Detailed Explanation of the Key Points of Standardized Cultivation Techniques for Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle, also known as Shuanghua or Rendong flower, belongs to the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae), genus Lonicera. Both its flowers and vines can be used as medicine. It is a Class II valuable Chinese medicinal herb under state management.
Honeysuckle is a perennial twining shrub. It can be cultivated throughout the country. Planting is simple, easy to establish, easy to keep alive, and easy to manage. It can be harvested in the same year it is planted, and one planting can provide benefits for decades. Honeysuckle does not compete with other crops for land. It is tolerant of waterlogging, drought, heat, and cold. Whether planted in saline-alkali sandy soil, poor mountain land, earthen mounds and barren slopes, roadside field ridges, or riverside embankments, it can grow vigorously. Especially when planted on mountain slopes and barren ridges or roadside field ridges, it not only brings considerable economic income but also helps conserve soil and water and green the environment. According to practical experience, planting honeysuckle requires an investment of only about 300 yuan per mu, and each mu can produce 150 kg of dried flowers. At a market price of 40 yuan per kg (2006), the income per mu can reach 6,000 yuan.
1. Planting Time and Methods
Planting can be done in both spring and autumn. Dig holes at a spacing of 130 cm × 160 cm and 30 cm deep. Place a layer of base fertilizer in each hole, then cover it with a layer of fine soil. Then plant 4 plants per hole, cover with soil, press down appropriately, and water thoroughly to settle the roots.
2. Field Management
(1) Loosening soil and weeding: Keep the area around the flower mounds free of weeds. Each year in early spring after the ground thaws and before the ground freezes in autumn and winter, loosen the soil and earth up the plants.
(2) Topdressing: Every year in early spring and early winter, along with loosening the soil and weeding, open a ring-shaped trench around each flower mound. Apply 5 kg of farmyard manure and 200 g of compound fertilizer per mound, then earth up 5 cm around the root zone. Timely and appropriate topdressing is an important measure for increasing honeysuckle yield.
(3) Pruning: In winter or early spring, cut off aging dry branches, aging dry branches trailing along the ground, overly dense branches, and excessive vegetative branches, so as to concentrate nutrients for the growth of flowering branches. For old flower mounds that have never been pruned, after harvesting the flowers, cut off all branches 20 cm above the ground to allow them to regrow tender shoots and form new flowering branches.
(4) Pest and disease control: Honeysuckle is commonly affected by aphids and powdery mildew. For aphids, use 40% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 2,000 times dilution for control. For powdery mildew, spray 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder at 800 times dilution.
3. Harvesting and Processing
(1) Harvesting: The flowering period of honeysuckle is concentrated, about 15 days or so. Timely picking is the key to increasing yield and quality. Generally, in mid-to-late May, the first batch of flowers is picked. One month later, the second and third batches of flowers are picked successively. The method is to pick before the flower buds open, first the outer ones and then the inner ones, and from bottom to top. Within a day, flower buds picked around 9 a.m. are of the best quality. Be sure to harvest at the right time, otherwise the flower buds will open at 4-5 p.m., affecting quality; but do not pick too early either, otherwise the flower buds will be small and green, resulting in low yield and poor quality. When picking, be careful not to break the branches, so as not to affect the quality of the next batch of flowers.
(2) Processing: Evenly scatter the freshly picked flowers by hand on reed mats or a clean, swept ground to dry in the sun. It is best not to turn them. When they are 80% dry, they can be piled up.
4. Storage and Sales
Honeysuckle that has been dried in one session still needs to be dried in the sun another 1-3 times after a period of time. Once it contains no moisture, it can be put into plastic bags, the bag openings tied, and then sold.