Detailed Explanation of Key Techniques for High-Yield Cultivation and Management of Honeysuckle
1 Selecting High-Yield Varieties
2 Land Selection and Preparation
When raising seedlings, choose sandy soil that is loose, fertile and well-drained, and a place with convenient irrigation and a water source. After selecting the land, plow the soil deeper than 30cm, break up the clods, level and harrow it fine, apply sufficient base fertilizer, and then make high beds 1.3 (1.2-1.5) m wide for sowing and raising seedlings or cutting propagation. For the planting site, scattered plots on barren slopes, field edges, beside ditches, and around houses can be used for planting. First plow the land deeply, apply sufficient base fertilizer, with 2500-3000 kg of organic fertilizer and 50 kg of superphosphate per mu, then level and harrow it fine and make high beds or high ridges for planting.
3 Propagation Methods
Seeds and cuttings are used for propagation. Generally, cutting propagation has a high survival rate and brings returns quickly.
3.1 Seed Propagation
In October-November, when the fruit is ripe and turns black, select superior mother plants and harvest the fruit. Then gently rub the peel and pulp to pieces by hand, wash them clean with clear water, skim off the shriveled grains, select plump seeds, and dry them in a cool, ventilated place for later use. Because dried seeds do not germinate, the seeds must not be sown only after they have become too dry; they can be sown immediately after harvesting or sown in early spring (March-April). Before sowing, first place the seeds in warm water at 30-35 degrees C and soak them for 24h, take them out and mix them with 3-5 times their volume of wet sand to promote germination, turn them once every 3d, and after about 15d, when about 30% of the seeds have cracked, they can be sown. The seedling bed should be chosen near a water source, sheltered from the wind, facing the sun, and with fertile sandy loam. Plow it 30-33cm deep and make beds about 110-130cm wide. Apply 4000kg of decomposed barnyard manure per 667 sq m, level it after turning, water it thoroughly, and wait to sow. Use drilling: open shallow furrows at a row spacing of 21-25cm, with a furrow width of 10cm and a depth of 5-8cm, evenly scatter the seeds in the sowing furrows, and cover with 1cm of soil. After sowing, keep the ground moist. A layer of weeds may be covered on the bed surface, water once every 1d, and seedlings can emerge in about 10d. Transplant in late autumn or the following spring, using 1-1.5kg of seeds per 667 sq m.
3.2 Cutting Propagation for Seedling Raising
Cutting propagation can be carried out for raising seedlings or directly in the planting site.
Direct cutting is generally carried out in the rainy season. In cloudy and rainy weather in summer and autumn, select vigorous 1-2 year old branches free of pests and diseases and cut them into 30-35cm long sections, each with about three nodes, remove the lower leaves as cuttings, and insert them as they are cut. On the selected plot, dig holes at a row spacing of 165cm and a plant spacing of 120-150cm, with a hole depth of 16-18cm, place 5-6 cuttings in each hole, scatter them and bury them obliquely in the soil, with about 7-11cm of the cuttings exposed above ground, then fill the soil and compact it after inserting. In dry years, water after inserting to increase the survival rate.
The method for raising seedlings and inserting cuttings is to choose a plot with convenient watering, plow it deeply and level it, apply 4000kg of farmyard manure per 667 sq m as base fertilizer, open furrows in July-August at a row spacing of 23-26cm and a depth of about 16cm, with a plant spacing of 5-10cm, place the cuttings obliquely in the furrows, then fill the soil, cover evenly and compact it. After the cuttings are buried, 5-8 cm is left exposed above to facilitate the sprouting of new buds. Water once after inserting. If the weather is dry afterward, water once every 2d to keep the soil moist. In about half a month, they can take root and sprout, and they are transplanted before sprouting the following spring or during the dormant period in autumn and winter.
3.3 Land Preparation and Transplanting
For planting honeysuckle, do not occupy cultivated land; use places with deep soil rich in humus, such as barren slopes, field ridges, mountain ponds, ditch edges, riversides, beside vegetable gardens, and around houses. The plant and row spacing is the same as the direct cutting method. At the four corners of each hole, plant 1 plant each in a 35cm square, and plant another 1 in the middle. Before transplanting, apply 5-10kg of soil-mixed barnyard manure, 50g of cake fertilizer, and 250g of superphosphate per hole. Transplant before sprouting in spring or during the dormant period in autumn and winter. When transplanting, plant with soil for a high survival rate. After planting, cover with soil and compact it, and water to settle the roots.
4 Field Management
4.1 Fertilization
To achieve high yield, topdressing must be applied many times during the growing period. The first time, before the beginning of spring, apply "strong seedling fertilizer" to promote new branch growth, so that the stems and leaves of honeysuckle grow luxuriantly. The second time, in March, heavily apply "pre-flowering fertilizer" to promote more inflorescences and abundant flowering. Apply 3000kg of human excrement and urine per 667 sq m, 10kg per hole, or 50-100g of ammonium sulfate per plant. After each flower harvest thereafter, topdressing must be carried out, promoting rapid recovery of plant vigor through topdressing. The last time, before the winter solstice, apply wintering fertilizer. Apply 5-10kg of decomposed barnyard manure or compost, 100g of ammonium sulfate, and 200g of superphosphate per clump, applying them in a ring-shaped furrow around the flower clump, then cover the fertilizer with soil and earth up.
