When does honeysuckle bloom?
As a traditional plant with both ornamental and medicinal values, honeysuckle is deeply loved for its unique two-color flowers and long flowering period. To appreciate the wonderful landscape of honeysuckle with gold and silver branches, it is particularly important to master its flowering rules and maintenance points. This article will analyze the biological characteristics and cultivation secrets of honeysuckle in detail. Characteristics of the flowering cycle of honeysuckle The annual flowering period is distributed regularly. The honeysuckle blooms from the beginning of late May to the curtain end before the frost in October, forming four full flowering periods lasting for five months. The flowering period of each crop is about 7-10 days, and the first crop of white flowers accounts for 80%. As the temperature rises, the proportion of golden flowers gradually increases, forming a unique landscape of "gold and silver shining". Light control strategies for the four major maintenance factors to promote flowering require 4-6 hours of direct light every day, and avoid noon strong light in summer. Experimental data show that flower bud differentiation efficiency is the highest when the light intensity is 15,000 - 30,000 lux, and insufficient light can easily increase the bud falling rate by more than 40%. The spacing between plants in the ventilation system should be maintained at more than 80cm, and three-dimensional brackets should be used to guide the growth of vines. It is recommended to adjust the direction of branches every month to ensure that all leaves receive air convection and effectively reduce the incidence of disease by 65%. The scientific pruning system follows the principle of "three pruning methods": cutting residual branches after flowering, thinning branches in spring, and straightening plant type in autumn. Retain 3-5 nodes of thick new branches and control the branch density at 15-20 branches per square meter, which can increase the number of flowering in the next year by 2-3 times. Soil nutrition management adopts a substrate formula of humus soil: river sand =3:1, and phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are added every season. Spraying 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution on leaves 20 days before flowering can prolong the flowering period of single crop by 2-3 days and increase the color saturation by 30%.
By accurately grasping the growth rhythm of honeysuckle and cooperating with systematic maintenance measures, we can not only realize flower appreciation throughout the year, but also harvest high-quality medicinal materials. Growers are recommended to establish a maintenance log to record the time of each pruning and fertilization, and gradually form a personalized cultivation plan.