How to plant and manage honeysuckle, and the requirements for planting conditions of honeysuckle.

How to plant and manage honeysuckleA detailed introduction to how to plant and manage honeysuckle and the requirements for honeysuckle cultivation conditions, related to green plants. Detailed content is shared below.Honeysuckle, also known as double flower, Japanese honeysuckle, etc., belongs to the Lonicera japonica Thunb of the Caprifoliaceae family and is a commonly used Chinese herb. The unopened flower buds and vines are used as medicine. It has the functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, dispelling wind and reducing swelling, and is mainly used for wind-heat colds, sore throat, and other symptoms. Honeysuckle is not strict about soil requirements and can be planted on barren hillsides.- OverviewHoneysuckle, also known as double flower, Japanese honeysuckle, etc., belongs to the Lonicera japonica Thunb of the Caprifoliaceae family and is a commonly used Chinese herb. The unopened flower buds and vines are used as medicine. It has the functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, dispelling wind and reducing swelling, and is mainly used for wind-heat colds, sore throat, and other symptoms. It is mainly produced in Shandong, Henan, Hunan, and other provinces, with the best quality from Shandong. Honeysuckle prefers a warm, humid, and sunny climate, is highly adaptable, cold-resistant, drought-resistant, and flood-resistant, and can be cultivated in plains and mountainous areas. It is not strict about soil requirements and can be planted on barren hillsides.(II) Cultivation Techniques1. Propagation methods: Honeysuckle can be propagated by seed and cutting.(1) Seed propagation: When the seeds are mature in autumn, collect the mature fruit, rub in clean water, remove the peel and impurities, and retrieve the full seeds that sink to the bottom of the water. Dry and store for later use. In autumn, seeds can be planted as they arrive. If sown in the spring of the following year, the seeds can be treated with sand storage for overwintering, and planted after the spring thaw. On the seedbed, make a row spacing with a 10 cm wide furrow, evenly sprinkle the seeds in the furrow, cover with 3 cm of soil, press down, and seedlings will emerge in about 10 days. Field management should be strengthened during the seedling stage, and the seedlings can be transplanted to the production field in the autumn of the same year or the following spring. The seeding rate per mu is about 1-1.5 kg.(2) Cutting propagation: Honeysuckle vines can be propagated by cuttings during the growing season. Select vigorous branches, cut into 30 cm long cuttings, each with at least 3 nodes, remove the leaves, cut the lower end diagonally, tie into small bundles, soak the cut ends in plant hormone IAA 500 mg/kg (500PPm) for a moment, and proceed with fresh cuttings. The spacing is 150 cm X 150 cm, dig holes, insert 3-5 cuttings per hole, leaving 1/3 of the stem above the ground, at least one bud exposed above the soil, press down firmly, water thoroughly, and roots will sprout in about one month. Cuttings can also be grown into seedlings first, then transplanted to the field.2. Field management(1) Tillage and weeding: After transplanting, tillage and weeding should be done 3-4 times a year. After three years, when the vines grow lush, the frequency of weeding can be reduced depending on the weed situation.(2) Topdressing: Topdress with fertilizer every spring and autumn, combining with weeding. Organic and chemical fertilizers are both suitable. Apply 30-40 kg of urea per mu under the plants, and add soil around the roots to protect them.(3) Pruning and shaping: For honeysuckle plants that have grown for 1-2 years, the vines grow irregularly and are disorganized, requiring pruning and shaping to facilitate tree crown growth and flowering. The specific pruning method is to cultivate a straight and strong trunk in the first 1-2 years after planting. When the trunk height reaches 30-40 cm, cut off the top to promote side bud growth. In the spring of the following year, select 4-5 strong branches above the trunk as main branches, arranged in two layers, retain 5-6 pairs of buds from the first-order branches, cut off the top buds, and then from the second-order branches, retain 6-7 pairs of buds, and remove the hook-shaped tender tips from the flowering branches. Through such pruning, the honeysuckle plant transforms from a winding growth to a clear-branched, evenly distributed, ventilated, and light-transmitting, thick and upright umbrella-shaped shrub, which is conducive to the formation of flowering branches and the growth of more flower buds. Pruning and shaping of honeysuckle can greatly increase yield, generally by 50% or more.(4) Pest and disease control: Powdery mildew can cause significant damage to honeysuckle leaves. Pruning and shaping should be done to improve ventilation, and此外, a rust-proofing solution can be used for leaf spraying. Other pests and diseases can be controlled using conventional methods.