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brandyray

When to cut back honeysuckle?

brandyray
15 years ago

Okay, my 2 honeysuckle plants were destroying my lattice, so I cut them way back fall '06, and I had to look at a bare lattice all winter, then they hardly bloomed at all last summer. Last fall, I started replacing the lattice w/ green wire, now, too much of my honeysuckle is sprawling along the ground. I was thinking of cutting most of both bushes back and trying again to retrain them up the wire. If I cut them back now, will they grow back up and bloom? I don't want to miss out on the blooms and I don't want to look at bare fencing all winter either. (The area is 3 sections of 4 x 8 wire in the back of my bulb garden.) Thanks, Brandy

Comments (4)

  • User
    15 years ago

    Brandy,
    Are they blooming now?
    My honeysuckle is now, that is why I asked.
    If they are blooming now, wait til they stop blooming, then trim them back the way you want them and retrain them up the wire.
    If they aren't blooming now, then cut them back now and retrain them.
    They will have another bloom this year later in the summer, can't remember exactly when, mabey end of July where you live.
    They won't bloom as much, simply because they will be smaller, but they should bloom again. They grow fast.
    I am trying to train clematis on a lattice panel fence and they hate it. Go figure.
    My honeysuckle loves the chainlink fence.
    Good Luck!

  • brandyray
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thank you, butterfly. I hadn't had any response on here for so long, that I gave up and cut the one honeysuckle back savagely. The other one (w/ the distinctive deep pink blooms) I left alone. But, both honeysuckle are masses of small stems rather than several big stems and they are really a mess! How do you get them back to a more reasonable form? At this rate, I can see them eventually just continuing to produce a mass of stems until they spread out and take over my bulb garden. Yet, in other ways they have done well- not spreading to other areas of the yard, not being invasive like the native honeysuckle I am familiar w/. Any suggestions?
    I also bought an American wisteria which is supposed to be a lot less rampant than the oriental ones. It is to grow up my deck. If you have any experience w/ those, I could use some suggestions there, too. Thanks! Brandy

  • User
    15 years ago

    Brandy,
    You have the native honeysuckle, not the japanese invasive kind.
    (I really like the japanese one, it smells wonderful)
    I have the native kind also, and I must admit to you, it grows slow. It requires patience, and rose bug spray in the spring. (My honeysuckle had aphids all over it this year)
    It will grow up the sections of fence you want it to.
    You just have to wait, and try hard to put the ends where you want them every chance you get.
    All last year, which was my first year with this honeysuckle, it grew very slowly, but surely.
    What ever you do, this fall, don't cut it back at all, let it grow back up next spring and spray it if necessary (they are notorious for getting bugs).
    DOn't let them climb into your bulb garden.
    This is going to sound elementary, but how does the sun move in your yard? WHere does it come up and set?
    The vines are going to grow towards the sun no matter what.
    It is difficult to get them to grow away from it.
    My girlfriend has a wisteria, I don't know what kind it is.
    She has it planted in part sun and it blooms every other year. It isn't a fast grower either, she ahs had it for about 4 years now.
    I told her to move it so it will get more sun. I think that would help it in blooming.
    Wisteria loves the sun, and I think they are gorgeous!
    Good Luck with both.

  • scarlet2_orange_fr
    12 years ago

    My honeysuckle on jy balcony in Paris was wonderful and fragrant. I want it to bloom again this summer. How do I do this? Thank you