Key Technical Points for Cultivation and Management of Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is a semi-evergreen twining shrub of the Caprifoliaceae family. It opens flowers white as silver and yellow as gold on the same vine. After harvesting, the yellow and white flowers can be mixed together, as their medicinal efficacy is the same, hence it is also known as "Erhua" (two flowers), "Shuanghua" (double flowers) and "Shuangbaohua" (double treasure flowers). Its vines and leaves can also be used medicinally. Honeysuckle has strong adaptability, tolerating moisture, drought and cold, and can be planted in front of and behind houses and on hillsides.
Honeysuckle can be propagated by cuttings, layering, division and seeds, but the cutting method is the simplest and easiest, with a high survival rate and early flowering. For honeysuckle cuttings, the spring rainy season or after the Beginning of Autumn is the best time. Select robust, pest-free 2-3 year old branches, cut them into cuttings about 40cm long, and dig pits about 30-50cm in size at a plant spacing of 1.3m and a row spacing of 1.3m. Bury 4-6 cuttings in each pit, leaving 2-3 nodes exposed above the soil surface, then firm the soil.
After honeysuckle cuttings are planted, management must be strengthened, and in particular the following four keys must be well controlled.
1. Intertillage, weeding and earthing up. Intertillage and weeding can be carried out 3 times in spring, summer and autumn, of which the spring and autumn sessions are combined with earthing up.
2. Fertilization. The first fertilization can be carried out after intertillage and weeding in early spring, applying compost or mountain ash, 10-15kg per pit; the second after the first flower harvest, applying about 5kg of manure per pit or an appropriate amount of chemical fertilizer.
3. Pruning. In early spring, appropriately cut out overly dense or overly old branches so that the branches are evenly distributed, and set up supports well to facilitate climbing, so as to provide ventilation and light and promote flowering.
4. Pest and disease control. Common diseases of honeysuckle include honeysuckle brown spot, anthracnose and rust, and pests include aphids and longhorn beetles. Control method for honeysuckle brown spot: carry out pruning in winter and spring and keep the plants well ventilated and exposed to light. In the early stage of the disease, spray with 50% carbendazim 1000-2000 times dilution, once every 7 days, for 2-3 consecutive sprays. Control methods for anthracnose and rust: strengthen field management, prune branches in time, and increase fertilizer application to promote robust plant growth. Control method for aphids: use 0.5kg of tobacco, add 15-20kg of water, soak for 1 day and night, then filter and spray; or use 0.5kg of dimethoate emulsion added to 1000kg of water for spraying. Aphid control must be carried out half a month after flower harvest. Control method for longhorn beetles: before Qingming, when the longhorn beetles are about to drill out of the soil surface, spray dichlorvos on the base of the flowers; in summer and autumn, when longhorn beetles are found parasitizing branches, the branches can be cut off and burned or the insect holes injected with
How to Prune and Trim Honeysuckle
The quality of honeysuckle pruning is directly related to yield. If pruned well, the yield can generally be increased by 30-40%, but at present most medicinal growers do not know how to prune. The honeysuckle pruning methods are briefly introduced as follows:
I. Pruning in the young stage: Honeysuckle is in the young stage from planting to the fourth year. During this period, heavy pruning and shaping can be carried out. According to the different planting sites, it can be divided into two methods: the umbrella method and the natural form method. ① For those cultivated in plains and hilly areas, where there are no stones or the like as natural twining objects and no supports are set up, the umbrella method of pruning should be adopted. That is, cut off the upper part of the honeysuckle branch at a height of 30cm to promote the rapid sprouting and growth of lateral buds; thereafter, every year cut off the new branches growing downward, and cut off overly long vigorous shoots according to the requirements of an umbrella-shaped crown. ② For honeysuckle cultivated in stony mountain areas, prune according to the natural form, that is, according to the shape of the stone pile, cut off the terminal bud at about one third of the branch; thereafter, as the branches grow, cut off the parts of the branches that extend beyond the stones or upward in accordance with the shape of the stone pile, and at the same time cut off vigorous shoots and overly dense branches so that they are evenly distributed on the stone pile.
II. Pruning in the full-flowering stage: The full-flowering stage of honeysuckle lasts about fifteen years. During this period, the heavy-light pruning method is adopted. That is, heavily prune weak branches and dense branches; lightly prune two-year-old branches and strong branches. And implement "four keep, four cut", that is, select and keep upward-growing branches, upward-growing buds, thick buds and plump buds; cut off downward-growing branches, downward-growing buds, slender weak branches and thin small buds, and at the same time remove the young shoots sprouting from the base to reduce nutrient consumption.
III. Pruning in the declining stage: This period is characterized by sparse leaves, pale color, many dead branches and thin flowers, and a shrinking crown. At this time, all dead branches should be cut, diseased branches heavily pruned, weak branches lightly pruned, and strong branches not pruned.
The pruning season for honeysuckle depends on the growth stage and the method. The young stage, declining stage, heavy pruning and light pruning are mostly carried out in winter and late summer to early autumn; the full-flowering stage is mostly carried out in late winter to early spring when new buds have not yet sprouted. Whichever method is used, after pruning it must be combined with intertillage, weeding and fertilization to supplement nutrients, so that the honeysuckle can return to normal as quickly as possible.