1. Honeysuckle pruning is best done after the leaves fall in autumn and before they germinate in spring.

2. Honeysuckle Cultivation Techniques

Honeysuckle is highly adaptable and is not strict about soil and climate. Sandy loam with a thick soil layer is the best. It can be cultivated on hillsides, terraces, weirs, dams and barren hills. Propagation can be done by sowing seeds, cuttings and root divisions. [2] Buds bloom on the new branches of the current year. It has no strict soil requirements and can grow in acidic and saline-alkali soils. It has a well-developed root system and strong rooting ability. It is a good soil-fixing and water-retaining plant. It can be planted on hillsides, river banks, etc. Therefore, the farmer's proverb says: "Waterlogging kills crops and drought kills grass, freezes kill pomegranates and sunburns melons. It will not affect honeysuckle".

1. Seed propagation

Sow seeds in April, soak the seeds in warm water at 35-40℃ for 24 hours, take them out and soak them in 2-3 times wet sand to accelerate germination, until the crack reaches about 30% Sow in time. Sow seeds in furrows with a row spacing of 21 to 22cm on the border, cover with 1cm of soil, and spray water once every 2 days. Seedlings will emerge in more than 10 days. Transplant after autumn or in the spring of the second year. Use about 15kg of seeds every 1h㎡.

2. Propagation by cuttings

It is usually carried out in the rainy season. In rainy weather in summer and autumn, select strong 1- to 2-year-old branches that are free of diseases and insect pests and cut them into 30-35cm pieces. Remove the lower leaves for cuttings and use them as needed. On the selected land, dig holes with a row spacing of 1.6m and a plant spacing of 1.5m. The hole depth is 16 to 18cm. Each hole contains 5 to 6 cuttings. They should be buried diagonally in a scattered shape in the soil. 7 to 10cm should be exposed on the ground. About 7 to 10cm should be filled. The soil is compacted (sandy soil with good air and water permeability is preferred).

Before cutting the branches to take root, you should pay attention to shade to avoid direct sunlight that will cause the branches to dry out. Cuttings can also be used to raise seedlings; between July and August, trenches should be dug at a row spacing of 23 to 26cm, with a depth of about 16cm and a plant spacing of 2cm. Place the cuttings sideways into the trench and fill with soil to ensure good air and water permeability. The sandy soil is the nursery soil, which can establish roots the fastest and is not easy to be invaded by pathogens and cause branch rot. Spray water once after planting. When there is drought in the future, water once every 2 days. Roots will take place in about half a month. Transplant in the spring or autumn of the second year.

3. Plastic pruning

Pruning is carried out after the leaves fall in autumn and before sprouting in spring. Generally, strong branches are pruned lightly, weak branches are pruned hard, and all branches are pruned. When new branches grow, you should pay attention to the ventilation and light transmission. Cut off all thin branches, dead old branches, basal branches, etc. Pruning should be more severe in plots with poor fertilizer and water conditions. If the plants are old, cut off old branches to promote new branches. Young plants are mainly cultivated plant types and should be pruned lightly. Generally, 4 to 5 main trunk branches are left for planting in mountainous plots, and 1 to 2 main trunk branches are left for plain plots. The top of the main trunk should be pruned to make it thicker. Thick and upright.

Pruning is carried out in conjunction with pruning. In principle, it is based on fertilizer and water management. It promotes overall growth, makes full use of space, increases the number of branches and leaves, makes the plant shape more reasonable, and can significantly increase flowers and yield. The flowering time after pruning is relatively concentrated, which is convenient for harvesting and processing. Generally, the branches can be made upright after pruning, and the removal of thin and weak branches and basal branches is conducive to the formation of new flowers. After picking the flowers, cut them again. After cutting, apply quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer once and water once to promote the early blooming of the next crop. In this way, flowers can be collected four times a year, and an average of 150-200kg of dried flowers can be produced per 667 square meters.

4. Field management

Top dressing: In the first 1 to 2 years after planting, it is the development and finalization period of honeysuckle plants. Apply more fertilizers such as human and animal manure, plant ash, urea, potassium sulfate, etc. . After 2 to 3 years of planting, in early spring every year, more fertilizers such as livestock manure, manure, cake fertilizer, and superphosphate should be applied. After the first crop of flowers is harvested, an appropriate amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compound fertilizers should be applied to provide sufficient nutrients for the next crop of flowers. Every year in early spring after germination and when the first batch of flowers are harvested, human excrement, fertilizers, etc. are poured into the open-circuit ditch. 250g of each type of fertilizer is applied. The order of promoting effect of fertilization treatment on the nutritional growth of honeysuckle is: urea + ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, potassium sulfate compound fertilizer, urea, ammonium bicarbonate, among which urea + ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, potassium sulfate compound fertilizer, Urea can significantly increase the yield of honeysuckle. Considering the vegetative growth and reproductive growth status and the cost of fertilization, it is better to topdress with urea + ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (150g + 100g) or 250g potassium sulfate compound fertilizer.