(III) Harvesting and ProcessingHoneysuckle begins to bloom in the third year after transplanting. The first batch of flowers is usually harvested in late May and early June, with subsequent batches harvested every month. The harvest must be done before the flower buds open, when the buds turn from green to white, the top swells, and the bottom is green, known as "two white flowers." When the buds turn completely white, they are called "big white needles." The harvested buds should be dried or dried in time, not stacked to prevent mold. The general yield per mu is about 150 kg, with dry, leaf-free, properly colored buds with a fragrant aroma being considered high-quality products.Cultivation techniques for field-grown honeysuckle:1. Land preparation: For seedling beds, choose loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam and locations with convenient irrigation and water sources. After selecting the land, deeply turn the soil over 30 cm, break up soil clumps, level and rake the soil, and apply sufficient base fertilizer. Then, make high ridges 1.3 meters wide for seeding or cutting propagation. For planting sites, you can use barren slopes, field edges, ditches, and areas around houses. First deeply turn the land, apply sufficient base fertilizer, level and rake the soil, and make high ridges or high ridges for planting.2. Transplanting: It is done before germination in early spring or during the dormant period in autumn and winter. On the prepared planting site, dig holes 150 cm apart in rows and 120 cm apart in plants, 30-40 cm wide and deep, and apply 5 kg of soil manure mixed with subsoil to each hole. Then, plant one strong seedling per hole, fill in fine soil, press firmly, and water thoroughly to settle the roots. After the seedlings have taken root, shape and prune them to form upright, small shrubs. Increase branching, expand the canopy, and change from one harvest per year to three or four harvests per year, significantly increasing yield.Strengthening the field management of honeysuckle is a key factor for high yield. Field cultivation management generally includes reasonable arrangement of population structure, tillage and weeding, fertilization and watering, and pest and disease control. Relevant contents such as dense planting in the early stage, pruning and shaping, and conventional tillage, weeding, and fertilization and watering are provided for producers to use in field management.1. Reasonable dense planting: The rationalization of the honeysuckle population structure is generally achieved through dense planting in the early stage and pruning in the later stage, adjusting the competition for light, temperature, water, and fertilizer within the population to maximize overall benefits, thereby improving the ventilation, light transmission, and water and fertilizer utilization of the population, and achieving rationalization of plant population structure and density. Reasonable dense planting usually refers to dense planting in the early stage.2. Tillage and weeding: After transplanting, tillage and weeding should be done 3-4 times a year. The first time is when new leaves sprout in spring, the second in June, the third in July-August, and the fourth in late autumn and early winter. After tillage and weeding, soil should be added around the plant roots to help with overwintering. When tilling, be careful to till shallowly around the plant roots and deeper away to avoid root damage, which can affect root growth. After three years, the frequency of tillage and weeding can be reduced depending on weed growth.3. Topdressing: Topdress with fertilizer after germination in early spring and after each flower bud harvest. Apply decomposed manure or chemical fertilizers such as ammonium sulfate and urea in shallow furrows beside the plants, cover with soil after application, and water thoroughly. In winter, apply 5-10 kg of decomposed manure or compost, 100 grams of ammonium sulfate, and 200 grams of superphosphate around the flower墩, in a circular furrow, cover with soil, and add soil to the base, about 5 cm thick.4. Pruning and shaping: After transplanting, leave only one strong plant per hole, prune and train it into an upright, small umbrella-shaped shrub. The specific pruning method is to cultivate a straight and strong trunk in the first 1-2 years after planting. When the trunk height reaches 30-40 cm, cut off the top to promote side bud growth. In the spring of the following year, select 4-5 strong branches above the trunk as main branches, arranged in two layers. In winter, from the first-order branches, retain 5-6 pairs of buds, cut off the top, and then from the second-order branches, retain 6-7 pairs of buds, cut off the top, and then from the flowering branches, remove the hook-shaped tender tips. If there are no such tender tips, do not remove them. Generally, in spring, the dense and short internodes and fine leaves on the second-order branches or the original old flowering branches are flowering branches and should be retained. Through pruning, honeysuckle transforms from winding growth to a clear-branched, evenly distributed, ventilated, and light-transmitting, thick and upright umbrella-shaped shrub. Since honeysuckle has the characteristic of new branches developing into flowering branches in the same year, the above pruning measures can promote the growth of new branches and the formation of more flower buds, thereby increasing yield. Winter pruning is done from frostfall to before freezing, and dead, diseased, weak, and crossing branches that disturb the tree shape should be removed to concentrate nutrients on new branch growth and flower bud formation. After each batch of flowers is harvested, summer pruning is also done. After each pruning, topdressing should be applied.5. Irrigation and drainage: Dry weather or excessive rainfall during the flowering period can cause a large number of flowers to fall, rot, or young flowers to break. Therefore, timely irrigation and drainage work should be done.6. Overwintering management: Honeysuckle can naturally overwinter in most parts of China, but in cold areas like Jilin, attention should be paid to protecting the old branches from freezing. If the old branches are frozen, new branches will grow the following year, resulting in fewer flowers and lower yield. The specific method is to lay the old branches flat on the ground before the ground freezes, cover them with 6-7 cm of straw, and then cover the straw with soil. This can ensure safe overwintering. Before spring germination, remove the covering material.The above-mentioned sharing of how to plant and manage honeysuckle and the requirements for honeysuckle cultivation conditions, have green plant enthusiasts understood?