How to Grow Honeysuckle So It Thrives: A Detailed Guide to the Key Cultivation Techniques
Honeysuckle, also known as Japanese honeysuckle flower or "double flower," belongs to the Caprifoliaceae family, genus Lonicera. Its flower buds and vines are used as medicine. Besides medicinal use, honeysuckle tea has also been developed in production areas. At present, honeysuckle is grown most extensively in Shandong and Henan provinces, and the honeysuckle produced in the Yimeng Mountain area of Shandong is of the best quality.
Honeysuckle is a perennial plant with a hollow stem and opposite, ovate leaves; a single planting can provide benefits for decades. It is highly adaptable, tolerant of cold and heat, waterlogging and drought, and salt and alkali; it prefers full sunlight and has low demands for water and soil, growing well in loose, fertile sandy soil. It can be planted in mountainous areas, hills, plains, on embankments, and around courtyards in front of and behind houses.
Planting honeysuckle not only brings considerable economic income but also helps conserve soil and water and beautify the environment. Generally, the yield of dried flowers is 130 kg to 250 kg per mu, with economic returns of more than 5,000 to 12,000 yuan. In the spring of 2003, the price of honeysuckle reached more than 320 yuan per kilogram. Zhai Guanghua, a farmer technician in Gaozhuang Village, Xuzhuang Town, Shanting District, Zaozhuang City, earned more than 10,000 yuan from just 0.3 mu of the new honeysuckle variety "Shanhua No. 1" that he bred.
Propagation Methods
1. Cutting propagation: Carry out cuttings in autumn from September to October. Select a good seedbed site, cut vigorous 1- to 2-year-old branches into cuttings 25 cm to 35 cm long, remove the lower leaves, then open furrows in the bed at a row spacing of 20 cm to 25 cm and a furrow depth of 15 cm to 18 cm, insert the cuttings diagonally into the furrows at a plant spacing of 5 cm to 10 cm, leaving 8 cm to 10 cm exposed above ground, then fill with soil, firm it, and water. If treated with ABT rooting powder, the survival rate will be even higher.
2. Division propagation: Select robust 2- to 3-year-old plants with a large root crown diameter, dark green stems and leaves, and no pests or diseases, and divide them directly as planting stock. Transplant from "Start of Winter" to "Awakening of Insects" of the following year before the plants sprout, and the survival rate is over 90%.
3. Seed propagation: Pick the fruit in November, rub and wash it in water, take the mature seeds and dry them, then in April of the following year sow the sprouted seeds on a prepared flat bed.
Variety Selection
Choose varieties that sprout quickly, have strong and vigorous branch growth, flower early, and have a long flowering period, such as Shanhua No. 1 and Honeysuckle No. 5. The characteristics of "Shanhua No. 1" are introduced as follows: this variety has an extremely long flowering period and can bloom continuously for up to 5 months in a year; in the Lunan area it begins to bloom around May 12 each year, with the full bloom period lasting 9 to 12 days, after which flower buds can be picked continuously for more than 4 months; it is extremely high-yielding, with a single clump producing up to 1.2 kg of dried flowers and a per-mu yield of dried flowers reaching 250 kg; its leaves remain green in all four seasons, its growth is extremely vigorous, and its branches are long and thick, making it very easy to trail; its root system is well developed and it is highly adaptable, tolerant of cold and heat, waterlogging and drought, and salt and alkali, and its rhizome thickens quickly, making it an excellent variety for making honeysuckle bonsai; it prefers full sunlight and has low demands for water and soil, growing well in loose, fertile sandy soil. It can be planted on barren mountain slopes, plains, embankments, riverbanks, and around courtyards in front of and behind houses. The flower buds of "Shanhua No. 1" are very large, rich in chlorogenic acid and volatile oil, of good quality, and very popular with consumers.
Field Planting
Field planting can be done in early spring or autumn. Dig holes at a plant and row spacing of 1.1 m x 1.5 m, 35 cm deep; spread a layer of farmyard manure in each hole, cover with a layer of fine soil, then plant 2 to 4 plants per hole, press firm with fine soil, and water thoroughly to settle the roots.
Field Management
1. Cultivation: Cultivate and weed 3 times each year. Carry out the first weeding in early spring after the ground thaws, the second in July to August, and the third in late autumn before frost. Combine cultivation with earthing up to prevent the flower roots from being exposed above ground.
2. Fertilization: Every year in early spring or early winter, open a ring-shaped furrow around each flower clump and apply about 500 g of farmyard manure or barnyard manure and 100 g of potassium sulfate per clump. After the first flush of flowers is harvested, apply an additional 100 g of NPK compound fertilizer to provide nutrients for the next flush of flowers.
3. Pruning: In winter or early spring, cut off the tips of the branches to promote gradual thickening of the lower parts of the branches and enable upright growth. For larger flower clumps, remove old dead branches and ineffective inner branches; prune lightly if growth is vigorous, and prune heavily if the old flower clump is weak in growth, shaping the clump into an umbrella form so that the crowded branches get ventilation and light and produce more flowering branches.
4. Spraying: To increase yield, from early April before buds appear, spray bud-promoting agent once every 10 days for a total of 3 times; during the flower-picking period, spray bud-promoting agent once every 5 days until flower picking ends. If aphids are found, spray with 10% imidacloprid (pymetrozine) wettable powder at a 3500-fold dilution for control.