Pointed Honeysuckleis a graceful evergreen climber that grows quickly and blooms profusely. It is a versatile plant that is willingly planted in gardens. Seethe requirements of Honeysuckle , how to prune honeysuckle, and the best ways to reproduce it. Here's everything you need to know aboutGrowing Honeysuckle
Pointed honeysuckle - Lonicera acuminata
Fig. Raffi Kojian, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Pointed honeysuckle - description of the appearance
Honeysuckle(Lonicera acuminata) is a member of the Caprifoliaceae family and its region of origin is China, Southeast Asia and India. Long, growing up to 4 m, honeysuckle shoots are covered with ovate or oblong, pointed leaves. Leatheryhoneysuckle leavesare shiny and slightly hairy. The plant has a long flowering period and already in June it is covered with profusely charming, tubular, creamy-yellow flowers. In Octoberthe flowers of honeysucklewilt, and their place is taken by no less decorative fruit. They are spherical, dark purple berries.
Pointed honeysuckle - application
Honeysuckle is very versatileIt can be grown in the ground, as well as in pots and containers. Run against strong supports, around which it is wrapped, it creates wonderful green screens and covers unsightly walls of buildings.Pointed honeysuckle planted next to fences quickly creates a tight barrier separating it from the street or neighbors. It is also an excellent groundcover.
Is Honeysuckle Poisonous?
Honeysuckle fruits are not poisonous to animals, and in autumn they are eaten by birds. However, they can harm a person. If eaten in large quantities, they irritate the digestive tract and weaken the heart.
Honeysuckle - requirements and cultivation
Honeysuckle grows best in fertile, nutrient-rich, moderately moist and well-drained soil . It will also cope with less fertile soils, but then it requires more intensive watering and fertilization during the growing season.
Although honeysuckle blooms best in full sun, sharp rays can burn and dry plants, especially in winter. Thereforethe best place to plant a Pointed Honeysuckle is a light partial shade
Pointed honeysuckle - Lonicera acuminata
Fig. Krzysztof Ziarnek, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Pointed honeysuckle is a frost-resistant species(included in the plant frost resistance zone 6A), but young, sensitive plants should be protected with agrotextile or straw mats for the winter. In colder regions of Poland, it is worth providing the plant with a position sheltered from strong gusts of wind, especially from the east.
Pointed honeysuckle - planting
This evergreen climber is best planted in late spring, when the ground has already warmed up a bit. We locate the place for planting honeysuckle approximately 50 cm from the support. Dig a hole suitable for the size of the root ball and shake its sides to loosen the soil. Thanks to this, the seedling's roots will be able to grow faster. Place the plant so that it grows 5-10 cm deeper than in a pot.Finally, mulch the soil 3-5 cm with a layer of garden bark or compost. The mulch will protect the roots from sun and frost and prevent water loss from the substrate.
Pointed honeysuckle - watering
Honeysuckle needs a moist substrateFor the first 2-3 years after planting, it is necessary to water the plants frequently, even 1-2 times a week. Abundant watering stimulates root growth. Thanks to this, the plant can use the water reserves found in the deeper regions of the soil, which increases its resistance to drought. Ashoneysuckle is an evergreen plantyou must not forget to water it also in winter. We do this every 4-6 weeks. A layer of mulch spread around the plants in autumn will keep water in the substrate and protect the roots from frost.Another way to ensure adequate soil moisture is to use a hydrogel or TerraCottem, which is mixed with the soil when planting the plant.The preparation has the ability to absorb water after intensive watering or rain, and then give it back as the soil dries. Thanks to this, we can reduce the frequency of watering, while ensuring good growth conditions for the honeysuckle.
Pointed honeysuckle - fertilization
In honeysuckle cultivation, balanced fertilization is importantIf we feed the plants too often with fertilizers, they will quickly create a large green mass, but at the expense of flowering and lower frost resistance. While too abundant and frequent fertilization of the honeysuckle can prevent flowering, nutrient-poor soil can also inhibit flowering. Therefore, it is worth focusing on multi-component fertilizers with slow action, such as, for example, Substral Osmocote. This fertilizer is used only once a year, in spring, right after the vegetation has started. The fertilizer gradually releases nutrients over many months, providing the plants with the optimal amount of minerals, without the risk of over-fertilization.
In autumn, it is worth sprinkling some compost under the sharpened honeysuckleIt will form a layer of mulch that protects the roots against frost and prevents the soil from drying out. In spring, the compost is raking up to mix it with the topsoil. This will enrich the soil with organic substances and fertilize the soil.
Pointed honeysuckle - cutting
Honeysuckle is most beautiful when it grows freely. However, there is nothing to prevent the shoots from being trimmed a bit when they are branching too vigorously. In order for the plants to grow nicely, for the first 2-3 years after planting in early spring, shorten the shoots by 1/3 of their length. Every year we also remove sick, frozen and damaged shoots.
In older honeysuckles that strip themselves from the bottom,rejuvenating cutwill be beneficial, which involves cutting all the shoots about 20 cm above the ground. Honeysuckle will quickly sprout new shoots, but for vines that have covered the fence, it may take 2 to 3 years to re-seal the fence.
Honeysuckle - reproduction
Honeysuckle can be propagated from cuttings or by layering.
In order topropagate the honeysuckle by cuttings , in the period from July to August, the top fragments of young shoots should be collected. Cut the acquired shoots into 10 cm long sections. Place the prepared seedlings in pots filled with a substrate for seedlings. The rooted plants can be planted permanently in the next spring.
The best time toreproduce honeysuckle by layeringis spring or autumn. We start by choosing a plump, he althy plant. We move the soil around it and mulch it with mature compost or manure. Then bend a he althy and flexible shoot to the ground at a height of 20-25 cm and fasten it with a plant clip or a simple stone. At the point of contact of the shoot with the ground, we remove the leaves, and we can make a slight incision from the bottom to make it root faster.We cover with soil and water it. Cut off well-rooted cuttings from the mother plant and plant it permanently.
MSc Eng. Anna Błaszczak
