Detailed Explanation of Key Points on Honeysuckle Planting and Pruning Techniques

The quality of honeysuckle pruning directly affects the level of yield. Different varieties and flower ages require different pruning methods. If pruned well, it can increase yield by 30%-40%. However, most growers currently do not understand honeysuckle pruning techniques well, especially new cultivators who do not know how to prune or when to prune, resulting in fewer flowers, non-concentrated flowering, and low yields. The Medicinal Materials Research Institute has summarized practical experience in honeysuckle pruning in recent years. Here we discuss several suggestions on pruning for readers' reference.

I. Pruning according to variety. Currently, artificially cultivated honeysuckle varieties mainly include two: Damaohua and Jizhuahua. Damaohua, commonly known as Maohua, has a low, large, and loose bush shape. Flower branches do not produce buds at the tips. The buds are plump, and the branches are relatively long, suitable for winding. It flowers relatively late, has a well-developed root system, is drought-tolerant and tolerant of poor soil, and is suitable for cultivation in mountainous fields and field edges. Jizhuahua produces buds at the tips, clustered densely, shaped like chicken claws. The branches are thick, short, and upright, and the bush shape is compact. Its flowering period is earlier than Damaohua, but the flowers are smaller, suitable for close planting on plains. (1) Damaohua pruning: Damaohua grows in a vine-like form, with a crown spread of over 1 m. Old flower bushes with long branches should be heavily pruned, with long branches cut back and short branches thinned, combining cutting back and thinning. Vigorously growing flower bushes should be mainly cut back to promote branching and accelerate crown expansion. This variety should be pruned according to the growing site conditions into a natural shape or other shapes, heavily pruning water sprouts and overly dense branches so that they are distributed evenly and reasonably. (2) Jizhuahua pruning: Jizhuahua mainly grows in a three-dimensional form, with an obvious trunk, branches mostly not touching the ground, and a crown spread of about 80 cm. Pruning should remove the top, clear the base clusters, open up the inner canopy, and prune overly long branches, diseased and weak branches, dead branches, and downward-extending branches, so that the branches grow upright in clusters, the trunk is thick and strong, and the branches are uniform. Generally, this variety is suitable for pruning into an umbrella shape, which provides good ventilation and light penetration, more new branches, and more buds. II. Pruning according to flower age. (1) Young stage: Generally, honeysuckle is in the young stage from planting to the fourth year. During this period, heavy pruning and shaping can be carried out to establish its form. The specific method is to cut off the upper part of the honeysuckle branch at a height of 50 cm to promote rapid sprouting and growth of lateral buds. Each year, cut off downward-growing branches, and prune water sprouts into a reasonable plant shape according to the variety. (2) Full flowering stage: The full flowering stage of honeysuckle is 4-20 years. During this period, weak branches and dense branches should be heavily pruned, while two-year-old branches and strong branches should be lightly pruned. At the same time, implement the four keeps and four cuts. The four keeps are strong buds, plump buds, upper branch buds, and upward-growing branches. The four cuts are cutting downward-growing branches, lower buds, weak branches and thin small buds, and removing buds sprouting from the base to reduce nutrient consumption. (3) Aging stage: The characteristics of honeysuckle aging are: sparse leaves, pale color, many old dead branches, thin flowers, and a shrunken and reduced branch crown. At this time, all dead branches should be cut, diseased branches heavily pruned, weak branches lightly pruned, and strong branches not pruned. III. Pruning time. Generally, pruning is done 4 times per year, namely: (1) Spring pruning, carried out in early June after the first crop of flowers is harvested, mainly by removing the top at 40 cm of the main trunk. (2) Summer pruning, carried out in late July after the second crop of flowers is harvested, mainly by cutting off the tips of vegetative lateral branches, with light pruning as the main method. (3) Autumn pruning, carried out in early August after the third crop of flowers is harvested to prune autumn shoots, with light pruning as the main method. (4) Winter pruning, after harvesting the last crop of flowers, wait until the nutrients in the vines return to the main branches and root system, then pruning can be carried out from December to February of the following year.