliminate old branches so that they do not shade younger layers of vegetation. For the first time, cutting should be done no earlier than the bush reaches five years and is fully formed. It is better to carry out this procedure in the first ten days of April.

About pests and diseases

With the appearance of bulk berries, the possibility that harmful insects will appear on them cannot be ruled out:

• leaf rollers and caterpillar representatives, they love to destroy the pampered tops of young shoots
• Often crops are affected by aphids; this harmful insect also spoils other garden crops by sucking juice from the foliage, as a result it actively turns yellow and withers
• the willow scale insect can also take a liking to honeysuckle bushes: we inspect the bark of the vegetation for the presence of convex tubercles, this pest sucks out the vital juices and can provoke the death of branches and even completely destroy the entire plant
• Powdery mildew sometimes appears on the foliage; it can be actively suppressed with “Fitosporin”

Many varietal types of garden crops

To determine the correct selection, they should be divided into those that only please the eye with their flowering. And those who delight with fruits. After this determination, you can proceed to the next selection - according to taste characteristics, size, etc.