Honeysuckle Cultivation Techniques Explained (Part 1): Growing Flower-Type Chinese Medicinal Herbs

Honeysuckle is mainly produced in Henan Province and Shandong Province, and is distributed in most parts of the country.

Growth habits: Honeysuckle grows on hills, in valleys, and at forest edges. It prefers a mild, humid environment, with an optimal growth temperature of 20°C-30°C. It is cold-tolerant and drought-tolerant, and has low soil requirements; it can grow in acidic soil and saline-alkali land. After 3 years of planting, flower production gradually increases; after 7 years, it enters the high-yield period; after 20 years, it gradually declines and needs renewal.

Cultivation techniques: Site selection and land preparation: For the seedling nursery, choose a loose, fertile plot with convenient irrigation, preferably sandy soil. After the site is selected, plow the soil more than 30 cm deep, apply sufficient base fertilizer, level and harrow it fine, then make raised beds 1.2-1.5 m wide for raising seedlings. For the planting site, scattered plots such as barren slopes, field edges, ditch sides, and areas in front of and behind houses can be chosen. First plow the soil 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 raised beds or raised ridges for planting. Propagation methods: Cuttage propagation is the main method, but seed propagation, division, and layering can also be used. Cuttage propagation is divided into direct cuttage and cuttage for seedling raising, and can be carried out in spring, summer, and autumn. Select vigorous 1-2-year-old branches, cut them into cuttings about 30 cm long, with at least 3 nodes. Then remove the lower leaves, keep 2-4 leaves at the top, cut the lower end near a node into a slanted surface, tie every 50 cuttings into a small bundle, quickly dip the lower end 5-10 seconds in a 500-fold solution of indolebutyric acid (IBA), let it dry slightly, and then carry out cuttage immediately. For direct cuttage, on the prepared planting site, dig holes at a spacing of 150 cm x 150 cm or 170 cm x 170 cm, with a hole diameter and depth of 40 cm each, apply 5-10 kg of fully decomposed barnyard manure or compost per hole, then spread the cuttings evenly, insert 3-5 cuttings per hole, with the buried depth being 1/2 to 2/3 of the cutting, then fill with fine soil and press firmly, water thoroughly, and keep the soil moist; roots and sprouts can appear in about 1 month. For cuttage for seedling raising, on a leveled and finely harrowed cutting bed, draw lines at a row spacing of 15-20 cm, insert one cutting every 7-10 cm, press firmly, and water thoroughly. When cutting in early spring at low temperatures, build an arched frame on the cutting bed and cover it with film to preserve heat and moisture. Cuttings made in spring are lifted and planted out in the same year's winter or the following spring; cuttings made in summer and autumn are lifted and planted out the following spring. Division propagation is carried out in early to mid-February, when the stems and vines have not yet sprouted; dig out part of the plants from a vigorous honeysuckle clump and transplant them, with the same plant and row spacing as direct cuttage. The advantage of division propagation is that the new plants bloom early and grow vigorously; the disadvantage is that it affects the flower yield of the mother plant and the propagation coefficient is low. Layering propagation is carried out in late summer and early autumn when there is more rain; press vigorous stems and vines onto the ground, cover every 3-4 nodes with soil (about 5 cm thick), press firmly, and after new roots emerge in 20-30 days, cut off the stem and vine so it can become an independent seedling. Seed propagation is carried out in October; when the honeysuckle berries turn black, harvest them promptly, then place them in clean water and rub them, skim off the fruit skin and impurities, take out the seeds, and dry them in the shade for later use. For spring sowing, before sowing, soak the seeds in 40°C warm water for 12-24 hours, take them out, mix with fine sand for stratification to promote germination, and drill-sow when about 50% of the seeds have sprouted white. On the prepared bed, open furrows 3-5 cm deep at a row spacing of 20 cm, with a sowing width of 10 cm, evenly scatter the seeds into the furrows, rake the bed surface level, cover with grass to keep the soil moist, and seedlings can emerge in about 10 days. After the seedlings are fully emerged, remove the covering grass and carry out seedbed management. Lift and plant out in that year's autumn and winter or the following spring.