Honeysuckle: when the berry ripens, why it doesn’t bloom, what year it starts to bear fruit

Honeysuckle is a berry shrub reaching 2,5 to 3 m in height. Tall, with a fluffy crown, it is great for creating hedges and other landscape compositions. Honeysuckle ripens a few years after planting, this time depends on the variety chosen. Not all fruits of the shrub are edible; there are also ornamental plant species.

What year after planting does honeysuckle bear fruit?

Seedlings begin fruiting in the 3-4th year after planting. If the propagation of the shrub is carried out by cuttings, the berries can ripen after a year, however, with a small harvest. And only after 6-7 years, the culture begins to bear fruit with a yield of more than 1 kg per year. Some varieties actively ripen a little earlier.

The volume of fruiting increases until the age of 15-17 years

During the period when the yield level of shrubs begins to fall, they can be renewed by cutting off some of the branches at the base.

How many years does honeysuckle bear fruit

Younger honeysuckle seedlings bear fruit much less actively. The duration of fruiting directly depends on the chosen shrub variety, some species are able to produce berries for 12 years, but the average period is from 5 to 7 years. During the formation of inflorescences and the ripening of berries, it is important to water the honeysuckle abundantly and regularly, as well as to fertilize the soil.

Why honeysuckle does not bear fruit

There can be several reasons for the low level of fruiting of honeysuckle:

1. Insufficient access to sunlight. The plant belongs to the light-loving, fruit-bearing best in lighted areas. In shady areas, there are much fewer leaves and berries.
2. The shrub was hit by frost. The culture begins to ripen early enough, when the temperature is still fluctuating. The branches and foliage of the plant are quite resistant to cold, however, especially sensitive petals can easily suffer in one frosty night.
3. The shrub lacks insects. Poor fruiting honeysuckle may be the result of a lack of pollination. It is not uncommon for the shrub to begin maturing at the end of March, when the weather is warmer, but there are still no insects, then the plant cannot be pollinated.
4. Disease or nutritional deficiencies. Most types of honeysuckle bear fruit much worse if you do not provide the shrub with additional top dressing. Insects practically do not harm him. However, there is a risk of various diseases, which can also impair fruiting.

In some cases, low yields can be observed without one of the listed reasons; this can happen if the shrub is too young or, on the contrary, too old to bear fruit.

Wild varieties have bitter-tasting berries, and the period of active fruiting of such plants can exceed 50 years. These types of honeysuckle also begin to ripen only in the 5-7th year after planting. Life expectancy is somewhat shorter, and fruiting is not more than 15 years. Aging begins already after 8-10 years of growth, and then the yield level drops sharply. To maintain normal fruiting, honeysuckle must be cut in time, giving the crown a spherical shape.

What to do if honeysuckle does not bear fruit

Depending on the cause of the problem, there are several ways to deal with poor shrub yields:

1. Incorrect seeding or lack of pollination. In order for honeysuckle to bear fruit better, it is necessary to plant several different varieties nearby. The optimal number is 10-15 bushes in one area. Then each of them will be able to pollinate, giving a yield of up to 10-12 kg per year. It is also necessary to spray with water with sugar (per 10 liters 2 tablespoons, respectively), this will help attract more insects for pollination.
2. Incorrect soil composition. Acidified soil before planting a bush must be filled with slaked lime. Alkaline soil should be acidified with gypsum. The best option for the normal development of culture is loamy or sandy loam soil. If the soil on the ground turned out to be heavy, it must be dug up with the addition of sand and humus.
   
   

   Normal fruiting of honeysuckle is possible only on fertile land with a pH level of 5,5 to 6,5

3. Insufficient amount of moisture. The content of honeysuckle on the site provides for regular watering of the shrub during flowering and fruit ripening. With a lack of moisture, the plant ceases to bear fruit normally, begins to drop flowers and ovaries, and the few berries that appear acquire a bitter aftertaste. The most abundant watering should be carried out in May and June, 4-5 buckets per shrub. It is not necessary to water the plant often, the optimal frequency is from 3 to 5 times a season, best in the evening.
4. If the honeysuckle does not bloom and does not bear fruit due to a too dense crown, it is necessary to carry out a thinning shearing of the shrub. As it grows, it begins to grow strongly, therefore, for ease of maintenance, it is better to place seedlings at a distance of 1,5-2 m from each other with row spacing of 2-2.5 m.

When a shrub is affected by a disease, the berries ripen slowly, the flowers fall off, and the yield drops several times. To protect the crop from disease, the plant should be fertilized with humus in spring, in summer with phosphorus, and in autumn with ash.

Honeysuckle Care Tips

Honeysuckle easily tolerates partial shade, but it bears fruit best in well-lit areas. The plant cannot be planted on flooded lowlands and sandstones. Before planting a bush, the soil must be carefully dug up and all perennial weeds and wheatgrass removed.

The culture does not adapt well to drought, so it is important to constantly monitor the maintenance of moisture in the soil and carry out regular mulching. However, it is also impossible to flood the root system excessively: this can disrupt the growth process and lead to the death of the plant.

The most favorable time for landing is the second half of September and the first half of October. At the same time, one should also not forget about regular weeding of the soil and removing weeds from the site.

It is not recommended to plant a shrub in the spring, as it begins to grow early. Otherwise, the plant needs to be transplanted in the summer, after picking berries.

Seedlings up to 2 years old are best suited for planting.

The selected area should be filled with lime (200-400 g per m²) and dig a landing hole 60 * 60 cm in size and up to 40 cm deep.

The first 3-5 years the shrub does not need pruning. Starting from the 6th year, it is enough to simply remove the branches that thicken the top. The best time for pruning is autumn.

In the 15th year of growth, skeletal branches are pruned to a growth that is located at the base. Thanks to the gradual renewal of the crown, the shrub will bear fruit much better, with a stable yield.

Conclusion

Honeysuckle does not ripen immediately, but several years after planting on the site. The start time of fruiting and its duration depend on the selected shrub variety, as well as on the conditions of detention. If honeysuckle does not bear fruit well, and its flowers fall off, you should pay attention to the following factors: the level of soil moisture and its composition, thickening of the crown, as well as the planting site and age of the plant.