How to make honeysuckle bear fruit?

Along with raspberries and currants, honeysuckle is also grown in garden plots. The bush, if planting and care requirementsA system of fertilizing, pruning, and watering yields juicy, nutritious berries. However, when agricultural practices are not followed, poor fruiting is observed. To correct the situation, determine the cause by reviewing all ongoing care.

Description of the plant

Honeysuckle is the type genus of the family of the same name, comprising approximately 200 plant species. Two varieties are cultivated as garden crops:

1. The blue honeysuckle is a shrub with a compact crown. The crown is formed by brown shoots and sessile foliage. The leaf blades are 6 cm long and 3 cm wide. During flowering, the crown is adorned with yellow, bell-shaped flowers. With successful cross-pollination, as the species is self-sterile, oblong, elliptical berries with a blue tint can be harvested. The taste is sweet and sour with a slight bitterness.
2. Edible honeysuckle is a deciduous shrub growing up to 1 m tall. Its lush crown is formed by young, slender, graceful, light-green stems and older, brownish shoots about 3 cm thick. The oblong leaves reach 7 cm in length. In the leaf axils, buds form in late spring; when open, they are pale yellow. In place of the inflorescences, dark blue berries up to 9 cm long with a glaucous bloom form. The flesh is reddish-purple.

New varieties

Breeders have developed numerous hybrids based on typical species. While they are very similar in appearance, they still have some distinctive features. New varieties:

1. "Vostorg" grows up to 1.8 m tall. Fruiting, which produces sweet-tart berries weighing approximately 2 g, begins in the second or third year of growth. This variety produces fruit for 30 years.
2. 'Strezhezhevchanka' is a tall shrub growing up to 2.5 m in height. Ripening occurs in the last ten days of June, when a bush can yield approximately 2-3 kg of bitterness-free berries in temperate climates.
3. "Daughter of the Giant" is a high-yielding variety with large fruits (up to 2.5 g). The average yield is 3 kg per plant. The variety is resistant to frost and pests.
4. "Blue Cliff" is an early variety that begins bearing fruit in late spring in southern regions. It has a sweet and sour flavor. Each berry weighs 2.5 g.

Productivity and reasons for its decline

In gardens, a honeysuckle bush often yields no more than 1-1.5 kg of berries. However, with proper cultivation techniques, most varieties have a claimed yield of 3-7 kg per plant. The main reasons for a poor harvest are:

1. Incorrect planting location – honeysuckle loves light and needs good lighting throughout the day.
2. Lack of pollination - a cross-pollinated plant requires group planting and the presence of a large number of pollinating insects, the lack of which is associated with poor weather conditions during the flowering period of the shrub.
3. Improper watering regime – honeysuckle reacts poorly to stagnant moisture in the roots and excessively dry soil.
4. Soil acidification – the shrub grows well in soils with a neutral and slightly acidic reaction.
5. Excess of nitrogen-containing fertilizers – due to the high concentration of nitrogen, the plant directs all its energy to the growth of shoots at the expense of the formation of flowers and ovaries.

Rules for caring for a shrub

A poor harvest is usually caused by improper cultivation practices. Honeysuckle is no exception. This shrub requires standard care, including watering, fertilizing, pruning, and pest control. If all procedures are performed correctly and at the right time, in addition to a bountiful harvest, the gardener will receive a healthy plant with a lush crown that fits perfectly into any landscape design.

Watering

Honeysuckle needs moisture especially in late spring and early summer, when the ovaries are forming. If there is no rainfall during this period, watering is necessary. This will have a beneficial effect on both the quantity and quality of the harvest, preventing bitterness. Add 10 liters of water per bush as the surface layer dries. Use pre-settled water that is free of chlorine and heavy metals.

Soil treatment

After precipitation, the area around the tree trunk is loosened, breaking up the air-tight crust that slows root development. Weeds are removed at the same time, which is especially important during the early stages of seedling growth. Covering the soil with a layer of mulch can reduce the frequency of loosening. For the first three years after planting, hilling is recommended to ensure healthy growth.

Top dressing

If fertilizer was added to the planting hole, fertilizing begins in the third year of growth. In the spring, ammonium nitrate is used to form a lush crown. Spread 10 grams of granulated ammonium nitrate around the trunk circle. After harvesting, use a fertilizer solution of 10 liters of water and 25 grams of nitroammophoska. In the fall, feed the honeysuckle with organic matter, using 100 grams of wood ash and 5 kg of compost.

Trimming

The first pruning procedure is performed after the seedling has been growing for three years. Some gardeners, if the crown has reached optimal density, recommend not pruning the shrub until it's 7-8 years old. Pruning the plant This is done in the fall or spring before the sap begins to flow. If the bush is very dense, remove several shoots growing directly from the ground. At the same time, trim the bush from the inside, shortening the stems growing inward. Ensure that all internal branches receive uniform light.

Fruit is typically produced on year-old, strong shoots—there's no need to prune the current year's branches. All old shoots are removed. This also applies to low-growing shoots that interfere with cultivating the soil beneath the bush. In the spring, perform a sanitary pruning, trimming frost-damaged tips and wind-damaged branches. To maintain the decorative appearance of the crown, the bush is shaped after fruiting.

Protection from diseases and pests

Honeysuckle has excellent immunity. However, in conditions of excessive moisture, problems may appear. fungal diseasesTo prevent outbreaks, spray the bushes with a copper-containing solution as a preventative measure in the spring. Among the most common pests, aphids and spider mites feed on the plant shoots. Insecticide treatments are effective against them. These are best used as a preventative measure, as without spraying, infestations can occur during the fruiting or ovary stages, when the use of effective chemical-based treatments is unacceptable.

Honeysuckle is an undemanding shrub. If proper care is followed, there won't be any problems with the harvest.