Stages of caring for honeysuckle in the fall to prepare for winter

In the autumn, it is important to properly care for honeysuckle in order to obtain large, aromatic berries for the next year. Edible and decorative honeysuckle bushes are not afraid of frost and are resistant to low temperatures, but they also have their own subtleties of preparing for winter.

How to care for honeysuckle in autumn

Caring for honeysuckle in the fall and preparing for winter includes standard agrotechnical practices:

• watering;
• pruning;
• feeding;
• shelter;
• transplant and reproduction as needed.

What does the plant need during this period?

After picking berries, plants' need for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and organic substances increases. The plant must accumulate strength to resist cold weather. Complex mineral or organic fertilizers are applied to the soil at short intervals.

Reference! In autumn, nitrogen fertilizers are not used.

Autumn events

Prepare honeysuckle towards winter they begin in September or the last ten days of August. Specific measures depend on the age of the bush, the number of branches, and soil composition.

Trimming

Anti-aging pruning is carried out on adult shrubs at the age of 6–8 years, sanitary pruning is carried out annually. Remove broken and dry branches without affecting the young shoots, since the berries are formed on the shoots of the current year.

To rejuvenate the bush, thick old branches are cut out, leaving a small stump above the ground. On each bush, 4–6 old shoots are left, which are cut off in the next 2–3 years.

Important! Old branches are removed first in the center of the bush, leaving empty space for air access.

Feeding

In order for honeysuckle to bear fruit well next year, minerals and organic matter are added to the soil at the end of summer and autumn:

• potassium salt, potassium sulfate or monophosphate;
• superphosphate;
• nitroammofoska - no later than the first ten days of September;
• wood ash solution;
• compost.

Fertilizers are added either in combined mixtures or alternated between them.

Bone or fish meal mixed with wood ash (2:1) is used as an organic source of phosphorus and potassium for shrubs.

The soil next to and under the honeysuckle is sown with green manure. These plants, thanks to their developed root system, bring deep-lying nutrients to the surface, and when rotting, they release a large amount of organic matter. Some green manures contain phytoncides that repel pests.

Suitable for planting under shrubs:

• clover;
• lupine;
• white mustard;
• Vika;
• oats;
• peas.

In August, the plants are cut off at the root and embedded in the soil for active decomposition.

Watering

In the absence of rain and in the heat, the bushes are watered at least once a week. A bush uses 1.5 buckets of water, in drought - 2.5 buckets. The same regime is followed during dry autumn.

Regular moistening prevents honeysuckle from going into winter dormancy ahead of time.

Treatment

The soil is treated depending on the type of soil management. When mulching, they do not resort to loosening, only replacing the layer of mulch from time to time.

If the soil is open, dig it up - but do this with caution, since the roots of the plant lie superficially. If green manure is present, they are cut off with a hoe and embedded in the ground without removing the roots.

Protection from diseases and pests

To protect shrubs from the spring outbreak of diseases and pests, the soil around them is treated with fungicides.

For prevention, all fallen leaves and trimmings are removed from under the bushes and from nearby areas, since they serve as a wintering place for bacteria and fungi.

Important! The places where branches are cut must be treated with garden varnish or oil paint: a cut is an open wound for the plant, into which small pests and pathogens can easily enter.

How to prepare for winter

The plant is highly resistant to frost and therefore does not require special protection from the cold. To protect against rodents, the bushes are covered with a synthetic bag or mesh.

Shelter, insulation

Although honeysuckle is a hardy plant, some gardeners in northern regions are playing it safe, especially if a winter with little snow and cold is coming. Young shrubs are protected by spruce branches in the form of a hut. They cover the soil with it or straw, sawdust, or agrofibre.

Care depending on the age of the plant

There are no fundamental differences in caring for young and adult honeysuckle bushes. The main difference is the pruning. In young plants, shoots are removed in the center, ensuring air flow to the branches.

For adult bushes, this pruning tactic is poorly applicable: only curved shoots, strongly inclined outer branches and inward-directed branches are removed.

Depending on the growing region

In the middle zone There are no harsh winters, so only decorative varieties that are not frost-resistant are covered.

In the Urals Insulate varieties with low resistance to frost or during cold winters with little snow. Additionally, snow is added under the bushes to reduce the risk of plant death.

In Siberia winters often have high rainfall, which poses a risk of snow breaking branches. Experienced gardeners tie the bushes into one bunch and cover it with a fine net so that the buds are not pecked by birds.

Depending on the variety

Caring for edible honeysuckle almost does not depend on the variety. At the same time, decorative forms of the crop with red inedible berries - honeysuckle - are sometimes grown in gardens. Such plants are less resistant to cold weather; they are covered in all regions.

Honeysuckle is pruned differently from edible honeysuckle: in the fall, only 5-6 main branches are left, removing all the rest. Side shoots are cut by 1/3 to stimulate their growth and active branching. Sanitary pruning involves removing broken, dried shoots and branches with signs of disease.

Advice from experienced gardeners

For better wintering and fruiting next season, follow some recommendations:

• It is better to carry out pruning in the fall, since in the spring the honeysuckle wakes up early - there is a risk of damaging it by cutting off the awakened branches;
• To protect against rodents, bait with poison is placed under the plants;
• honeysuckle is a moisture-loving plant, but it is undesirable to waterlog the soil under it;
• tall varieties are covered for the winter so that birds do not damage the shoots;
• This is a forest plant that prefers soil with a characteristic litter - to ensure a good wintering and harvest, it is recommended to mulch.

This is interesting:

The best ways to preserve honeysuckle for the winter in fresh and processed form.

How can you freeze honeysuckle for the winter in the form of juice, puree or whole berries.

Conclusion

Autumn care for honeysuckle is not difficult even for novice gardeners.Agricultural measures are standard: plants are watered, fertilized, pruned, covered for the winter, protected from diseases and pests. This crop itself is resistant to cold weather, but additional care will only improve the quality of the harvest next season.