Key Points of Spring Seed Propagation Techniques for Japanese Honeysuckle

Pick the black fruits in January. After picking, pile them at a thickness of 30 cm and let them after-ripen for 5-7 days, then put them in clean water and rub and wash them to remove the peel and pulp, and dry them in a shaded place. Avoid direct sun exposure, then winnow away the shriveled seeds and store them for later use.

Seed treatment: before sowing, 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, cover with plastic film, and place in a warm place to promote sprouting. When the seed cracking rate reaches 50%, they can be sown.

Sowing time: spring sowing can be done in early March.

Seedbed preparation before sowing: plow the seedbed deeply for drought resistance, generally plowing 50 cm deep, apply sufficient basal fertilizer, applying 6000-7500 kg of basal fertilizer per 667 sq m, 40-50 kg of ammonium bicarbonate, harrow fine and level, and remove residual weeds. To prevent underground pests, 1.5-2 kg of jiadi powder or 0.15-0.25 kg of phoxim emulsion can be broadcast per 667 sq m. Some zinc sulfate or ferrous sulfate can be appropriately applied to prevent seedling-stage diseases. Beds can be made 1 m wide, 20 cm high, and 10-15 m long.

Sowing: use full-bed broadcasting, with a seeding rate of 1.0-1.2 kg per 667 sq m. First level the bed surface, water thoroughly, and after the water infiltrates, add 1 times more sand to the soaked or stored sand seeds, evenly broadcast them into the bed, cover with fine sandy soil 0.5-0.7 cm, then cover with straw curtains or plastic film.

Management after sowing: water management after sowing is very important and directly affects the emergence rate. Because Japanese honeysuckle seeds are very small, before the seedlings emerge, strictly prevent the soil from crusting and cracking. Check daily; for those covered with straw curtains, spray water once with a watering can in the morning or evening; for those covered with film, spray selectively, that is, spray water on dry patches. When about 30% of the seedlings have emerged, remove the covering, and after the seedlings are fully emerged, water frequently to keep the bed surface moist. During the seedling growth period, frequently weed, loosen the soil, and water. Depending on seedling growth, topdress nitrogen fertilizer at 7-10 kg per 667 sq m.

When the seedlings are 15-20 cm tall, pinch off the growing tips to promote new branches, and repeat this 2-3 times continuously; by July each plant can have 4-8 branches, and in autumn they can be lifted from the nursery for planting.