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Sap flow in honeysuckle is very early, it is one of the shrubs that bears fruit in the first half of June. To avoid stressing the plant and damaging the buds in the spring, pruning the honeysuckle in the fall is recommended. A rejuvenating and shaping treatment will increase yields, a strong and healthy shrub will be less susceptible to disease and pests.
Autumn honeysuckle bush before forming
Is honeysuckle pruned in the fall
Honeysuckle produces edible berries and has an ornamental habit. The plant is multifunctional: in addition to useful fruits, it has a bright appearance from the beginning of flowering until the leaves fall, this feature has found application in ornamental gardening and landscape design. To prevent thickening of the shrub, pruning is carried out every year.
Without a timely measure in the fall, at the beginning of the growing season, a compact green mass is formed, which blocks the access of ultraviolet radiation to the branches and buds, nutrition worsens, and the yield falls.
Perennial branches begin to die off over time, and young ones appear in small numbers, the vegetation of honeysuckle without pruning is not aimed at replacing. Every year, the yield falls, and the shrub runs wild. Flowering stops if decorative honeysuckle is not pruned in autumn, it loses its shape and aesthetic appearance.
Timing of pruning honeysuckle bushes in autumn
Perennial berry bushes of basic varieties begin to bear fruit in 4-5 years of vegetation. Until this time, the plant forms a root system, gaining an aboveground mass. Cardinal pruning measures up to four years old are not relevant. The bush is formed by shortening the top so that the culture gives more side shoots.
Pruning honeysuckle in the first year of fruiting is done by the harvest field. In subsequent growing seasons, an event is held in the fall. But there are also several nuances here that depend on the goal. The agrotechnical technique in terms of functionality can be of the following types:
- Detailed (formative) cropping. It is carried out 1 time in 4 years, old skeletal branches are removed, replacing them with new ones. In this case, it is advisable to prune the honeysuckle after picking the berries, around the beginning of July, by the fall, the plant will recover from stress and overwinter safely.
- Sanitary. There are no deadlines, it is carried out in the event that the plant is sick and all therapeutic measures have not yielded a positive result. To prevent the infection from spreading further, the affected shoots are removed.
- Anti-aging. This is the main type of agricultural technique aimed at the formation of young shoots, it is necessary every autumn.
The timing depends on the region. Pruning honeysuckle after harvest, for example in August, is undesirable. In mild climates, shrubs rejuvenate in November. In a temperate climatic zone, they are guided by weather conditions. The plant enters the dormancy phase, completely sheds its leaves, according to this sign, the completion of sap flow is determined. Rejuvenation of honeysuckle in the fall is carried out until night temperatures drop below zero.
Honeysuckle pruning schemes in the fall
The main rule in the formation of a bush for obtaining berries is that you cannot prune on the tops of last year's shoots, since you can lose the main crop.
All berry crops, including honeysuckle, love plenty of light. The sun's rays should penetrate the middle of the bush without hindrance. Below is a diagram of the formative pruning of honeysuckle in the fall (according to the growing season).
The shrub is formed according to the standard type
Trimming scheme:
- In the first year of growth in the fall, the tip is shortened to 4 full buds.
- The next season, the young shrub forms several lateral shoots, and the upper part is also removed from them.
- So they continue to form a bush for up to four years.
- In the fifth year, 6-9 strong skeletal branches are left, they will become the basis, cut the lower stems to vertical shoots, thus forming a bole about 15 cm high. There is free space from the ground to the first shoots. This method will make it easier to care for the root circle.
- Then cut out all the shoots and branches that grow in the middle of the bush and block access to the central part of the sun's rays. Also do not leave curved with the wrong direction of growth.
The shoots of the culture are fragile, if in the process of work the tops were broken, they are cut off, and thin, weak stems are also removed. The spring option is not considered, sap flow begins when there is still snow. If an agrotechnical measure is carried out at the beginning of the growing season, damage to fruit buds is inevitable.
Rejuvenating pruning is also done in autumn, cutting bushes over the age of 7-9 years .. The need for pruning is visible in the state of skeletal branches, which give a small increase, their tops begin to dry, and the bark flakes off with ribbons.
You can not touch annual branches, especially their tops.
The sequence of agrotechnical actions:
- Remove the maximum number of old branches, leaving only a few central ones.
- From the bottom, remove the top to the first annual strong shoots growing vertically.
- Weak annual stems are pruned, which do not give full flowering and only thicken the shrub.
If, after examining the shrub, it is decided that the plant is almost all old, a cardinal pruning is done. The bush is completely shortened regardless of the age of the stems. Leave about 40 cm above the soil.
Scheme of the correct pruning of an old plant
From spring, the growing season of honeysuckle will be aimed at replacing shoots. For the next season, the plant will give a bountiful harvest. After 3 years, formative pruning can be done, leaving strong shoots that will become skeletal branches. The bush is thinned out in the fall, weak stems are removed.
Sanitary pruning is carried out regardless of the season and age of the shoots, here we are not talking about a high yield, but about preserving the berry culture.
How to prune honeysuckle in the fall
To preserve the yield and decorativeness of the habit, the agrotechnical measure is carried out at the end of the growing season. Several rules for pruning honeysuckle in the fall:
- The formation or rejuvenation of the bush begins only after leaf fall, then the plant is in the biological phase of dormancy, it will more easily tolerate mechanical stress.
- They use special tools in their work, for example, garden shears with long handles, they are less traumatic for young stems.
- You can trim dry twigs on annual shoots, but the top must not be touched.
- The tops of perennial branches are removed before branching; in these areas, the main accumulation of dormant fruit buds is observed.
Young shoots during the formation of berries can bend under the weight of the harvest, especially if their length exceeds 50 cm. To avoid deformation of the shoots, it is recommended to fix them to a support.Near the bush, a stake is driven in along the height of the plant, the branches are carefully collected in a loose bunch, wrapped with a rope and tied to a trellis.
Tips from seasoned gardeners for pruning honeysuckle in the fall
So that the shrub does not suffer and pleases with a good harvest in the spring, below are some tips for novice gardeners:
- cuts on branches are made at an angle;
- after work, the damaged areas are treated with a disinfectant or garden varnish is used;
- if in autumn the night time is accompanied by frosts, it is impossible to form a bush at a later date;
- sanitary measures must be carried out only if it was not possible to save the plant from infection with chemical means;
- after an agrotechnical method, it is recommended to make an autumn top dressing, and in a temperate climate, insulate the root circle with straw or sawdust.
If the formation of a bush of food varieties begins from the fourth year of growth, then decorative cultivars are formed from the first growing season.
Conclusion
Pruning honeysuckle in the fall is a mandatory and annual procedure for the culture. Helps to maintain the shape of the bush and a high rate of fruiting. Removal of old, weak and damaged shoots stimulates the berry culture to form replacement. If the agrotechnical method is observed, the bush is less likely to get sick and gives large berries. For beginner gardeners, below is a video on how to properly prune honeysuckle in the fall with maximum benefit for the plant.
