How to Grow Honeysuckle? Teaching You the Correct Planting Method

Honeysuckle has no strict requirements for soil and has strong stress resistance. For ease of management, plots with level ground that are favorable for irrigation and drainage are better. You can also use sunny barren slopes, sandy land, terrace edges, and areas beside rivers and streams for planting. Apply 3000-5000 kg of fully decomposed organic fertilizer per mu, then plow and prepare the land.

I. Propagation and seedling raising:

The method commonly used in production is cutting propagation for seedling raising, and layering propagation and root division propagation can also be used for raising seedlings.

1. Cutting propagation for seedling raising. On plots with good irrigation conditions, it can be done in all four seasons, but generally winter cuttings, spring cuttings, and cuttings during the hot rainy season are used. Seedlings raised by cuttings in winter and spring can be transplanted in about half a year by the rainy season, and seedlings raised by cuttings in the hot rainy season can be planted in winter and spring. Select robust, plump 1-2 year old branches and cut them into cuttings about 30 cm long. You can also combine this with summer pruning and winter pruning, cutting the collected branches into 25-30 cm sections. On a well-leveled seedbed, draw lines and open furrows at a row spacing of 30 cm, with a plant spacing of 5-10 cm, and bury them directly in the furrows. Or only loosen the soil without digging furrows, insert 1/2-1/3 of the cuttings into holes, and press firmly. After inserting, water and then cover with soil. After the cuttings are buried in soil, it is best to leave 5-8 cm exposed above. Water promptly after inserting, and loosen the soil and weed. For summer cuttings, after 7-8 days, the buds begin to sprout, and after more than ten days they begin to root. For winter and spring cuttings, they generally root first and then sprout. When seedlings develop pests and diseases, control them promptly. Transplant before budding in early spring or during the dormant period in autumn and winter.

2. Layering propagation. It is divided into spring and autumn. In spring, it is best after the new buds have not yet sprouted; in autumn, late August to mid-October is good. Generally, robust 1-2 year old branches are selected for layering, 50-80 cm long. After covering with soil, tread firmly, leaving 2/5 of the layered branch exposed above the soil. In case of severe drought, water promptly. Roots begin to form in half a month. In the following spring or autumn, carry out field planting and transplanting, with 450-500 plants per mu, using one plant per hole, and transplanting after the seedlings are established.

3. Root division propagation. In rainy autumn weather, dig out the mother honeysuckle plant and then plant the divisions separately. This method affects the flower yield of the following year, and the source of planting material is also limited, so it is generally suitable for propagating large honeysuckle plants for ornamental use.

II. Field management:

1. Cultivation and weeding. Cultivate and weed 3-4 times each year: carry out the first time when new leaves appear, and the second and third times in July and August. Carry out the last time before frost in late autumn and early winter. Combine cultivation with earthing up to prevent the flower roots from being exposed above the ground. Weeding should start from the outer perimeter of the flower plant, first far and then near, and be careful not to damage the root system.

2. Timely watering. Generally, water once before freezing to warm the roots, and after thawing the following spring, water 1-2 times to moisten the roots and wake them up. Before harvesting flower buds, water once together with fertilization to promote buds and protect flowers. Each topdressing should be combined with irrigation. When the soil is dry, water promptly, which can promote multiple bloomings.

3. Topdressing. In the first 1-2 years after planting, which is the period when the honeysuckle plant's development takes shape, apply more fertilizers such as human and livestock manure, plant ash, urea, and potassium sulfate. After 2-3 years of planting, before winter or in early spring each year, apply more fertilizers such as livestock and poultry manure, barnyard manure, cake fertilizer, and superphosphate. After "Start of Summer," after each flush of flowers is harvested, apply an appropriate amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compound fertilizer to provide sufficient nutrients for the next flush of flowers.

4. Shaping and pruning. The main task in the first two years after planting is to enable the honeysuckle plant to grow into an umbrella-shaped plant form. After that, in the autumn and winter of each year, prune away old branches, weak branches, and leggy branches. This makes the inner and outer layers of the honeysuckle plant distinct, with good ventilation and light penetration, helping to increase yield. Larger plants should have old dead branches and ineffective inner branches removed. Vigorously growing plants should be pruned lightly, while weak, old flower plants should be pruned heavily to encourage more flower formation.

III. Pest and disease control

1. Brown spot disease. It mostly occurs in the later growth stage, with August to September being the peak period, and it is severe under rainy and humid conditions. In the early stage of the disease, small brown spots form on the leaves, then expand into brown round lesions or irregular lesions. Control method: prune diseased leaves, then spray with 1:1.5:200 Bordeaux mixture, once every 7-10 days, for 2-3 consecutive times; or use 65% zineb 500-fold dilution or thiophanate 1000-1500-fold dilution, spraying once every 7 days, for 2-3 consecutive times, which can achieve relatively good control results.

2. Powdery mildew. It is severe under warm, dry conditions or when plants are shaded, and it is also severe when too much nitrogen is applied and plants are dense. In the early stage of the disease, small white spots appear on the leaves, then gradually expand into white powdery patches, continue to spread and cover the whole leaf, and finally cause flower drop, leaf drop, and branch drying. Control method: clean the garden and dispose of diseased and residual plants; during occurrence, spray with 50% thiophanate 1000-fold solution or BO-10 biological preparation.

3. Anthracnose. Leaf lesions are nearly round, brown, and can split open on their own, with orange-red punctate sticky material growing on them when moist. Control methods: 1) Remove residual plants and diseased leaves and burn them centrally; 2) Before transplanting, soak the planting material with 1:1:150-200 Bordeaux mixture for 5-10 minutes; 3) During the disease period, spray with 65% zineb 500-fold solution or 50% thiram 800-1000-fold solution.

4. Rust disease. After being affected, tea-brown or dark brown small spots appear on the underside of the leaves; some also show nearly round lesions on the leaf surface, with a small pustule in the center, and in severe cases can cause leaf death. Control methods: 1) After harvesting flowers, remove dead plants and diseased leaves and burn them centrally; 2) In the early stage of the disease, spray with 50% dinitro 200-fold solution or 25% triadimefon 1000-fold solution, once every 7-10 days, for 2-3 consecutive sprays.