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Serotin's honeysuckle is a common cultivar that belongs to the type of climbing honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum), it is a beautifully flowering vine. The culture is intended for decorative landscaping, wraps around any proposed supports.
Description of Serotin Honeysuckle
Serotin's honeysuckle is a perennial climbing deciduous shrub. Refers to late varieties. It reaches a height of 4 m, is characterized by rapid growth, the stems annually increase up to 1 m. The shoots of the first year are glabrous or with weak pubescence. The leaves are opposite, ovoid, about 6 cm long. The color is dark green above and gray-bluish below. The foliage is dense.
The shrub is prized for its abundant and elegant flowering. The flowers are two-lipped, bisexual, collected in dense inflorescences with long stamens. Painted in several shades - white-cream in the center and purple outside. After flowering, they become paler.
Flowering occurs at the tops of the shoots of the current year
Decorative honeysuckle Serotina blooms throughout the season - from June to cold weather. You can prolong flowering if you timely cut off fading inflorescences and prevent the appearance of fruits. The flowers are very fragrant, reminiscent of the scent of linden honey, by the evening it becomes more intense.
Vines begin to bloom from 3-4 years of age. Ornamental fruits of the shrub - round berries of bright red color, in diameter - from 1 to 2 cm, appear from August to October. They are not eaten.
In cold regions, it should be borne in mind that vines for the winter must be removed for shelter. It is more convenient to do this together with the support, if it is not metal. Also, vines can be cut and given various shapes to the shrub.
Serotin's honeysuckle is resistant to diseases and pests, which makes it easier to care for the crop.
Winter hardiness of seaside honeysuckle Serotina
The frost hardiness of the seaside Serotina honeysuckle belongs to zones 5B-9. Withstands winter temperatures down to -28.8 ° C. In the middle lane it requires cover. When the stems freeze in the new season, the plant quickly recovers. Decorativeness is preserved due to flowering on new shoots.
Planting and caring for Serotin's honeysuckle
For planting, take a seedling with an open or closed root system. In a healthy plant, the leaves are green with shine, evenly colored, the stems are strong and straight. The roots are examined, dry or damaged ones are removed. To reduce the stress from transplanting and more quickly adapt the plant to the new growing site, the root system is soaked before planting in a root-forming solution, for example, "Kornevine".
Landing dates
Serotin's honeysuckle is planted in late summer - early autumn. Plants wake up early in spring and it's easy to miss planting. Seedlings with a closed root system can be planted throughout the warm period.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
Serotin's honeysuckle is unpretentious to soil conditions. But in areas where the soil dries up quickly, or lowlands, it is better not to plant it.The shrub will thrive on well-drained, light and fertile soils. Neutral acidity is preferred, but slightly acidic is acceptable.
The planting site must be sunny. The culture tolerates little temporary shading. In full shade, the flowers become small or do not appear at all. Also, vines must be protected from drafts and sharp cold gusts of wind.
The root system of the plant does not extend far into the soil, therefore, the digging of the soil at the planting site is shallow. It is loosened at the landing site, weeds are removed.
Landing rules
For planting, depending on the number of planted plants, an individual planting hole or trench is dug. The depth is 25-30 cm, the diameter of the planting area for one shrub is about 40 cm.If it is supposed to grow honeysuckle as a ground cover plant, the distance between individual seedlings is about 1.5 m.When growing vertically, the plants are planted at a distance of 2 m.
Landing order:
- The landing pit is prepared two days before the transplant.
The size of the hole depends on the age of the seedling and the volume of its earthen coma.
- A drainage layer is poured at the bottom of the pit.
Drainage can be expanded clay, pebbles or a layer of sand
- Fertilizer is applied, mixed with soil.
For each plant, add about 10 kg of rotted manure or compost, 100 g of superphosphate and 50 g of potassium salt
- In the planting pit, the seedling is placed vertically, covered with a layer of soil and slightly crushed.
The plant is planted without deepening, at the same level as it grew earlier
After transplanting, the branches are trimmed slightly to balance the underground and above-ground parts. A mulching layer is applied to the soil.
Watering and feeding
Water Serotin's honeysuckle regularly, but in moderation. It is important when growing a shrub to prevent the soil from completely drying out. To do this, the soil around the plant is mulched, bushes are not grown next to aggressive crops that take a lot of moisture.
Fertilizers begin to be applied from the second year after planting. The shrub is responsive to both complex compounds and organic ones. With highly acidic soil, lime is added once every four years.
Pruning Serotin Honeysuckle
Serotin's honeysuckle tolerates formation well, rapidly builds up its vegetative mass. Thanks to pruning, the density of flowering is also regulated. Without forming, the shrub quickly fills the space and may look unkempt.
Due to the fact that in honeysuckle it is difficult to distinguish between live and affected shoots before the leaves appear, pruning of stems damaged during winter is carried out only after the plants start to grow.
A rejuvenating and thinning haircut is done once every 2-3 years in the autumn, after the plant has shed its leaves. During this period, old and small shoots are removed.
Rejuvenating pruning is essential to prevent a decrease in leaf size and number of flowers.
The plant leaves strong main shoots, which are given the desired direction, the tops are cut. For bushes over six years old, sanitary pruning is carried out, dried, broken stems are removed.
When growing Serotina climbing honeysuckle as a ground cover plant, the stems are trimmed to the required length. So culture acts as a kind of lawn. When grown on an alpine slide, the shoots are directed from top to bottom.
Wintering
The base and soil around the bush for the winter is mulched with dry leaves. The stems of Serotin's honeysuckle in the middle lane also need to be covered. To do this, they are laid horizontally on the soil. When removed from the support, the stems can be injured, therefore it is most favorable to lay them together. Plants are placed not on bare ground, but a bed of spruce branches, then pinned and covered with non-woven material.
Mulch and shelter are removed in the spring after the danger of frost returns has passed. Removal of protective materials is carried out on a cloudy day so as not to expose the plants to sunburn.
Reproduction of curly honeysuckle Serotin
Honeysuckle Serotin is propagated by seed and vegetative method. Growing from seed is the longest option. Flowering with this breeding method begins only in the fifth year.
Honeysuckle is well cut, the planting material is cut from the shoots of the current year 12-15 cm long. Then it is grown in planting containers at a temperature of + 20 ° C.
Cuttings have a high rooting rate
The easiest way to reproduce is the layering method. At the same time, seedlings are grown without separating them from the main plant. To do this, choose the required number of strong shoots. A shallow groove is dug nearby, a shoot is placed horizontally into it and covered with soil.
For better fixation, the shoot is pressed with hooks or staples.
After rooting, the new plant is separated from the mother plant and transplanted to the desired location.
Serotin Honeysuckle Pollinators
Unlike the edible honeysuckle, the ornamental shrub does not need pollinators. The flowers of the plant are bisexual, so you can plant Serotin's honeysuckle alone. But with cross-pollination, more flowers appear in a group planting.
Diseases and pests
Honeysuckle Serotin is not very susceptible to diseases and pests. With prolonged rainy weather and a thickened bush, a fungal infection can occur on it - powdery mildew. In this case, spraying with copper-containing preparations is carried out.
In case of damage to the vegetative mass of plants of various kinds of aphids, spraying with an infusion of chamomile and soap is used.
Conclusion
Honeysuckle Serotin is a climbing flowering shrub that is highly adaptable to soil conditions. The culture is grown separately and together with other species or varieties to create picturesque hedges, decorate the walls of gazebos and buildings.
