Planting and caring for honeysuckle outdoors in spring

Plant honeysuckle in spring, even a novice gardener will be able to enter the open ground if he chooses the right seedlings, a place for plants and prepares planting holes. In this article, you will learn how to care for honeysuckle for a good harvest.

When is the best time to plant honeysuckle - in spring or autumn

Both seasons are suitable for the procedure, but each has its own nuances. Among the pluses autumn landing highlight the following:

• culture takes root better;
• the plant has time to build up the root system and take root;
• the shrub becomes hardened, its endurance increases.

If you are engaged in planting in the spring, there will be an opportunity to observe the development of seedlings... And when the slightest problems appear, they can be eliminated by applying fertilizers, establishing an irrigation regime and treating pests. But at the same time, there is a risk of not meeting the deadlines and harming the plants.

Planting honeysuckle outdoors in spring

Before starting work, you need to choose the right planting material and decide on the scheme of its placement so that the shrubs do not interfere with each other.

It is advisable to do this in early spring, while the culture is still dormant.... Once the snow has melted, it's time to start planting the honeysuckle. Young shrubs are planted before bud break. If the plant enters the vegetative stage, it will be difficult for it to root.

Sapling selection

Healthy planting material is selected according to certain criteria:

• age - from 2 years, height - 0.5-1 m, number of shoots - 2-3;
• roots are moist and well developed;
• branches are flexible, with fruit buds, without foliage;
• all parts of the seedling are clean, with no signs of disease or pests.

It is advisable to take young growth in containers so that the root system is protected earthen coma. This will help the crop adapt more quickly to the planting site.

Important!Honeysuckle is a cross-pollinated shrub. You need to buy 3-4 seedlings of different varieties with the same flowering time to guarantee fruiting.

Step-by-step planting instructions

For culture, it is better to choose a slightly shaded place with diffused lighting.... The best option is near the trees.

When disembarking, observe a distance of 1.5-2 m between bushes and 2-3 m between rows... Adult plants grow in breadth and take up a lot of space, so they cannot be placed close to each other. Further, it all depends on the type of root system - for each of them, the instructions will be different.

With an open root system

Procedure:

1. Remove the top layer of soil, mix it with humus in equal proportions.
2. Dig a planting hole 3-6 cm deep more than the root ball of the earth.
3. Install gravel or broken brick drainage.
4. Form a small hill of potting soil on top. Place the seedling inside it.
5. Spread the roots over the entire area of ​​the hole. Sprinkle with soil.
6. Water the plant and lightly tamp the soil.

Closed root system

How to plant a seedling:

1. Dig holes. At the bottom, spread a mixture of peat soil with vermicompost in a ratio of 1: 1.
2. Remove the seedling from the container. Tousle the earthen ball slightly to distribute the roots evenly throughout the hole.
3. Moisten the well well.
4. Place the seedling inside, spread the roots and sprinkle with earth.
5. Mulch the soil around the plant with sawdust or hay.

Honeysuckle with a closed root system can be planted at any time of the year... With proper care, the plant will happily take root in a new place.

Landing features

The shrub adapts easily to low temperatures... But the climatic conditions of Siberia and Ural too harsh for him. Therefore, scientists have developed hybrids that are adapted not only to winter cold, but also to frost during flowering.

They have early flowering and increased disease resistance. The usual varieties of honeysuckle are not suitable for this area. And the landing technology in northern latitudes is slightly different.

In Siberia

For planting, choose healthy seedlings 3 years old... They endure the harsh winter more easily and take root faster.

Landing holes are dug in advance - in the spring, so that the earth has time to warm up and settle. It is advisable to plant young plants in autumn - 3-4 weeks before the first frost.

In the Urals

The optimal period for planting in the ground depends on the type of root system... If it is open, it is done in May - June. Young bushes with closed roots are planted a month before the onset of winter. The varieties are chosen for winter-hardy and early ripening.

Spring care for honeysuckle

First, the crown is thinned out, if it was not possible to do this in the fall... In the process of snow melting, nitrogen fertilizing is introduced into the root zone. Then they will be absorbed into the ground along with the melt water.

At the time of flowering and the formation of ovaries, weeding and loosening are required... If the spring is dry, the bushes need watering at the rate of 30-50 liters per square meter. In case of a lack of water, the fruits become smaller and lose their juiciness.

Care of young plants

Seedlings require regular irrigation - at least once a week. At the same time, weather conditions are taken into account: after rain, watering is not needed, and in windy weather the moisture evaporates faster.

The soil is mulched and loosened to retain moisture in it. Weeds are removed as they emerge.

Treatment against diseases and pests

In case of threat of invasion pests or infection plants are treated insecticides or use folk remedies. This must be done before flowering, when the temperature rises to + 5 ° C.

For the purpose of prevention, the bushes are regularly examined and thinned out.... Dry and damaged leaves and shoots are removed.

Top dressing after winter

If the plants are planted in fertile soil, they are not fertilized for the first 2-3 years. Further feeding is needed every year to replenish the supply of nutrients. Used as fertilizers:

• nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in equal proportions;
• fish meal;
• wood ash.

Top dressing is applied to the root zone, being careful not to hit the leaves and the center of the bush. In order for the nutrients to be absorbed faster, the procedure is combined with watering.

Watering

For the first 15 days after disembarkation, drip irrigation is preferredproviding uniform and deep soil moisture. At the same time, the top layer of the earth is not washed out and excess water is not consumed.

Grown plants in the spring have enough moisture, which enters the soil after rain once every 1-1.5 weeks.

Attention! Do not water the honeysuckle too often. This causes deformation of the root system. A shrub can more easily withstand a lack of moisture than an excess of it.

Pruning

It is carried out in early spring before the growing season begins. Features of the procedure:

1. On bushes up to 3 years old, only dead shoots are removed. Mature shrubs are pruned every year to stimulate fruiting.
2. More than 25% of the crown cannot be removed at a time. This will lead to lower yields.
3. If there are no visible defects, the tops of the branches are not cut off. Most of the fruit buds are formed on them.
4. After pruning, 4-6 healthy old shoots and 2-3 young branches are left.

As a result, the shading of the central part of the crown decreases and the quality of berries improves.... At the same time, the risk of fungal development is reduced and the growth of new branches is activated.

Tips for planting and caring for honeysuckle in spring

Experienced gardeners recommend adhering to the following rules:

1. Place the crop in a draft-free area.
2. Choose varieties with high yields and winter hardiness.
3. During the flowering period, spray the honeysuckle with a sugar solution to attract insects for pollination.
4. In the fifth year of the life of the bush, thin out the branches. This will help to avoid thickening of the crown and the spread of diseases.
5. During the formation of ovaries, regular weeding of the root zone and additional watering are needed.

Proper care of the plant makes it hardy and contributes to a good harvest.

Conclusion

Honeysuckle is a long-lived bush. If you create favorable conditions for a plant and pay due attention to it, it will bear fruit in one place for 20 years or more. To do this, it is enough to study the features of growing a culture and follow the recommendations.