Re: Lonicera
- Subject: Re: Lonicera
- From: &* a* M* <t*@xtra.co.nz>
- Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 20:49:14 +1200
----- Original Message -----
From: "Diane Whitehead" <voltaire@islandnet.com>
The first message was part of the thread on growing blueberries in
Greece.
I saw a row of edible honeysuckle growing at a lily breeder's in Oregon
in 1998, grown from seeds from Latvia. The fruit was delicious, so I
scraped a few seeds out of the next berry I ate, and have one small
plant, 23 cm high, which hasn't fruited yet. One advantage the
honeysuckle has over blueberries is that it doesn't require acid soil.
That is a benefit for some people, but I have poor acid soil, while the
lily nursery was on deep pumice on the slopes of Mt Hood. Maybe I should
fertilize my plant with some wood ash from my stove.
Diana
One wants to be bit careful with wood ash, as it is surprisingly alkaline.
if one regards it as approximately equivalent to straight garden lime in
alkalizing effect that should be about right. So start cautiously, putting
on no more than quqrter of a pound per square yard. If your soil is still
more acid than you want after a growing season you could add to it in
quarter pound doses per year, but unless the soil is exceptionally acid I
expect the initial dressing should bring up the pH enough ( just below
neutral suits most plants, you don't want to get it really alkaline) and
this will probably last a year or two before needing to be topped up. Wood
ashes are also a good source of potassium.which should help to encourage
flowering and fruiting.
Moira
Tony & Moira Ryan, Wainuiomata, New Zealand
Climate ( US Zone 9). Annual averages:-
Minimum -2°C; Maximum 28°C Rainfall 2000mm
