Experienced gardeners recommend pruning honeysuckle every fall. This procedure allows you to timely form a bush and eliminate diseased, dry and damaged branches. For beginners, working with pruners often raises many questions, so it is better to disassemble the pruning process step by step.
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When is the best time to prune
The optimal time for this procedure is after leaf fall. However, it is necessary to be in time before the first cold weather. On such days, the structure of the bush is visible best, and the plant is preparing for winter.
The formation of the crown should begin after the bush has reached 5 years of age. However, branches can be thinned out earlier. This applies to those cases where the incorrect growth of branches is clearly pronounced.
To prune honeysuckle, the following materials and tools should be prepared in advance:
- pruning shears - the tool must be sharp, otherwise the plant will be damaged, which will affect its growth and yield;
- container in which the branches will fit;
- fan rake - they are required to collect leaves;
- gloves - when cutting bushes, hands must be protected from damage;
- tool for loosening the earth;
- materials for mulching (this can be cut grass, straw or small sawdust).
Step by step execution of work
Honeysuckle is most often a shrub that is formed from several equivalent branches. However, in some cases, the base is represented by a stem - a short trunk from which several branches extend. In both cases, the principles of formation are the same and consist of the following stages:
- Leaves should be removed from the branches (if they have not yet fallen off). This will give maximum visibility to the bush. Another preparatory step is to harvest the leaves - there must be good access to the base.
- You need to inspect the bush at the base. All damaged, dry and diseased branches must be cut off first. After this procedure, there should be no hemp or dormant bud in the place of the removed branch. If this happens, next year a new shoot will grow in this place, which will lead to re-thickening.
- Remove all thin shoots that grow from the base of the bush. These small branches do not form berries, but they make the bush thick. As a result, illumination and air circulation are impaired. The quality of pollination of flowers decreases.
- The final stage of formation is the removal of excess branches in the crown. You should cut off those branches that rub against each other or are located extremely close (duplicate each other). It is necessary to thin out the bush in such a way that access to the sun's rays, air and insects is provided to each branch. In addition, the berry picker should be comfortable in harvesting.
After pruning, the bush should turn out to be open, consisting of no more than 12-15 branches. In this case, the branches should be distributed evenly.
After pruning is complete, the plant must be prepared for winter. For this, the remains of fallen leaves, cut branches and old material for mulching are removed from under the bush. The soil around the honeysuckle is loosened using any specialized device. The loosening depth should be no more than 5-7 cm.
Experienced gardeners recommend treating perennial plantings with chemical compounds that prevent the appearance of diseases and pests every fall. After the funds have been used, the honeysuckle can be covered with new mulch.
Putting these simple tips into practice will help keep honeysuckle bushes in order, prevent thickening and prevent the spread of disease.
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