Why doesn't honeysuckle bloom? The latest causes and solutions
Honeysuckle is also known as Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). Because its flowers are initially white when they open and then slowly turn yellow, it got the name "honeysuckle" (gold-silver flower). Honeysuckle is one of China's famous traditional medicinal herbs, with the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying, and it has a very good curative effect on heat-related diseases. Because it is not demanding about climate and soil and has extremely strong adaptability. Honeysuckle is distributed in every province of our country, and it is also one of the medicinal herbs mainly planted by herb farmers. Herb farmers who have planted honeysuckle may have encountered the situation where honeysuckle does not bloom. What is going on? Below, Qinnong Network will introduce to you the reasons why honeysuckle does not bloom.
When does honeysuckle bloom?
Honeysuckle generally begins to bloom in late May and ends around mid-October, with a flowering period of about 150 days. Usually the first flush of flowers is in late May, the second flush in mid-to-late July, the third flush in mid-August, and the fourth flush in mid-October, with each flush lasting about 7 days. The common peduncle of honeysuckle is usually solitary in the leaf axils of the upper part of the branchlets, equal to or slightly shorter than the petiole. The corolla is white, sometimes slightly reddish on the sun-facing side at the base, later turning yellow, bilabiate, with the tube slightly longer than the lips, and fragrant.
Why doesn't honeysuckle bloom?
1. Insufficient sunlight: Honeysuckle needs good light conditions to grow well. It must not be placed in a shaded place. Long-term placement in a shaded place will cause honeysuckle not to bloom.
2. Poor ventilation: If the planting space for honeysuckle is too small, the air will not circulate, making it difficult to grow and develop well. It is best to set up a trellis.
3. Soil lacking phosphorus: If the soil lacks phosphorus when planting honeysuckle, it will also cause no blooming. At this time, increase the amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer applied, and control the amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied.
4. Reasonable pruning: If the pruning work is not done well when planting honeysuckle, it will also cause no blooming. At this time, remove weak branches, diseased and pest-damaged branches, etc., so that nutrients are supplied in a concentrated way.
Honeysuckle planting and management techniques
1. Seed propagation: Honeysuckle seed propagation is usually sown in April. Soak the seeds in warm water at 35-40°C for 24 hours, take them out and mix with 2-3 times their volume of wet sand to promote germination, and sow when about 30% have cracked open. On the seedbed, open furrows at a row spacing of 21-22 cm and sow, cover with 1 cm of soil, spray water once every 2 days, and seedlings can emerge in more than 10 days. Transplant after autumn or in the spring of the 2nd year, using about 15 kg of seeds per 1 hectare.
2. Cutting propagation: Honeysuckle cutting propagation is generally carried out in the rainy season. In cloudy and rainy weather in summer and autumn, select robust 1-2 year old branches free of pests and diseases and cut them into 30-35 cm sections, remove the lower leaves and use them as cuttings, using them as soon as they are cut. On the selected land, dig holes at a row spacing of 1.6 m and a plant spacing of 1.5 m, with a hole depth of 16-18 cm. Put 5-6 cuttings in each hole, bury them obliquely in the soil in a scattered shape, with about 7-10 cm exposed above the ground, then fill with soil and press firm.
3. Timely pruning: Pruning is carried out from after leaf fall in autumn to before sprouting in spring. Generally, vigorous branches are pruned lightly and weak branches are pruned heavily, and every branch is pruned. When pruning, pay attention to ensuring that after new branches grow out, they are favorable for ventilation and light transmission. Thin and weak branches, dead old branches, basal branches, etc. should all be cut off. For plots with poor fertilizer and water conditions, pruning should be heavier. For old plant ages, cut off old branches to promote new branches. Young plants should mainly focus on cultivating plant shape and should be pruned lightly. For mountain ridge plots, generally keep 4-5 main trunk branches, and for plain plots keep 1-2 main trunk branches. The main trunk should have its tip cut off to make it thicker and upright.
4. Reasonable shaping: Shaping is carried out in combination with pruning. In principle, it is based on fertilizer and water management, promoting the whole plant, making full use of space, increasing the amount of branches and leaves, making the plant shape more reasonable, and can obviously increase flowers and yield. After pruning, the flowering time is relatively concentrated, which is convenient for harvesting and processing. Generally, after pruning, the branches can be made upright, and removing thin and weak branches and basal branches is beneficial to the formation of new flowers. After picking flowers, prune again, and after pruning apply a quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer once and water once to promote the early development of the next flush of flowers. In this way, 4 flushes of flowers can be harvested in one year, with an average dry flower yield of 150-200 kg per mu.
5. Earthing up and weeding: Honeysuckle planting requires earthing up and weeding 3-4 times each year. Carry out the 1st time when new leaves appear, the second time before the second flowering period, and the last time in late autumn and early winter before frost. The purpose of earthing up is to prevent flower roots from being exposed above the ground. It is recommended to carry it out together with fertilization. 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.
6. Reasonable topdressing: In the first 1-2 years after honeysuckle planting, it is the period when the plant develops and takes shape. Apply more fertilizers such as human and livestock manure, plant ash, urea, potassium sulfate, etc. After 2-3 years of planting, apply more fertilizers such as livestock miscellaneous manure, barnyard manure, cake fertilizer, superphosphate, etc. every early spring. After the first flush of flowers is harvested, an appropriate amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compound fertilizer should be topdressed to provide sufficient nutrients for the next flush of flowers. Every year after sprouting in early spring and when the first batch of flowers is finished, open ring trenches and apply human excrement and urine, chemical fertilizers, etc. by watering, applying 250 grams of each fertilizer.
7. Harvesting and processing: The best time to harvest honeysuckle is in the early morning and forenoon. At this time, the harvested flower buds are not easy to open, have sufficient nutrients, a strong scent, and good color. Harvesting in the afternoon should be finished before the sun sets, because the opening of honeysuckle is restricted by light, and after the sun sets the mature flower buds will open, affecting quality. Do not include young buds or leaves. After picking, put them into wicker or bamboo baskets. When gathering them together, do not pile them into a big heap. They should be spread out, and the storage time should not exceed 4 hours at most.
From the above, it can be seen that the reasons why honeysuckle does not bloom are mainly caused by inadequate care. For crops, especially cash crops and medicinal herb planting, the first thing that needs to be understood is the growth habits of the plant being grown. Only by understanding the habits can high-quality crops be grown, and this is the most important factor determining returns. So if you encounter a situation where honeysuckle does not bloom, you might as well analyze which link has gone wrong, and then treat the root cause accordingly. Only in this way can it effectively help the plant's growth.