When and how to plant honeysuckle in the fall and what mistakes to avoid during the planting process

Honeysuckle is a berry that ripens earlier than all others. It is especially useful during periods when the body lacks vitamins - the berry strengthens the immune system and has a beneficial effect on many organs and systems. The culture quickly takes root and is undemanding to soil and climatic conditions.

To grow a shrub yourself, follow a number of rules for planting, maintaining and caring for it.

Is it possible to plant honeysuckle in the fall?

This shrub can withstand winter frosts down to -50°C, and when flowering it can easily tolerate temperatures down to -7°C. For this reason, autumn is the best time to plant the plant. The optimal period is the end of September - the beginning of October.

When choosing autumn planting, the gardener receives:

• high survival rate;
• quick and trouble-free rooting;
• seedling stratification.

There is no need to talk about shortcomings, since in the fall the shrub has time to get stronger, prepare for frost, and in the spring it grows green mass.

Landing dates

In autumn, honeysuckle is planted from September to October, in spring - from March to April, but not too early, otherwise the plants will not take root.

Depending on the growing region

Different climatic conditions and temperature conditions affect the survival rate and growth of shrubs:

• in central Russia, honeysuckle is planted before September 15;
• in Moscow and nearby cities - in the first weeks of September;
• in the Leningrad region - from September 15 to 18;
• in the south of Russia - until the end of October - beginning of November, if there are no frosts.

In the conditions of Siberia and the Urals, it is recommended to plant honeysuckle in spring rather than autumn.

The south of the country is poorly suited for growing honeysuckle due to the hot climate, which the plant cannot tolerate. In such conditions, the shrub will bear fruit once every 2 years.

According to the lunar calendar

Experienced gardeners know that the further development of a plant largely depends on what day it was planted.

By calculating favorable and unfavorable days according to the lunar calendar, they accurately determine the period when planting will produce a rich harvest of delicious juicy berries:

• favorable days in the fall of 2019: October 1, 3, 5, 10, 15–17, 21, 30–31 and November 16–17;
• prohibited: October 14, 27, 28, 29.

Favorable days for planting honeysuckle in autumn and spring in 2020:

• March: 3–6, 11, 13, 17, 18, 22;
• April: 3–8, 10, 14, 23–30;
• May: 2–7, 11–12, 15–16, 23–26, 30–31;
• September: 2-3, 7-8, 11-12, 18-21, 29-30;
• October: 4, 10, 14, 17-18, 21–23, 26-27, 31;
• November: 2, 6-7, 12, 22, 24, 28-29.

Prohibited days:

• March: 7-8, 19-21, 25-26;
• April: 3-4, 15–17, 20–22;
• May: 1, 13-14, 18, 21, 27–29;
• September: 1, 4-5, 14-15, 26-27;
• October: 1–3, 16, 24–25, 28–30;
• November: 8-9, 14-15, 25-26.

How to choose a seedling and place for planting

Edible varieties of plants are bought only in trusted stores, and not second-hand in markets. A two-year-old shrub with several trunks, no higher than 40–50 cm, with a developed and healthy root system is well suited for planting. It is better not to purchase plants that are too tall or low, weakened, or with obvious defects.

For the crop, fertile, loose soil with a neutral pH is desirable, although honeysuckle is unpretentious and can grow on poor soil.The top of the bush should be constantly illuminated by sunlight, and the roots should be in the shade.

Do not plant the plant on hills, in sandy soil, near groundwater, or in open areas with a constant draft.

Healthy! Sunny places or partial shade are suitable for the culture.

The root system of the shrub releases special biologically active substances, so it is important to follow the rules of the neighborhood. Unsuitable plants (tomatoes, potatoes, sunflowers, Jerusalem artichokes) planted next to honeysuckle will inhibit each other's development.

The best neighbors for shrubs are gooseberries and currants. Pome crops (apple, pear, quince, rowan, hawthorn) are suitable.

