Pruning honeysuckle in the fall: diagrams, videos, tips for beginners

Sap flow in honeysuckle is very early, it is one of the shrubs that bears fruit in the first half of June. In order not to stress the plant in the spring and not damage the buds, it is recommended to prune honeysuckle in the fall. The rejuvenating and shaping procedure will increase the yield, a strong and healthy shrub will be less susceptible to diseases and pests.

Autumn bush of honeysuckle before formation

Is honeysuckle pruned in autumn

Honeysuckle produces edible berries and has an ornamental habit. The plant is multifunctional: in addition to useful fruits, it has a bright appearance from the beginning of flowering until the leaves fall, this feature has found application in ornamental gardening and landscape design. To prevent bush thickening, pruning is carried out every year.

Without a timely event in the fall, at the beginning of the growing season, a compact green mass is formed, which blocks the access of ultraviolet light to branches and buds, nutrition deteriorates, and yields fall.

Perennial branches begin to die off over time, and young ones appear in small numbers; honeysuckle vegetation without pruning is not aimed at replacement. Every year the yield falls, and the shrub runs wild. Flowering stops if the decorative honeysuckle is not pruned in the fall, it loses its shape and aesthetic appearance.

Timing of pruning honeysuckle bushes in the fall

Perennial berry bushes of basic varieties begin to bear fruit for 4-5 years of vegetation. Until this time, the plant forms the root system, gaining ground mass. Cardinal pruning measures up to four years are not relevant. The bush is formed by shortening the top so that the culture gives more side shoots.

Pruning honeysuckle in the first year of fruiting is done by the harvest field. In subsequent growth seasons, an event is held in the fall. But there are also a few nuances that depend on the goal. Agrotechnical reception by functionality can be of the following types:

1. Detailed (forming) cropping. It is carried out 1 time in 4 years, old skeletal branches are removed, replacing them with new ones. In this case, it is advisable to prune honeysuckle after picking berries, around the beginning of July, by autumn the plant will recover from stress and overwinter safely.
2. Sanitary. There are no deadlines here, it is carried out if the plant is sick and all therapeutic measures have not given a positive result. To prevent the infection from spreading further, the affected shoots are removed.
3. Anti-aging. This is the main type of agricultural technique aimed at the formation of young shoots, it is necessary every autumn.

Deadlines vary by region. Pruning honeysuckle after harvest, for example, in August, is undesirable. In mild climates, shrubs are rejuvenated in November. In the temperate climate zone, they are guided by weather conditions. The plant enters a dormant phase, completely sheds its leaves, and the completion of sap flow is determined by this sign. Rejuvenation of honeysuckle in the fall is carried out until night temperatures drop below zero.

Pruning schemes for honeysuckle in the fall

The basic rule in the formation of a bush for obtaining berries is that you cannot prune on the tops of last year’s shoots, since you can lose the main crop.

All berry crops, including honeysuckle, love a lot of light. The sun’s rays should freely penetrate into the middle of the bush. Below is a diagram of the formative pruning of honeysuckle in the fall (according to the years of vegetation).

The shrub is formed according to the standard type

Trimming pattern:

1. In the first year of growth in autumn, the top is shortened to 4 full-fledged buds.
2. The next season, the young shrub forms several side shoots, the upper part is also removed from them.
3. So they continue to form a bush up to four years.
4. In the fifth year, 6-9 strong skeletal branches are left, they will become the basis, the lower stems are cut to vertical shoots, thus forming a bole about 15 cm tall. There is free space from the ground to the first shoots. This method will facilitate the care of the root circle.
5. Then cut out all the shoots and branches that grow in the middle of the bush and block access to the central part of the sun’s rays. Also do not leave twisted with the wrong direction of growth.

The shoots of the culture are fragile, if the tops were broken during the work, they are cut off, thin, weak stems are also removed. The spring option is not considered, sap flow begins when there is still snow. If the agrotechnical measure is carried out at the beginning of the growing season, damage to the fruit buds is inevitable.

Rejuvenating pruning is also done in the fall, cutting bushes over the age of 7-9 years.

You can not touch annual branches, especially their tops

The sequence of agrotechnical action:

1. They remove the maximum number of old branches, leaving only a few central ones.
2. From the bottom, the top is removed to the first annual strong shoots growing vertically.
3. Weak annual stems are pruned, which do not give full flowering and only thicken the shrub.

If, after examining the shrub, it is decided that the plant is almost all old, a cardinal pruning is done. The bush is completely shortened, regardless of the age of the stems. Leave about 40 cm above the soil.

Scheme of correct pruning of an old plant

Since spring, honeysuckle vegetation will be aimed at replacing shoots. The next season, the plant will give a bountiful harvest. After 3 years, formative pruning can be done, leaving strong shoots that will become skeletal branches. The bush is thinned out in the fall, weak stems are removed.

Sanitary pruning is carried out regardless of the season and the age of the shoots; here we are not talking about a high yield, but about preserving the berry crop.

How to prune honeysuckle in autumn

To preserve the yield and decorative habit, agrotechnical measures are carried out at the end of the growing season. A few rules for pruning honeysuckle in the fall:

1. They begin the formation or rejuvenation of the bush only after leaf fall, then the plant is in the biological phase of rest, it will more easily endure mechanical stress.
2. They use special tools in their work, for example, garden shears with long handles, they are less traumatic for young stems.
3. You can cut off dry twigs on annual shoots, but you can not touch the upper part.
4. The tops of perennial branches are removed before branching; in these areas, the main accumulation of dormant fruit buds is observed.

Young shoots during the formation of berries can bend under the weight of the crop, especially if their length exceeds 50 cm. To avoid deformation of the shoots, it is recommended to fix them to a support. Near the bush, a stake is driven in along the height of the plant, the branches are carefully collected into a loose bundle, wrapped with a rope and tied to a trellis.

Tips from seasoned gardeners on autumn pruning of honeysuckle

So that the shrub does not suffer and pleases with a good harvest in the spring, below are some tips for beginner gardeners:

• cuts on the branches are made at an angle;
• after work, the damaged areas are treated with a disinfectant or garden pitch is used;
• if in autumn the night time is accompanied by frosts, it is impossible to form a bush at a later date;
• sanitary measures should be carried out only if it was not possible to save the plant from infection by chemical means;
• after agrotechnical reception, it is recommended to make autumn top dressing, and in a temperate climate, insulate the basal circle with straw or sawdust.

If the formation of a bush of food varieties begins from the fourth year of growth, then decorative cultivars are formed from the first growing season.

Conclusion

Pruning honeysuckle in the fall is a mandatory and annual procedure for culture. Helps to maintain the shape of the bush and a high rate of fruiting. Removal of old, weak and damaged shoots stimulates the berry culture to form a replacement. Subject to the agrotechnical method, the bush is less likely to get sick and produce large berries. For beginner gardeners, below is a video on how to properly prune honeysuckle in the fall with maximum benefit for the plant.