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Honeysuckle Serotina – a common variety that belongs to the type of curly honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum), is a beautifully flowering liana. The culture is intended for decorative landscaping, wraps around any proposed supports.
Description of honeysuckle Serotina
Serotina honeysuckle is a perennial climbing deciduous shrub. Refers to late varieties. It reaches a height of 4 m, it is characterized by rapid growth, the stems annually increase to 1 m. The shoots of the first year are bare or with weak pubescence. The leaves are opposite, ovoid, about 6 cm long. The color is dark green above and gray-bluish below. The cover is thick.
The shrub is valued for its abundant and elegant flowering. The flowers are bisexual, bisexual, collected in dense inflorescences with long stamens. Painted in several shades – white and cream in the center and purple on the outside. After flowering, they become paler.
Flowering occurs on the tops of the shoots of the current year
Honeysuckle ornamental Serotina blooms throughout the season – from June to cold weather. You can prolong flowering if you cut off fading inflorescences in a timely manner and prevent the appearance of fruits. The flowers are very fragrant, reminiscent of the aroma of linden honey, in the evening it becomes more intense.
Lianas begin to bloom from 3-4 years of age. Decorative fruits of the shrub are round berries of bright red color, in diameter – from 1 to 2 cm, appear from August to October. They are not used for food.
In cold regions, it should be borne in mind that the 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, creepers can be cut and give the shrub various shapes.
Honeysuckle Serotina is resistant to diseases and pests, which makes it easier to care for the crop.
Winter hardiness of honeysuckle seaside Serotina
The frost resistance of the honeysuckle of the seaside Serotina belongs to zones 5B-9. Withstands winter temperatures down to -28,8°C. In the middle lane requires shelter. When the stems freeze in the new season, the plant quickly recovers. Decorative effect is preserved due to flowering on new shoots.
Planting and caring for honeysuckle Serotina
For planting, take a seedling with an open or closed root system. In a healthy plant, the leaves are green with a sheen, evenly colored, the stems are strong and straight. The roots are inspected, dry or damaged are removed. To reduce stress from transplantation and more quickly adapt the plant to a new growing place, the root system is soaked in a root formation solution, for example, Kornevine, before planting.
Terms of planting
Honeysuckle Serotina is planted in late summer – early autumn. In spring, the plants wake up early, and it is easy to miss the moment of planting. Seedlings with a closed root system can be planted throughout the warm period.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
Honeysuckle Serotina is unpretentious to soil conditions. But in areas where the soil dries out quickly, or lowlands, it is better not to plant it. The shrub will develop well in well-drained, light and fertile soils. The acidity is preferably neutral, but slightly acidic is also acceptable.
Landing site should be sunny. The culture tolerates a slight 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, so the digging of the soil at the planting site is done shallow. It is loosened on the landing site, weeds are removed.
Rules of landing
For planting, depending on the number of plants to be planted, they dig an individual planting hole or trench. The depth is 25-30 cm, the diameter of the planting area for one shrub is about 40 cm. If it is planned to grow honeysuckle as a ground cover, the distance between individual seedlings is left about 1,5 m. When grown vertically, plants are planted at a distance of 2 m.
Landing order:
- The landing pit is prepared two days before transplantation.
The size of the hole depends on the age of the seedling and the volume of its earthy coma.
- A drainage layer is poured at the bottom of the pit.
Drainage can be expanded clay, pebbles or a layer of sand
- Apply fertilizer, mix with soil.
About 10 kg of rotted manure or compost, 100 g of superphosphate and 50 g of potassium salt are added to each plant.
- 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 before
After transplanting, the branches are lightly pruned to balance the underground and aboveground parts. A mulching layer is applied to the soil.
Watering and feeding
Serotina honeysuckle is watered regularly, but moderately. It is important when growing shrubs to prevent complete drying of the soil. 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 and organic compounds. In highly acidic soil, lime is added once every four years.
Pruning honeysuckle Serotina
Honeysuckle Serotina tolerates shaping well, quickly increases the vegetative mass. Thanks to pruning, the density of flowering is also regulated. Without shaping, 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 the winter is carried out only after the plants start to grow.
A rejuvenating and thinning haircut is done once every 2-3 years in autumn, after the plant has shed its leaves. During this period, old and small shoots are removed.
Anti-aging pruning is necessary so that there is no decrease in the size of the leaves and the number of flowers.
Strong main shoots are left at the plant, which are given the right direction, the tops are cut. For bushes older than six years, sanitary pruning is carried out, dried, broken stems are removed.
When growing honeysuckle climbing Serotina as a groundcover, the stems are cut to the required length. So culture acts as a kind of lawn. When grown on an alpine hill, shoots are directed from top to bottom.
Wintering
The base and the soil around the bush are mulched with dry leaves for the winter. Serotina honeysuckle stalks in the middle lane also need to be covered. To do this, they are laid horizontally on the ground. When removed from the support, the stems can be injured, so it is best to stack them together. Plants are placed not on bare ground, but on a spruce bed, then pinned and covered with non-woven material.
Mulch and shelter are removed in the spring, after the danger of a return of frost has passed. The removal of protective materials is carried out on a cloudy day, so as not to expose the plants to sunburn.
Reproduction of curly honeysuckle Serotina
Honeysuckle Serotina is propagated by seed and vegetative methods. Growing from seeds is the longest option. Flowering with this method of reproduction begins only in the fifth year.
Honeysuckle is well cut, 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 percentage of rooting
The simplest method of reproduction is the layering method. At the same time, seedlings are grown without separating 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 in 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 and transplanted to the right place.
Honeysuckle Pollinators Serotina
Unlike honeysuckle with edible fruits, an ornamental shrub does not need pollinators. The flowers of the plant are bisexual, so Serotina honeysuckle can be planted singly. But with cross-pollination, more flowers appear in a group planting.
Diseases and pests
Honeysuckle Serotina is little susceptible to diseases and pests. With prolonged rainy weather and a thickened bush, a fungal infection may occur on it – powdery mildew. In this case, spraying with copper-containing preparations is carried out.
In case of damage to the vegetative mass, plants of various kinds of aphids use spraying with an infusion of medicinal chamomile and soap.
Conclusion
Honeysuckle Serotina is a climbing flowering shrub that is highly adaptable to soil conditions. They grow the culture separately and together with other species or varieties to create picturesque hedges, decorate the walls of arbors and buildings.