4.2 Intertillage and Weeding
In the first, second and third years after transplanting, carry out intertillage and weeding 3-4 times each year. Carry out the first when new leaves emerge, the second in July-August, and the third in late autumn and early winter before frost. From the fourth year on, carry out it only once each in early spring and after late autumn and early winter. During intertillage, loosen the soil shallowly around the plants to avoid damaging the roots, prevent the root system from being exposed on the ground, and earth up to protect the plants, especially in winter. After the thaw in the spring of the third year, carry out one deep plowing. Carry out the deep plowing between the rows and between the plants, which can both loosen the soil and cut off the old surface roots.
4.3 Drainage and Irrigation
During the flowering period, if there is dry weather or too much rain, it will cause a large amount of flower drop, flower rotting, young flower rupture and other phenomena. Therefore, irrigation and drainage work must be done in a timely manner.
4.4 Wintering Management
Honeysuckle can overwinter naturally in most areas of our country, but when planting honeysuckle in cold areas such as Jilin, attention must be paid to protecting the old branches for wintering. If the old branches are frozen to death, new branches will regrow the next year, with fewer flowers and low yield. The specific method is: before the ground freezes, lay the old branches flat on the ground, cover with 6-7cm thick wormwood grass, and then cover the grass with soil, so they can overwinter safely; before sprouting the following spring, remove the covering.
5. Shaping and Pruning
After transplanting and survival, keep only 1 strong plant per hole, and prune and train it into an umbrella-shaped upright small shrub. The specific shaping and pruning method: within 1-2 years after planting, mainly cultivate an upright, thick main trunk. When the main trunk height is 30-40cm, cut off the top shoot to promote lateral buds to sprout into branches. After sprouting in the second spring, select and keep 4-5 thick branches on the upper part of the main trunk as main branches, growing in two layers. In winter, from the first-order branches growing from the main branches, keep 5-6 pairs of buds and cut off the upper part. After that, from the second-order branches growing from the first-order branches, keep 6-7 pairs of buds and cut off the upper part. Then, from the flowering branches growing from the second-order branches, pick off the hook-shaped tender shoots. If there are no such tender shoots, do not pick them off. Generally, after the beginning of spring, the young branches with dense, short nodes and fine leaves that sprout from the second-order branches or the original old flowering branches are all flowering branches and should be retained. Through shaping and pruning, honeysuckle changes from the original twining growth to an umbrella-shaped shrub-like flower clump with sparse branches, even distribution, ventilation and light transmission, and a thick, upright main trunk. Because honeysuckle has the characteristic that newly grown branches of the current year can develop into flowering branches, the above pruning measures can promote more new branches and more flower buds, thereby achieving the purpose of increasing yield. Winter pruning is carried out each year from after Frost's Descent to before the ground freezes. Dead old branches, diseased and pest-damaged branches, thin and weak branches, and long branches that cross and disrupt the tree shape should also be cut off, so that nutrients are concentrated on producing new branches and forming flower buds. After each flower harvest, summer pruning is likewise carried out. After each pruning, topdressing should be applied once.
6. Pest and Disease Control (see entry two)
7. Harvesting and Processing
Timely picking is an important part of improving the yield and quality of honeysuckle. Honeysuckle blooms in the third year after transplanting. It should be harvested on clear days from dawn to before 9 in the morning. Generally, the first crop of flowers is picked in mid-to-late May, and the second, third and fourth crops are picked successively after 1 month each. The picking standard for flower buds is: before the flower buds have opened, when the flower buds turn from green to white, the upper part swells, and the lower part is greenish; divided by flowering stage, this is the erbai stage, and the picked honeysuckle is "erbaihua"; when the flower buds have completely turned white, this is the dabai stage, and the flowers picked are called "dabaizhen". The flower buds picked in these two periods have the best quality.
The picked flower buds must be dried in the shade or dried promptly, and must not be piled up to become moldy. For sun-drying, place the picked flower buds on a drying tray, with a thickness preferably not exceeding 3cm, on the principle that they can be dried on the same day. If they cannot be dried on the same day, move them indoors at night and do not turn them, then continue sun-drying the next day until completely dry. For oven-drying, use a drying room. The initial temperature should not exceed 40, and after maintaining it for 4-5 hours, gradually raise the temperature to 60 until dried. During oven-drying, they must not be turned, otherwise they easily turn black; when not yet dry, drying must not be stopped, as stopping drying easily causes heating and deterioration, affecting quality. The general yield is about 150 kg per mu. Those that are dry, free of miscellaneous leaves, with proper flower bud color and a fresh fragrance are considered good quality.