How profitable is it to grow honeysuckle on hillside land?
Honeysuckle is cold-resistant, drought-resistant and tolerant of poor soil, and growing it does not take up cultivated land. When honeysuckle is planted on hillsides or as part of the Grain for Green program and soil and water conservation efforts, the returns can be quite good as long as the techniques are right, making it a good way for farmers in mountainous areas to earn income. According to surveys, when honeysuckle is planted on field ridges with a clump spacing of 70-80 cm, it can cover the ridges within 3 years, protecting earth ridges from gullying and stone ridges from collapsing. At the same time, honeysuckle is not strict about climatic conditions and has strong drought resistance; there is a farming saying that "wild grass may die of drought, but honeysuckle will not die of drought." Its cultivation characteristics are:
1. Site selection and land preparation. Honeysuckle likes sunlight, is cold-resistant and drought-resistant, and is not strict about soil. Choose hillside land with a relatively thick soil layer, and shape it into fish-scale pits or terraced fields according to the terrain; abandoned land or low-yielding hillside land can also be chosen. Apply 5000-6000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu. Seedling beds need irrigation conditions.
2. Planting techniques. Either seedling transplanting or cuttings can be used. Seedling transplanting has the characteristics of a high survival rate and fast production. Choose vigorous 1-2 year old branches with many flower branches and short internodes; in combination with winter pruning or summer pruning, cut them into 20 cm sections, remove the lower leaves, and plant them obliquely in pre-opened planting furrows in the seedling bed, with two-thirds of the branch buried in the soil, then firm the soil and water thoroughly. Cuttings raised in summer root in about half a month; by that year the seedlings are more than 60 cm tall, and they can be lifted and transplanted before sprouting the following year. Seedlings raised in winter can be transplanted when they are more than 50 cm tall the following year. When transplanting, avoid long-distance transport in the heat of summer to prevent damaging the seedlings. Open holes at a row spacing and plant spacing of 1 x 1.5 m, planting 8-10 plants per hole: 2-4 plants in the middle and 6 around the edges, then mound soil, firm it and water. For direct cuttings, insert them according to the spacing and number of plants used for transplanting; this can be done at any time except when the soil is frozen in deep winter.
After transplanting and survival, remove dead branches and fallen leaves at the base of the clumps every year in late autumn, turn over the surrounding soil, and apply 5-10 kg of farmyard manure per clump, plus 0.5 kg of superphosphate where conditions permit. For fish-scale pits, raise the outer edge of the pit together with hilling soil to store rain and snow.
Scientific pruning is a key measure for high-yield honeysuckle cultivation. It is divided into winter pruning and summer pruning. Winter pruning is the main one, and the principle is "prune vigorous branches lightly, prune weak branches heavily, prune dead branches completely, prune every branch." The main consideration is that during the flower-bearing process of the clump, the plant shape remains complete and reasonable, the branches spread out, and the density is moderate, which favors ventilation and light penetration; diseased branches, twining branches and crossing branches must all be removed. After the summer flowering period, following the principle of pruning strong branches lightly and weak branches heavily, promote new flower branches so that the second flowering period is uniform and easy to harvest. Also remove nutrient branches and tiller shoots promptly.
In the Lunan area of Shandong Province, medicinal honeysuckle matures from late May to early June. The picking period is when the upper part of the flower bud swells and is greenish white. Picking too early gives small buds and low yield; picking too late, when the flowers open, causes a serious decline in both yield and quality. Harvest buds at the suitable stage every day in the early morning and forenoon, then dry them in the sun or by artificial drying.
3. Benefit analysis. Honeysuckle transplanted in spring flowers in the same year, most plants flower in the second year, and afterward the yield increases year by year. After three years it enters the full production period. At 330 clumps per mu, with proper management, the annual yield of honeysuckle is 130-150 kg. Calculated at the normal-year price of 30-40 yuan per kg, the benefit is 4000-6000 yuan per mu.