Preparing seedlings and soil

First, the plant is inspected, broken parts and dry roots are cut off. If the roots are too elongated, they are shortened to about 30 cm.

Honeysuckle grows in one place for many years, so prepare the area correctly:

1. The earth is dug up to the depth of a spade bayonet and the formation is turned over.
2. Weed rhizomes are removed.
3. Add 400 g of powdered slaked lime or dolomite flour to the soil if the soil needs to be deoxidized.
4. The dug surface is compacted with a rake.

1-2 weeks before planting, dig holes for shrubs 40 cm deep and 50–60 cm wide. The distance between them is maintained at 1.5 m.

How to plant honeysuckle in the fall

To avoid troubles during autumn planting, take into account some points:

1. For durable and high-quality rooting of the shrub, the roots are first bathed in a Heteroauxin solution (50 g of biostimulant per 1 liter of water) or soaked for a day.
2. Drainage is laid out in the holes, organic matter is added (up to 2 buckets depending on the type of soil) and mineral fertilizers: up to 200 g of superphosphate, 35–40 g of potassium salt.
3. The plant is placed in the center of the hole and covered with earth. The root collar is not deeply buried.
4. The soil is watered and mulched with humus or compost (middle layer - 5 cm).

To get a real hedge, honeysuckle is planted at the very edge of the garden plot, leaving a distance of up to 1.5 m between the bushes.

Most varieties are self-sterile. To ensure that the bushes pollinate among themselves, 3–5 different varieties are planted.

Basic mistakes

In order not to lose the harvest, adhere to the following rules:

• do not buy damaged or diseased seedlings;
• do not plant plants in a dark place;
• do not forget to fertilize and irrigate the bushes.

Care after landing

Proper planting of a plant is the key to success, but a high-quality harvest cannot be obtained without proper care of the bush.

Interesting! Honeysuckle is an unpretentious plant that takes root within 10–12 days.

Top dressing

If you add compost to the soil during planting and once a year, you will hardly need other fertilizers.

In the spring, nitrogen compounds are used, in the fall - potassium and phosphorus. If the season is hot, honeysuckle is watered regularly.

Excessive amounts of fertilizer will cause plant death.

Watering

Before rooting, the plants must be watered regularly, after which normal rainfall is sufficient. Additional moisture of honeysuckle is required in case of long dry periods. Around young plants, the soil is loosened superficially or a layer of mulch from peat, humus and sawdust is poured.

Trimming

To obtain tasty berries and beautifully shaped shrubs, they are pruned, but only for the 3rd year after planting.. Pruning too early will weaken the plants.

In spring, dried and broken shoots are removed. When the bushes are 4 years old, thick branches in the center and weak shoots are removed.

If honeysuckle produces a lot of young shoots, they are cut out to save the plant's strength. This is done when the bushes are 7 years old.

Important! All sections are carefully treated with garden varnish. After the procedure, the crop is watered abundantly and fed with potassium and phosphorus.

7 years after planting, honeysuckle is pruned again to increase yield. Leave 4-5 skeletal branches. Very old bushes are pruned at the root, leaving 30–40 cm. Such plants will rejuvenate and recover in 2-3 seasons.

Transfer

Plants tolerate transplant. To do this, the bushes are dug up and carefully transferred to pre-prepared planting holes.

To get several plants, honeysuckle at least 8-9 years old is divided with an ax, saw or shovel, leaving developed roots and 2-3 branches for each part.

This is interesting:

How 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.

Vegetable garden all year round: is it possible to plant basil before winter and how to do it correctly.

Conclusion

When grown, honeysuckle does not create serious difficulties for gardeners, but it produces a large number of juicy berries. With a competent approach to planting and care in open ground, shrubs bear fruit in one place for up to 20–25 years.

The most important thing is to choose high-quality seedlings, properly prepare the soil, periodically feed the plants and water them during drought.