We all remember the tale of the “young” apples, but few know that nature has its own “elixir of youth”. This is a small inconspicuous berry, and it is called - honeysuckle. Where does this analogy come from? Honeysuckle edible has an incredible amount of useful properties. In this berry there is a rare element in nature - selenium, which gives youth to the cells of the body..
Did you know? The Latin name Lonícera honeysuckle was in honor of the German botanist Adam Lonitser.
What is so attractive honeysuckle edible
So, honeysuckle - what is this plant? The biochemical composition of this berry affects the amount of microelements and vitamins, which is especially valuable during the period of beriberi, since honeysuckle matures early.
The composition of the berries include phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron and calcium. Slightly less in the composition of sodium, copper, zinc, strontium, barium, selenium and iodine. In addition, the berries contain glucose, fructose, galactose and sucrose.
Of the acids present citric, malic, oxalic. All this treasure, plus a large amount of vitamin C and P - active elements give honeysuckle great therapeutic value. The fruits of this plant have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system, the composition of blood. They help with heart attacks, intoxications, hypertension and stomach problems.
Fresh and frozen berries are good for anemia, atherosclerosis and vitamin deficiency. Jam is useful for people suffering from peptic ulcers, gastritis, edema and liver disease.
Interesting! Caloric content of edible honeysuckle -30 kcal per 100 g of product. Thus, the berry is very useful for obesity as a dietary product. However, you should not abuse the honeysuckle jam - there is a large amount of carbohydrates.
Honeysuckle varieties edible
In nature, there are about two hundred species of plants. They grow in almost all areas of the northern hemisphere, in the expanses of the Himalayas and East Asia. On our lands, the most common are several species.
Let us consider in more detail the characteristics of edible honeysuckle varieties, which are more often grown.
- Bogdana This is a hybrid, derived from two species. The plant grows of medium height and with a slightly spreading crown. The fruits of "Bogdana" oval-shaped with a sweet and sour taste and aroma. It ripens not too early, but is one of the fruitful varieties.
- Long honeysuckle. This variety is from free pollination of Kamchatka honeysuckle. Its bushes are not high, but sprawling and round in shape. The branches of the shoots are long and thin. The berries are large, shaped like a cylinder. The taste of the berries resemble a sweet and sour dessert. Long-honeysuckle matures early.
- Mascot. This variety was bred by amateur gardeners in order to obtain a bountiful harvest and dessert taste of the fruit. Crowns of bushes are not strongly developed, but they are higher than previous varieties in height. Berries of medium size and dessert flavor, as was intended. Plant of medium-early ripening and large yield. It is very much appreciated jam from this grade.
Important! The use of a large number of berries can trigger leaching of beneficial trace elements from your body. May lead to skin allergies and stomach disorders, as well as deterioration in blood counts.
How to plant and care for edible honeysuckle
Where it is better to plant honeysuckle on the site and how to take care of it, consider further. The main requirements for planting are light (in shaded places it will not bear fruit), the average moisture content of the soil is better than the neutral composition.
If you plant honeysuckle for the first time, buy bushes of two or three years of age, then within two or three years you will receive your first harvest. When purchasing seedlings, carefully inspect the sprouts and rhizome of plants. The branches should be bending, but not fragile, and the roots should have a developed system.
It is best to get shoots of different types. Plant plants in windproof areas. Most suitable loamy or sandy soil composition.
The main stages of landing
Before planting honeysuckle inspect the roots of seedlings, dry need to be removed. Honeysuckle is a durable plant, therefore it is better to make a distance between the holes taking into account the further growth of the plant. Next, proceed according to this plan:
- Prepare holes for seedlings and fertilize with compost (depending on soil composition). Pour water into the wells.
- Plant shoots, straightening the roots, but do not deepen strongly, so that the development of the plant does not slow down.
- Water again with water mixed with compost so that it sticks to the roots. Then grumble the hole to avoid moisture leakage. To do this, is on sale mulch material, or go around the curled sheets of newspaper.
We water and feed
The soil with the "poor" composition is fertilized with organic matter, and too oxidized sprinkled with chalk. In the first years of growth honeysuckle requires particularly careful care. It is possible to water a plant both on leaves, and under roots.
It is necessary to feed a bush with spaces in two weeks from the beginning of vegetation. Top dressing with nitrogen do as follows: in 10 liters of water dissolve 30 g of nitrate or urea. One plant should be approximately 1 liter of solution.
It is not recommended to loosen the ground under the bushes - you can damage the roots of the plant. In the intense heat of the watering procedure, conduct more often, moisture is the life of the plant.
Pruning honeysuckle
Pruning the plant immediately after planting is impractical - it will reduce the fecundity of the plant. During the first years of growth it is necessary to remove weak shoots and dry branches. Thin out weakly growing or low-growing shoots so that they do not interfere with the development of stronger shoots.
In the spring, sanitize the bushes, thinning the crown. When edible honeysuckle blooms, don't forget about pest protection.
Attention! Not all fruits of honeysuckle are edible. You can eat berries blue and black, and red and orange - poison.
Harvesting
The quality of the crop will depend on how you tended, fed, trimmed honeysuckle bushes. The fruits of this plant ripen in late June - early July.
Saturated smooth color of berries - a sign of ripe fruit. Some varieties when ripe "lose" the berries, so the best way to collect is to spread a film around a bush and gently shake the fruit on it. When you put the berries in any container, note that ripe fruits easily crumple.
How to reproduce edible honeysuckle
Honeysuckle breeds in several ways that have their advantages and disadvantages.
Growing from seed
Squash a few berries on thin paper, move the seeds one centimeter apart. Let them dry and roll the paper, leave at room temperature. If you decide to germinate this year, then you need to sow right away in wet soil, the sowing depth is no more than a millimeter.
Identify seed containers in a greenhouse or cover with glass to create a greenhouse effect. Water as the surface dries. After three weeks you will see the result of your efforts.
Green cutting
Another way of growing edible honeysuckle is reproduction in summer with green cuttings. Green cuttings are taken from the plant in the month of June, when the berries are saturated with color. The size of the shoots is about 15 cm.
Cut cuttings are treated with heteroauxin, which will help them settle down. The soil and the air under the film should be saturated with moisture. The following autumn, grown and mature shoots are planted on the site.
Bushes division
A six-year-old honeysuckle bush is dug up before the onset of budding. With the help of a garden pruner, the bush is divided into several parts. It is important to take into account the age of the plant, too old bush will not take root.
After you have divided the plant into a couple of new ones, process the cutting sites and plant them in the prepared soil. Many gardeners grow honeysuckle not only for therapeutic use, but also as an ornamental plant. In the period of flowering and fruiting, this culture, of course, pleases the eye.
