Detailed Explanation of the Rapid Cultivation Method for Standard (Tree-Form) Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle, as a raw material for pharmaceuticals, beverages, and beauty and cosmetic products, has long been in short supply on both domestic and international markets. Most regions of our country are suitable for its cultivation. At present, ground-covering shrub-type cultivation is mostly adopted in various places. In order to develop toward three-dimensional cultivation, make full use of space, increase light exposure, and improve its yield and quality; and also to provide a new tree species for roadside ornamental greening, the cultivation and development of standard (tree-form) honeysuckle has become an urgent task. For this reason, we carried out a series of studies on the cultivation techniques of standard (tree-form) honeysuckle in Pingyi County, the hometown of honeysuckle. The relevant technical measures are summarized as follows:

1. Collection and treatment of rootstock seeds for honeysuckle. Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) is a good rootstock for grafting honeysuckle. The berries of Amur honeysuckle fully mature in early to mid-October, turning red; at this time they can be picked by hand, left to rot for 10 days, squeezed by hand, rinsed with clean water 3-4 times, drained of seed coats and impurities, and placed in a shaded place to dry. There are two storage methods: one is conventional sand storage, cellared in a shady place, with a seed-to-sand ratio of 1:2; the other is natural storage, putting the shade-dried seeds into a plastic film bag, tying it tightly, and placing it in a cool indoor place. Through several years of experimental observation, the two storage methods have no significant effect on the germination rate of the seeds.

2. Germination acceleration and sowing of rootstock seeds. Amur honeysuckle seeds are small; when soaking the seeds in March, they should be mixed with sieved fine sand. According to the amount of seed, dig a sunny seedbed, cover with plastic film to keep warm, and sow when 1/3 of the seeds have sprouted white. The sprouting of seeds should not be too long, otherwise it will easily affect the emergence rate. Amur honeysuckle is raised in arched sheds and then transplanted. The nursery bed is 0.8-1 m wide, and the length can be determined as appropriate. The bed soil should preferably be neutral sandy loam; heavy clay soil is not conducive to emergence. Before raising seedlings, apply sufficient base fertilizer (mainly farmyard manure), scatter an appropriate amount of phoxim granules and zinc-phosphorus mixture, with an application rate of about 2 kg per 667 sq m, rake fine and level, water the bed thoroughly, evenly scatter the seeds into the bed, cover with 1-2 mm of fine soil, just enough to cover the seeds, then cover with a plastic film arched shed. Seedlings can emerge after 7 d. Pay attention to spraying water and pulling out weeds. Through hardening of the seedlings, they can be transplanted when they have 3-4 true leaves.

3. Seedling transplanting and field management. The transplanting spacing is 40 cm x 20 cm. Transplanting is best done in the afternoon or on cloudy days, water thoroughly in time, replenish with another watering the next day, loosen the soil in time, and when the seedlings are about 20 cm tall, apply urea as a top dressing, with an application rate of 20-30 kg per 667 sq m; each top dressing should be combined with watering. During this period, attention should be paid to pest and disease control; the main pests are scarab beetles and inchworms. In addition, promptly remove the lateral shoots on the lower part of the trunk to ensure the trunk is upright and smooth. The following year, increase fertilizer and water management, and grafting can be done when the seedlings are about 2 m tall and 1.5-2 cm in diameter at breast height.

4. Selection of honeysuckle varieties for grafting. (1) Chicken-claw flower types have short branches and vines, concentrated flower clusters, and are easy to manage. (2) Big-hair flower types have long branches and vines and large flower needles, and are easy to train into a "waterfall-type" tree form. (3) Wild types have slender, deep red branches and vines, with some flowers being variant red, and some flower veins also blue; they are widely distributed in the Yimeng Mountains. Three-dimensional cultivation mostly uses chicken-claw flower types, while roadside ornamental greening mostly uses big-hair flower types and wild types.

5. Grafting time and method. Through several years of practical observation, grafting can be done throughout the entire growing season, but moisture-retention measures must be taken, such as covering with film bags, etc. Grafting near bud break in spring is best. The grafting height is generally 1.2-1.5 m, and the grafting method mostly adopts the multi-head bark insertion graft method, with a survival rate of over 98%.

6. Management after grafting. After the graft survives, taking advantage of the characteristic that honeysuckle grows multiple times a year, timely and repeated pinching should be carried out to promote rapid shaping. For fertilization, N fertilizer is mainly used in the early stage, and P and K fertilizers are added in the later stage, which is beneficial for branch maturity and safe overwintering. In May and June, pay attention to the control of aphids and inchworms. Pyrethroid pesticides give the best control effect.