How to grow honeysuckle?

Honeysuckle is widely popular for its strong adaptability and versatility. This plant has relatively loose requirements for its growing environment and can grow in a variety of soil types and climatic conditions. Let’s learn in detail how to plant honeysuckle.

1. Planting climate and time

Suitable climate: warm and humid: Honeysuckle prefers warm and humid climatic conditions, and the most suitable growth temperature range is 15-30 degrees Celsius.

Regional adaptability:

North China region: including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, etc. These areas have distinct four seasons, and the warm and humid climate in spring and autumn is very suitable for the growth of honeysuckle.

East China: including Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, etc., with a mild and humid climate and not too cold winter, providing a good growth environment for honeysuckle.

South China: including Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, etc., the climate is hot and humid, with high temperatures throughout the year, which is suitable for the healthy growth of honeysuckle.

The Yangtze River Basin area: including Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, etc., has a warm and humid climate with obvious changes in the four seasons, which is suitable for the cultivation of honeysuckle.

Planting time: Spring planting from March to May. As the temperature rises, it is an ideal period for planting honeysuckle , which is conducive to the germination and growth of the plant. Autumn planting from September to November has a mild climate, which is suitable for the development of the root system of honeysuckle and the establishment of the plants.

2. Breeding methods

Cutting seedling cultivation: Currently the most commonly used method. Compared with direct cuttings, sowing, root division and layering, cutting seedling cultivation is more conducive to large-scale rapid reproduction.

Selection of nursery site: Choose sandy loam or loam land with flat terrain, fertile soil, no disease, and convenient drainage and irrigation as the nursery. Avoid using recently renovated honeysuckle gardens, orchards, etc.

Fine land preparation: Water thoroughly 3-5 days before plowing, apply decomposed organic fertilizer and phosphate fertilizer, plow the land to a depth of about 25 cm, and form a ridge 2-3 meters wide.

Cutting selection and processing: Select full-grown current-year or 1-2-year-old branches from healthy, disease- and insect-free plants. Length 30-35cm, thickness over 0.6cm, 2-3 nodes. Cut the upper end flat and the lower end into an oblique shape, and keep or remove the leaves. Use hormone treatments such as indoleacetic acid or ABT rooting powder to promote rooting.

Density determination: Based on the size of the cuttings, determine the plant spacing of 10x30cm to 5x30cm to ensure an appropriate number of seedlings per acre.

Cutting method: dig 15-20cm deep trenches with 30cm row spacing, place the cuttings according to the plant spacing, fill the soil and tamp it down. The depth of the soil should be 1/2 to 2/3 of the length of the cuttings.

Management after cuttings: Water immediately after compaction, build a plastic film shed, and after about half a month the cuttings will take root and sprout, remove the shed and start seedling management.

3. Planting method

Spring cutting seedlings: Spring cutting seedlings can be planted in the winter of the season or in the spring of the following year.

Transplanting timing: Transplanting should be done before germination in early spring or during the dormant period in autumn and winter to reduce damage to the plants.

Planting method: Dig holes with a row spacing of 130cm and a plant spacing of 100m. The hole width and depth are both 30-40cm. Apply base fertilizer and mix it evenly with the subsoil. Plant one strong seedling in each hole, fill the soil tightly and water it thoroughly.

Field management: After the transplants are established, carry out tillage and weeding three times a year, when new leaves appear, in July-August, and before frost in late autumn and early winter. From the fourth year onwards, it is carried out once a year in spring and late autumn and early winter.

Shaping and pruning: Through shaping and pruning, we can cultivate upright single dwarf shrubs , increase branches, expand the crown, improve ventilation and light conditions, and increase yield.

Pruning method: Cultivate an upright and strong trunk within 1-2 years after planting, and cut off the top when it is 40-50cm to promote the germination of side buds. In the spring of the second year, select 4-5 main branches, prune the first-level branches in winter, and retain 5-6 pairs of buds.

Top dressing strategy: Generally, top dressing is applied five times, including fertilizer for seedling growth in spring, fertilizer before flowering in March, one and two post-flowering fertilizers after harvesting flowers, and overwintering fertilizer before the winter solstice. The amount of fertilizer applied is adjusted according to the size of the plant cluster.

Fertilization method: Fertilizer should be applied by digging a ring ditch around the plants and then covered with soil to avoid fertilizer loss.

In summary, the planting time of honeysuckle should be selected according to the local climate characteristics. Spring and autumn are both suitable planting seasons. The planting time can be flexibly adjusted according to the specific local climatic conditions to ensure that honeysuckle can grow in the best environment.