Honeysuckle Cultivation Methods and Field Management Techniques for Increasing Yield

HoneysuckleAlso known as Shuanghua, Renzhonghua (honeysuckle flower), etc., it is a plant of the genus Lonicera in the family Caprifoliaceae. It is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicinal herb, with the unopened flower buds and vine leaves used as medicine. It has the functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, dispelling wind and reducing swelling, and is mainly used to treat wind-heat colds, sore throat and other conditions. It is mainly produced in Shandong, Henan, Hunan and other provinces, with the quality of that produced in Shandong being the best. Honeysuckle prefers a warm, humid climate with abundant sunshine. It is highly adaptable, tolerant of cold, drought and waterlogging, and can be cultivated on plains and in mountainous areas alike. It has low requirements for soil and can be planted on barren hillsides.

Cultivation Techniques for Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle is best planted in early to mid-March. When planting, well-rotted farmyard manure should be applied in the hole as a base fertilizer, after which no further fertilization may be needed. If abundant flowering is desired for harvesting, 1 to 2 topdressings should be applied before flowering, and attention should be paid to intertillage and weeding, with timely watering according to drought conditions. To make honeysuckle grow luxuriantly with a well-proportioned plant shape, shaping and pruning are needed. During the dormant period, thin and weak branches and old branches that disrupt the plant shape should be pruned away to facilitate renewal and concentrate nutrients; for robustly growing branches, the tips should be appropriately cut back to promote the sprouting and growth of axillary buds at the base the following year. After flowering, the growing tips should be pinched off to increase the quantity and quality of the second batch of flowers.

Field Management Techniques for Increasing Honeysuckle Yield

Every year in late autumn, clear away the dead branches and fallen leaves at the base of the flower clumps and peel off the corky bark from the branches and trunks, which can reduce pest and disease damage in the following year. Deeply turn the soil 30 cm around the flower clumps, apply 5-10 kg of farmyard manure to each clump, and if conditions permit, add 0.1 kg of superphosphate. Shape it into a trough form with high edges and a low center. For flower clumps in mountainous areas, after fertilizing, shape each clump into a fish-scale pit or basin shape according to the terrain to help accumulate rain and snow. After the first crop of flowers is picked, quick-acting fertilizer should be applied promptly to increase the yield of the second and third crops of flowers.

Winter pruning is generally carried out from after all leaves have fallen in winter to before bud break the following spring. Winter pruning mainly follows the principle of "light pruning for vigorous branches, heavy pruning for weak branches, and pruning every branch." Vigorous branches should be pruned lightly, generally retaining 8-10 buds; weak branches should be pruned more heavily, retaining 3-5 pairs of buds; thin, weak, diseased, twining and crossing branches should all be pruned away completely. For plants with good water and fertilizer conditions and vigorous growth, pruning should generally adopt renewal by cutting back, mainly through thinning, using a "major operation" approach to transform and renew old flower clumps. For young flower plants after planting, the focus should be on developing the plant shape, generally first retaining 3-5 main stems, with the layout of the main stems arranged reasonably, and the tips should be cut back to promote thickening.

Summer pruning has a great impact on increasing the yield of the second and third crops of flowers. Proper pruning significantly increases yield, and the flowering period becomes relatively concentrated, making harvesting easier. Generally, after the previous crop of flowers is picked, the tips of vigorously growing branches should be cut off to control apical dominance and promote the sprouting of new branches; small thin and weak branches with yellowing leaves that affect ventilation and light penetration should all be pruned away completely.

Harvesting and Processing: Flowers can be picked 15-20 days after budding. When the upper part of the flower bud swells and turns greenish-white, it is the appropriate time for picking; any delay will cause the flowers to open, affecting the quality and yield of the product. Picking should be done in the early morning and forenoon each day, and the freshly picked flowers should be processed and dried promptly.