All about edible honeysuckle: how long it lives, what it looks like and is grown

Edible honeysuckle is a bush with yellow flowers that will decorate any garden. It produces tasty and healthy fruits that are rich in vitamins and microelements. But despite the unpretentiousness and frost resistance of the crop, it is still rarely found on personal plots. Read all about honeysuckle below.

Description of edible honeysuckle

Edible honeysuckle is a species of the genus Honeysuckle. Originally a wild plant that was cultivated by breeders. It is used to decorate the site and obtain healthy berries.

The culture is undemanding in care and can grow in harsh conditions.

What is it - a shrub or a tree?

Honeysuckle is not a tree, but a shrub reaching 2 m in height. It has a spherical crown and yellowish bark, which on older branches is divided into narrow stripes. The root system is branched. Most of the roots are located at a depth of 0.5 m.

The leaves of honeysuckle are oblong, lanceolate, narrow, about 5 cm long.

How and when does it bloom

The shrub blooms in late April or early May. Honeysuckle flowers are funnel-shaped, light yellow in color. The length of the corolla is about 1 cm.

What does a berry look like?

Honeysuckle fruits are blue berries with delicate skin and a waxy coating. The shape varies, but most often it is cylindrical.

Reference. The first berries ripen at the end of May and ripen en masse in June.

The weight of one berry reaches 2 g. The size varies from 1 to 4 cm.The maximum diameter is 2 cm. Inside the berries are flat, light-colored seeds (up to 20 pieces).

The taste depends on the climate - the warmer it is, the sweeter it is. It can be sweet, sweet-sour, sour or even bitter. The berries contain magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin PP, carotene, pectins, organic acids, sugars.

Origin

It is believed that honeysuckle appeared on the Kuril Islands. After that, it spread throughout the north of the entire planet.

Where are you from?

Blue honeysuckle widespread in regions with a cold and temperate climate. This is the north of Canada, Asia and Europe.

The fruits of the plant have been known for centuries. Previously, in Japan, the berries were used as a remedy. The Japanese were the first to create new crop varieties.

In the 30s of the last century, Russian breeders followed in their footsteps, and then Canadian ones. Today there are many varieties that are suitable for industrial cultivation.

Why is it called that?

There are several points of view regarding the origin of the name. It is believed that this word was transformed from “winter leaf”, since the plant’s foliage does not fall until late autumn.

Others believe that the name was influenced by the word “vein” - the leaves of honeysuckle have pronounced veins. Some suggest that the word means "wiry climbing plant." This phrase gradually transformed into “honeysuckle,” that is, a rearrangement of sounds occurred, which is a common phenomenon in the Russian language.

Honeysuckle is also called veinberry, wolfberry, lomustina, and lamb's eggs.

Honeysuckle with orange berries

Forest honeysuckle, or with orange berries (or bright red) is one of the most common types, which is popularly called “wolf berry”. The berries of this plant are inedible for humans. If you eat them by mistake, there will be severe discomfort in the stomach and intestines for 1-2 days.

The fruits contain xylostein, a toxic substance that causes diarrhea and vomiting.

Reference. Despite this, bushes are used for landscaping areas. The flowers of the plant bloom almost immediately after the foliage appears.

How to plant shrubs

It is advisable to plant the crop in well-lit areas without drafts. The plant can also develop in partial shade (for example, near a fence), but this significantly reduces the yield of honeysuckle.

The soil must have the following characteristics:

1. High moisture capacity.
2. Neutral acidity. Loam or sandy loam is best suited.
3. Rich organics. High humus content helps increase yield.

Buy seedlings in specialized stores or garden centers. Make sure that the root system is closed and that the branches bend easily. At least three bushes are planted at the same time, since the crop is cross-pollinated.

The volume of the hole depends on the branching of the root system. For example, for a three-year-old bush, a hole measuring 40 by 40 cm is sufficient. A liter jar of ash and a bucket of compost are poured into the bottom.

If there is no compost, proceed as follows:

1. Small branches are placed in the hole. It is advisable that they be dried.
2. Cover them with earth.
3. Place paper, food waste and other organic debris on top.
4. The biological product “Bokashi” is added. This speeds up the decomposition process.
5. Fertile soil is poured on top.

This fertile layer should be half the volume of the hole. The organic matter will have time to decompose before the roots of the bush reach this depth.

After this, 20 liters of water are poured into the hole and the plant is planted.At this stage, make sure that the trunk is not buried underground. The soil on top is compacted and watered again with two buckets of water. The surface of the earth is mulched.

Reference. The first few years, honeysuckle develops slowly.

How to care for honeysuckle

The culture is unpretentious in care. But still certain points require attention.

Watering

The culture is moisture-loving and needs regular watering. Young bushes are watered 2-3 times a week. The amount of water is two buckets per bush. Adult plants are watered 1-2 times a week, depending on the weather.

Loosening or mulching

They loosen very rarely - 2-3 times per season. Due to too frequent procedures, the soil will quickly lose moisture, which is harmful for the bushes.

Mulching is also aimed at preserving moisture. To do this, use cardboard or newspapers. The top is sprinkled with straw or grass. Mulching also helps prevent weeds from germinating.

Feeding and fertilizers

Honeysuckle is fed in several stages:

1. Before the buds open, add 15 g of ammonium nitrate per 1 square meter. m. It is also replaced with a urea solution. For 10 liters of water take 1 tbsp. l. This is a portion for one bush.
2. When honeysuckle begins to bloom, water it with a solution of ash to strengthen the rhizome. 1 kg of ash is diluted in 10 liters of water.
3. After harvesting, add a solution of manure (1 kg per bucket of water) or a solution of “Nitrophoska” - 25 g per 10 liters of water.
4. In mid-autumn, superphosphates (50 g), compost (5 kg) and ash (100 g) are added to each bush.

Pruning and rejuvenation

To increase yield and improve the appearance of the shrub, formative pruning is performed. Features of the procedure:

1. The first pruning is carried out 2 weeks after planting. Remove all but 3-5 of the strongest shoots. Each is shortened by 30%.
2. Every spring (in March) sanitary pruning is performed. Remove all dry and damaged branches.
3. Formative pruning is carried out in the fall, when all the foliage has fallen. Remove all thickening branches (growing inside the bush). Do not touch annual shoots.
4. At 10-12 years old, anti-aging pruning is done. Branches that are 5-6 years old are cut off.

Also, some gardeners, instead of anti-aging pruning, perform radical pruning, that is, they remove the bush at the root. After a few years, new shoots will appear.

How many years does honeysuckle live?

The bush lives up to 50 years, but is capable of producing high-quality fruit only up to 25 years. One plant produces up to 3 kg of berries per season.

Conclusion

Edible honeysuckle resistant to frost and almost never not sick. The main thing is to monitor the level of soil moisture and prune the bushes. It is important to remember that there must be at least three plants in the garden to set fruit.