Detailed Explanation of Key Points for High-Yield Cultivation Techniques of Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is a perennial evergreen vine of the Caprifoliaceae family. It has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying, and is mainly used to treat colds, upper respiratory tract infections, pneumonia, etc. It is mainly used for the production of Chinese and Western medicines, Chinese patent medicines and cosmetics, as well as for export raw materials, and has very good development prospects. Since 2002, Tongbai County in the mountainous area of southern Henan, in conjunction with the implementation of the project of returning farmland to forest, has developed 1300 mu (667 sq m, the same below) of honeysuckle on hillside land. The average yield per mu (dry) in the 2nd year after planting was 75 kg, with a benefit of 1500 yuan per mu; in the 3rd year, the yield per mu (dry) was 106 kg, with a benefit of 2200 yuan per mu; after 4 years, the benefit per mu was more than 3000 yuan, achieving good economic, social and ecological benefits. Its main cultivation techniques are as follows:

1 Selection of suitable cultivation land

Honeysuckle has strong drought resistance and tolerance to barren soil, and does not have strict requirements for soil. Except for saline-alkali land and overly barren soil, it can be planted in general soil. It is advisable to choose sunny flat land or hillside land, and it can also be planted at field ridges, beside canals, in courtyards and other places.

2 Selection of high-yield varieties

The quality of the variety directly affects the yield and quality. Attention should be paid to selecting varieties with a compact plant shape, strong sprouting and branching ability, many flowers, medium flower shape, golden color, high and stable yield, and strong resistance.

3 Seedling propagation

3.1 Nursery land preparation

The nursery land should be selected as a plot with fertile, deep soil, pH 5.5-6.8, salt content less than 0.2%, sandy loam texture, and convenient irrigation. Apply 3000-5000 kg of base fertilizer per mu, plow deeply and level, and make beds 1-1.5 m wide.

3.2 Collection of cuttings and cutting propagation

Honeysuckle can be propagated by seeds, root division, and cuttings. In production, cutting propagation is generally used more often, as it produces seedlings quickly. It can be done from April to June or from September to October. Select vigorous plants free of pests and diseases, take the middle part of healthy 2-3 year old branches as cuttings, cut them into 20-30 cm long sections (each section has at least 3-5 buds), with the lower cut at a slant, and remove the lower leaves. The upper end of the cutting can be sealed with wax, and the lower end (that is, the end inserted into the soil) can be soaked in a 900-1000 times dilution of 20% naphthalene acetic acid (rooting agent) for 1-2 hours to promote rooting, which can make the survival rate reach more than 90%. Insert the cuttings obliquely at a row spacing of 20 cm and a plant spacing of 10 cm, exposing 10-15 cm above the ground (2-3 buds exposed), then cover with soil and press firmly, and water. If the light is too strong, it is necessary to build a shade shed or cover with grass for shading. Keep the ground moist before rooting, and remove the shading material after rooting and survival. The seedlings of the current year can grow to 1-2 m high, with 2-3 branches. Cuttings made in spring can be transplanted in the autumn of the same year.

4 Planting techniques

Transplanting can be done in both spring and autumn. In spring, in the first and middle ten days of April; in autumn, in the first and middle ten days of August, choose cloudy and rainy days for transplanting. Before planting, on hillside land, large pits of 1 x 1 x 1 m in a triangular arrangement should be dug or trenches of 1 x 1 m should be made; on flat land with good site conditions, digging pits for planting is sufficient; apply 2-3 kg of high-quality farmyard manure per pit. When lifting seedlings, try to keep some soil on the root system. According to a row spacing of 1-1.5 m and a plant spacing of 1 m, plant 2-3 plants per pit, with 500-600 pits per mu. After planting, water once for settling.

5 Field management

5.1 Fertilizer and water management

After planting, it is necessary to frequently hoe weeds, loosen the soil, and water. After new buds sprout in early spring and before the ground freezes in autumn, cultivate the soil once each time in combination with applying organic fertilizer. Topdress 2-3 times a year. When the first crop of flowers is nearly finished in early spring, apply the first topdressing (compound fertilizer with high nitrogen content) to promote more flowering; the second topdressing uses compound fertilizer with low nitrogen content, in July-August; the third topdressing applies organic fertilizer, in October. Fertilization amount: for plants more than 5 years old, apply 5 kg of farmyard manure per pit, and each time apply 0.25-0.5 kg of compound fertilizer or 150-200 g of phosphate fertilizer and 50-100 g of ammonium bicarbonate; for young plants, reduce appropriately, and if the soil is fertile, apply less, with 1 basal application and 1 topdressing per year. At the same time, foliar fertilization can also be carried out, spraying nutrient foliar fertilizer once before flowering and once after flowering.

5.2 Trellising

Honeysuckle has twining stems and cannot stand upright on its own. After the plant is established, a trellis should be set up beside the plant, with a height of 1.2-1.5 m, so that the stems and vines can twine around it and maintain good ventilation and light transmission. Otherwise, it grows prostrate on the ground, with low flower yield, and it is also inconvenient for picking and management.

5.8 Pruning and shaping

Pruning and shaping is an important measure for high-yield honeysuckle. During the growing season, useless sprouting branches should be promptly removed to maintain good ventilation and light transmission; in winter or before bud break in early spring, senescent branches, pest- and disease-damaged branches, leggy branches, thin and weak branches, and dry and dead branches should be cut off. Long branches over 60 cm should be appropriately shortened, retaining 4-5 pairs of buds, to promote more branching and more flowering. Prune lightly for vigorous growth, retaining 6-7 pairs of buds; prune heavily for weak growth, retaining 2-3 pairs of buds; make the branches evenly spaced and the inner and outer layers distinct, so that the entire support forms an upright umbrella-shaped flower clump. After picking the first crop of flowers, pruning should also be carried out to promote more secondary branching and increase the yield of the second crop of flowers. After that, further pruning can produce a third and fourth crop of flowers. Reasonable and careful pruning can produce more new branches and more flowers, increasing yield by 40-60% compared with no pruning.

6 Pest and disease management

Honeysuckle has relatively few pests and diseases, but when there is a lot of rainy weather, aphids and leaf spot disease may cause damage.

Control methods:

6.1 Take comprehensive measures: after the spring thaw, remove weeds and loosen the soil; prune reasonably and increase the application of organic fertilizer to improve resistance.

6.2 Before the plants sprout, spray once with an eradicant, such as lime sulfur mixture, disinfectant, etc.;

6.3 For chemical control of aphids, spray once each before Qingming and around Guyu and Lixia with a 1000-1500 times dilution of 50% fenitrothion; for leaf spot disease, use a 1:2:240 Bordeaux mixture or an 800 times dilution of Daconil M45 for control, spraying once a week for 3 consecutive weeks (note that spraying is prohibited 15-20 days before flower picking to avoid contaminating the honeysuckle).

7 Harvesting and processing

Honeysuckle begins to produce flowers 2 years after planting and enters the full flowering period after 5 years. It blooms every year in May-June, and flowers must be picked in time. Pick when the flower buds change from green to yellow-white and before blooming; at this time, the quality of the picked flowers is good and the yield is high. Choose sunny days when the dew has dried. After picking, dry them promptly in the shade or by drying. Generally, in the high-yield period, the yield of dried flowers per mu is 150 kg, and can reach 200 kg at high levels.

The harvest of honeysuckle vines can be carried out in combination with pruning. Cut off the young branches with leaves, tie them into small bundles, and dry them in the sun.