5. Harvesting and processing

The best time to harvest honeysuckle is early morning and morning. At this time, the flower buds are not easy to open, have sufficient nutrients, strong smell and good color. Harvesting in the afternoon should end before the sun sets, because the blooming of honeysuckle is restricted by light, and mature flower buds will open after the sun sets, which affects the quality. Without young buds or leaves, put them into a woven or bamboo basket after harvesting. Do not pile them into a big pile when gathering them. They should be spread out and placed. The longest time should not exceed 4 hours.

Honeysuckle products are made from flower buds, and those mixed with impurities from open flowers or stems and leaves are of lower quality. The flower buds are preferably plump, green in color and clean to hold. 5. Harvest in June. Pick the flower buds on a sunny morning when the dew has just dried. Place them on a reed mat, stone shed or field to dry in the open or ventilate and shade. It is better to dry in the sun within 1 to 2 days. Do not turn the flowers when drying, otherwise the flower color will turn black and the quality will be reduced. When it is 90% dry, just pick out the impurities of branches and leaves. Avoid exposure to the hot sun. It can be dried on low heat on cloudy days, but the flower color is darker, so it is not as good as sun drying or shade drying.

6. Disease and Pest Control

(1) Brown spot disease

A common disease on leaves, causing plant growth to weaken.

It usually occurs in the late growth period, with the peak period from August to September, and the disease is severe under rainy and humid conditions. At the early stage of the disease, small brown spots form on the leaves, which later expand into brown round lesions or irregular lesions. There is gray-black mold on the back of the lesions, which can cause the leaves to fall off when the disease is severe. Prevention and treatment methods: Cut off the diseased leaves, and then spray with Bordeaux mixture in a ratio of 1:1.5:200, once every 7 to 10 days, 2 to 3 times in a row: or use 500 times dilution of 65% zinc or thiophanate 1000~ 1500 times diluted solution, spray once every 7 days, 2 to 3 times in a row.

(2) Powdery mildew

The disease is more severe under warm and dry conditions or when the plants are shaded; if too much nitrogen is applied and the plants are dense, the disease is also more serious. At the early stage of the disease, small white spots appear on the leaves, which gradually expand into white powdery spots, and continue to expand to cover the entire leaf, causing the leaves to turn yellow, shrink and deform, and finally cause the flowers and leaves to fall, and the branches to dry up. Prevention and control methods: Clear the garden to deal with diseased plants; use 50% thiophanate 1000 times or BO-10 biological spray during the occurrence period.

(3) Aphids

Damage leaves and twigs, causing leaves and buds to curl, stop growth, and yield sharply. The insect infestation is heavier from April to June, and spreads faster around the beginning of summer, especially on cloudy and rainy days. Control method: Spray with 40% dimethoate 1000-1500 times dilution or 1000-1500 times dilution of aphids (Medimethrin), several times in a row until it is killed.

(4) Inchworm

After flowering, the larvae eat away at the leaves, causing yield reduction. Prevention and control methods: After spring, dig soil within 1 meter around the plant to eliminate pupae. In the early stage of larvae emergence, spray 2.5% rotenin EC 400-600 times; or spray with dichlorvos, trichlorfon, etc., but stop spraying during the flowering period. [8]

(5) Anthracnose

Leaf lesions are nearly round, and when wet, there are orange-red dot-like sticky substances on the leaves. Prevention and control methods: Remove the diseased leaves of the remaining plants and burn them intensively; soak the seeds with 1:1:150-200 Bordeaux mixture for 5-10 minutes before transplanting; spray 65% ??Zinc 500 times solution or 50% Bacterin 800 during the disease period ~1000 times liquid.

(6) Longhorn beetle

After the plant is damaged, it will gradually age, wither and even die. Control method: When adult insects emerge, pour 80% trichlorfon 1000 times into the flower mound. During the peak spawning period, spray 90% trichlorfon crystal 800.1000 times solution once every 7 to 10 days; if insect branches are found, cut them off and burn them; if there are insect holes, insert cotton wool soaked in 80% dichlorvos stock solution and use The soil seals it and poisons the larvae.