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This culture has long been classified as an ornamental species. Summer residents planted shrubs on their plots as decoration. Breeders have developed numerous species, including edible ones. Gardeners should carefully study the features and description of the Nightingale honeysuckle variety.
The Nightingale variety begins to bear fruit at the end of June.
Description of the honeysuckle variety Nightingale
The main feature of this variety is that Nightingale’s berries do not fall off, unlike other representatives. As for appearance, this is a medium-sized plant, which is covered with a thick and lush crown. The green leaf plate has an oval-elongated shape.
During the fruiting period, light blue berries appear. They have an unusual shape that resembles a spindle. The weight of an average fruit can reach 100 g. Honeysuckle berries are covered with a tough skin. The pulp has a pleasant sourness and delicate aroma.
The buds of the Nightingale variety of honeysuckle begin to set at the very beginning of May, and the first harvest can be enjoyed in the last days of June.From one adult bush you can collect up to 2.5 kilograms.
Planting and caring for nightingale honeysuckle
Honeysuckle is very popular among domestic gardeners because of its unpretentiousness and frost resistance. The shrub can be grown even in the northern regions. The main thing is to plant the seedlings correctly.
Nightingale honeysuckle is planted in open ground in the autumn.
Landing dates
Plant seedlings are planted in the ground in the fall. This is due to the fact that the edible honeysuckle Nightingale begins the process of sap flow very early. Planting in open ground is done before it begins. The optimal period is considered to be the period from the last days of September to mid-October. As practice shows, the survival rate of the plant in this case reaches almost 100%.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
The Nightingale variety needs to be provided with a well-lit place, but it must be reliably protected from the wind. As for the soil, it should be fertile loamy, or, in extreme cases, sandy loam with sufficient moisture.
Excess moisture should not be allowed; this can have a negative effect on the roots of the plant and cause them to rot. It is better if, before planting edible honeysuckle, potatoes and row crops grew in this place.
Landing rules
The hole for nightingale honeysuckle seedlings is dug to a depth of 0.4 m, diameter - 0.8 m. A little humus is placed in the hole, as well as a mixture of potassium sulfate, ash and superphosphate. All components are taken in equal quantities.
Mounds are made from this substrate, on which the plant is then carefully seated, not forgetting to straighten the roots. Then they are covered with earth and lightly compacted.At the very end, watering is done; a bucket of water is taken for each seedling.
Watering and fertilizing
The Nightingale variety grows well in a moist substrate; during dry periods, the plant must be watered before the soil begins to dry out. If this is not done, the fruits will become bitter. This can also cause preliminary shedding of the berries. If the season is rainy, then three watering events will be enough for honeysuckle.
As for the application of fertilizers, in the first year the young honeysuckle bush has enough nutrients that were added to the planting hole. Next year you need to feed the plant with organic compounds. You can make your own nutrient mixture from nitrogen, urea and ammonium nitrate. This solution will help increase green mass and increase yield.
Trimming
Shrub pruning is done twice a year, this is done in early spring and after harvest. The step-by-step instructions are as follows:
- Cut off all old, dry shoots from honeysuckle, and do the same with broken, diseased branches and umbrellas.
- Remove improperly growing branches; they interfere with the penetration of light and air.
- I leave no more than 15 shoots, the tops of which also need to be removed, leaving 5 buds on each.
After this, all that remains is to thoroughly weed the soil and remove the growth around the bush. As a result of pruning, the plant will not only acquire a neat appearance and a lush crown, but will also significantly increase fruiting.
Autumn pruning is carried out only when fruiting has ended.
Wintering
The wood and leaf buds of edible honeysuckle can survive even the harshest winters. They can withstand temperatures down to -45 degrees. But the root system and flower buds resist frost of minus 40. This is actually why many summer residents do not cover the Nightingale variety for the winter.
The only exception is young honeysuckle seedlings, they need it. This is due to the fact that the plant does not have time to take root during the summer period. Covering material in the form of dry leaves will help reduce the risk of freezing.
Fertilizing with potassium will significantly strengthen the immunity of the edible crop.
Reproduction of edible honeysuckle Nightingale
Nightingale honeysuckle shrub can be propagated in different ways. It is worth considering each option in more detail:
- Dividing the bush. They dig up an adult plant, separate its adventitious root and plant it in a separate hole.
- By cuttings. Several young shoots are cut from the honeysuckle; each of them should have at least two buds. Then they are rooted in a separate container and greenhouse conditions are created. After the cutting grows shoots and produces roots, it can be replanted in open ground.
There is also a seed method, but it is more labor-intensive and time-consuming, so it is not so popular among summer residents. The above-ground part of the plant develops extremely slowly. The fruits can be collected 4 years after planting.
Pollinators of honeysuckle Nightingale
In fact, the Nightingale variety is self-sterile, so it needs third-party pollination. Experienced summer residents recommend planting the following varieties of honeysuckle near the bush:
- "Moraine";
- "Blue Spindle";
- "Blue bird".
Diseases and pests
This plant has a fairly strong immune system, so the Nightingale variety is excellent at resisting many diseases. This also applies to pests; with proper care and some preventive measures, gardeners do not encounter such problems.
Inappropriate care and an unsuccessful season, for example, if there is a cold and rainy summer, can lead to the fact that honeysuckle weakens, and therefore becomes prey for various insects. Against this background, various fungal diseases appear, the most common are:
- Brown spot. Brown spots appear on the foliage of the plant. After some time, the disease leads to the fact that the greenery begins to actively fall off. To eliminate the problem, the bush should be treated. Bordeaux mixture or HOM preparation are perfect for this.
Insecticides will help quickly get rid of powdery mildew on honeysuckle
- Light gray spotting. The disease is expressed in the form of gray spots on the leaf blade with a black edging. Treatment is carried out by spraying the bush with a soap solution.
Gray spots appear on the leaf blade on both sides
- Powdery mildew. A characteristic white coating appears on the green mass of the Nightingale bush, which visually resembles cotton wool. “Chistotsvet”, “Tiovit Jet” or similar drugs will get rid of the fungal disease.
White bloom on honeysuckle foliage is a sign of powdery mildew
The Nightingale variety may be attacked by pests. The most frequent guests on honeysuckle:
- striped sawfly;
- variable sawfly;
- biennial leaf roller.
Chemicals are used to control harmful insects. “Aktellik” and “Fufanon” will cope with the task perfectly. If you don’t get rid of them in time, they will destroy not only the greens, but also the honeysuckle fruits.
Conclusion
Before planting a fruit-bearing shrub in your garden plot, you should carefully study the description of the Nightingale honeysuckle variety. Despite the fact that the plant is considered unpretentious, it still requires some care. But the reward will be a whole basket of tasty and healthy berries, which can be eaten both fresh and frozen, so vitamins will be on the table all year round.
