Content
For a long time this culture belonged to the decorative species. Summer residents planted shrubs on their land as decoration. Breeders have bred numerous species, including edible ones. Gardeners should carefully study the features and description of the Nightingale honeysuckle variety.
The Nightingale variety begins to bear fruit at the end of June.
Description of the variety of honeysuckle Nightingale
The main feature of this variety is that the Nightingale does not crumble berries, unlike other representatives. As for the appearance, this is a medium-sized plant, which is covered with a dense and lush crown. The green leaf plate has an oval-elongated shape.
During the fruiting period, light blue berries appear. They have an unusual shape that resembles a spindle. The weight of an average fruit can reach 100 g. Honeysuckle berries are covered with a strong skin. The pulp has a pleasant sourness and delicate aroma.
The ovary of Nightingale honeysuckle buds begins at the very beginning of May, and the first harvest can be enjoyed in the last days of June. Up to 2.5 kilograms can be harvested from one adult bush.
Planting and caring for honeysuckle Nightingale
Honeysuckle is very popular among domestic gardeners because of its unpretentiousness and frost resistance. The shrub can be grown even in the northern regions. The main thing is to make the correct planting of seedlings.
Planting Nightingale honeysuckle in open ground is carried out in the autumn
Landing dates
Plant seedlings are planted in the ground in autumn. This is due to the fact that the process of sap flow begins very early in the edible honeysuckle Nightingale. Landing in open ground is done before it begins. The optimal period is considered to be the period from the last days of September to mid-October. As practice shows, the survival rate of a plant in this case reaches almost 100%.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
The Nightingale cultivar is required to provide a well-lit place, but it must be reliably protected from the wind. As for the soil, it should be fertile loamy, in extreme cases - sandy loam with sufficient moisture.
An excess of moisture must not be allowed, this can have a negative effect on the roots of the plant, cause them to rot. It is better if potatoes and row crops grew in this place before planting edible honeysuckle.
Landing rules
A hole for honeysuckle seedlings The Nightingale is dug to a depth of 0.4 m, a diameter of 0.8 m. A little humus is laid in the hole, as well as a mixture of potassium sulfate, ash and superphosphate. All components are taken in equal quantities.
Hillocks are made from this substrate, on which the plant is then carefully planted, not forgetting to straighten the roots. Then they cover it with earth and lightly tamp it. At the very end, watering is done, a bucket of water is taken for each seedling.
Watering and feeding
The Nightingale variety grows well in a moist substrate; in a dry period, the plant must be watered before the soil begins to dry out. If this is not done, then the fruits will acquire bitterness.It can also cause preliminary shedding of the berries. If the season is rainy, then honeysuckle will be enough for three watering events.
As for the application of fertilizers, in the first year, the young honeysuckle shrub has enough nutrients that were added to the planting pit. The next year, you need to feed the plant with organic compounds. You can make your own formula from nitrogen, urea, and ammonium nitrate. This solution will help build up green mass and increase yields.
Pruning
Shrub pruning is done twice a year in early spring and after harvest. The step-by-step instructions are as follows:
- All old, dry shoots are cut off from honeysuckle, and they also do with broken, diseased branches and umbrellas.
- They remove improperly growing branches, they interfere with the penetration of light and air.
- I leave no more than 15 shoots, from which it is also necessary to remove the tops, leaving 5 buds on each.
After that, it remains to thoroughly weed the soil and remove the growth around the bush. As a result of pruning, the plant will not only acquire a neat appearance and a lush crown, but also significantly increase fruiting.
Autumn pruning is carried out only when fruiting ends
Wintering
The wood and leaf buds of edible honeysuckle are capable of surviving even the harshest winters. They can withstand temperatures up to - 45 degrees. But the root system and flower buds resist frost at minus 40. This is why many summer residents do not shelter the Nightingale variety for the winter.
The only exception is young honeysuckle seedlings, they need it. This is due to the fact that the plant does not have time to take root during the summer period. Covering material in the form of dry leaves will help reduce the risk of freezing.
Fertilization with potassium will significantly strengthen the immune system of an edible crop.
Reproduction of edible honeysuckle Nightingale
The Nightingale honeysuckle shrub can be propagated in different ways. It is worth considering each option in more detail:
- By dividing the bush. An adult plant is dug up, the adventitious root is separated from it and planted in a separate hole.
- By cuttings. Several young shoots are cut from the honeysuckle, each of them should have at least two buds. Then they are rooted in a separate container and greenhouse conditions are created. After the stalk gives rise to shoots and releases roots, it can be transplanted into open ground.
There is also a seed method, but it is more laborious and time-consuming, therefore it is not so popular among summer residents. The aerial part of the plant develops extremely slowly. Fruits can be harvested for 4 years after planting.
Pollinators Honeysuckle Nightingale
In fact, the Nightingale variety is self-fertile, so it needs third-party pollination. Experienced summer residents recommend planting the following varieties of honeysuckle near the bush:
- "Moraine";
- "Blue Spindle";
- "Blue bird".
Diseases and pests
This plant has a fairly strong immune system, so the Nightingale variety perfectly resists many diseases. This also applies to pests, with proper care and some preventive measures, gardeners do not face such problems.
Inappropriate care and an unsuccessful season, for example, if it is a cold and rainy summer, can lead to the fact that honeysuckle weakens, therefore it becomes prey for various insects. Against this background, various fungal diseases appear, the most common are:
- Brown spotting. Brown-brown spots appear on the foliage of the plant.After a while, the disease leads to the fact that the greens begin to actively fall off. To fix the problem, you should treat the bush. The Bordeaux mixture or the HOM preparation is perfect for this.
Insecticidal agents will help you quickly get rid of powdery mildew on honeysuckle
- Light gray spotting. The disease is expressed in the form of gray spots on a leaf plate with a black edging. Treatment is carried out by spraying the bush with soapy water.
Gray spots appear on the sheet plate on both sides
- Powdery mildew. A characteristic white bloom appears on the green mass of the Nightingale shrub, which is visually similar to cotton wool. Get rid of the fungal disease "Chistotsvet", "Tiovit Jet" or similar drugs.
White bloom on honeysuckle foliage is a sign of powdery mildew
The Nightingale variety can be attacked by pests. The most frequent guests on honeysuckle:
- striped sawfly;
- the sawfly is changeable;
- biennial leaf roll.
In the fight against harmful insects, chemical preparations are used. "Aktellik" and "Fufanon" will cope with the task perfectly. If you do not get rid of them in time, then they will destroy not only the greens, but also the fruits of honeysuckle.
Conclusion
Before planting a fruiting shrub in the garden, you should carefully study the description of the Nightingale honeysuckle variety. Despite the fact that the plant is considered unpretentious, it still needs some care. But the reward will be a whole basket of tasty and healthy berries that can be consumed both fresh and frozen, so vitamins will be on the table all year round.
