Honeysuckle blue (Loniceracaerulea) Is an upright densely branched shrub with about seven orders of branching. An important feature of the structure of honeysuckle shoots is the presence in opposite leaf nodes on each side of 2-3 serial kidneyplaced on top of each other. Usually, the upper and larger buds of the series are mixed (with the rudiments of leaves and flowers), smaller, and the lower ones are vegetative (only with leaf buds). On a bush of blue honeysuckle, except for the bulk branch shoots, providing photosynthesis and fruiting, stronger shoots forming, or stem shoots, participating in the construction of the crown and contributing to the restoration of the shape of the bush.
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In the leaf nodes of the formation shoots, stipules can be seen, growing together with each other and with the shoot, forming a leathery disc. With aging or damage to the plant, small buds appear from dormant buds shoots additions... The annual awakening of a large number of buds leads to a thickening of the crown, a deterioration in nutrition and a weakening of illumination of skeletal branches, which causes a decrease in yield, as well as the death of small branches located inside the crown and in its lower tier. A radical decision on pruning is required by old honeysuckle bushes and plants provoked to autumn flowering, after which they unsatisfactorily endure the harsh winter.
To preserve the decorative effect and prolong the period of active fruiting of blue honeysuckle, regular pruning is necessary. It is also needed for weakly branching plants, in cases of drying out or damage to the crown. This agronomic procedure is carried out with clean and sharpened tools (secateurs, knives and garden saws). Places of cuts must be lubricated with garden pitch. The most suitable times for pruning honeysuckle bushes are autumn, after falling leaves, or early spring, in March and early April.
March - early April. In adult bushes, every 2-3 years they spend thinning the aging part of the crown, bearing small and dried branches (Fig. 4). Several old powerful trunks are removed, leaving no more than 5-6. Also, when pruning, the branches of the lower, shaded tier are removed, which lie on the soil, interfere with the care of the shrub and practically do not participate in fruiting. Detailed pruning of branches results in rejuvenation bush, it is quite laborious, but it helps to lighten the crown. After pruning, fruiting decreases, but after 2-3 years it is restored again.
It is impossible to shorten and cut off the tops of the honeysuckle shoots, since it is on them that the maximum number of mixed buds with the rudiments of flowers that form the yield is concentrated.
May. When planting honeysuckle in a permanent place in spring, as a rule, the plants are not pruned. The exceptions are those cases when the root system is severely damaged (overdried or partially absent). Only in this case is it allowed to shorten the branches by one third of their length.
For bushes over 6-7 years old in spring, if required sanitary pruning, then remove diseased, broken off and dried branches.
Aug. Sept. If the rejuvenation of the bush and the thinning of the crown could not be carried out in the spring, but after the leaf fall, small and old branches are cut out. With the gradual removal of the central part of the crown with aging tops, new shoots begin to form. In the year of pruning, due to the massive awakening of dormant buds, the formation of strong shoots of formation up to 50-70 cm long and more is observed.
October November. In honeysuckle, it is not necessary to cut out the skeletal branches located at the very base of the bush, since the crown renewal occurs due to the formation shoots that emerged from dormant buds located in the branches of the skeletal branches.
An exception is the old 15-20-year-old bushes with weakened photosynthesis and fruiting.For them, a strong anti-aging pruning "on a stump" is possible, which is carried out at a height of 0.5 m from the soil level. In the year of pruning, a massive awakening of dormant buds will begin. Due to young shoots (stem shoots), the shrub is able to recover within 2-3 years. After such pruning, the honeysuckle bush needs watering and fertilizing with mineral fertilizers: 50-70 g of ammonium nitrate, 35-50 g of superphosphate and 40-50 g of potassium salt per 1 m2.
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