{"id":2134,"date":"2020-11-22T08:51:42","date_gmt":"2020-11-22T08:51:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gardendad.co.uk\/?p=2134"},"modified":"2020-11-24T09:22:20","modified_gmt":"2020-11-24T09:22:20","slug":"how-to-cut-back-honeysuckle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gardendad.co.uk\/how-to-cut-back-honeysuckle\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Cut Back Honeysuckle?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Honeysuckle is a beautiful plant, that not only makes attractive foliage, but also the most deliciously scented blooms. Honeysuckle is a plant that, once you smell it, you won\u2019t forget it soon! This is a good, hardy, strong plant, that can cope with all the different types of weather and conditions thrown at it, and it will still thrive. Given how well it thrives you might be wondering how to cut back honeysuckle? Then this article is for you!<\/p>\n

Why does honeysuckle need cutting back?<\/h2>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

This is a fast growing, vigorous plant, that can take over a garden if left unchecked. This is all well and good, but the tall, trailing honeysuckle can overshadow other plants and prevent them from getting enough sunlight.<\/p>\n

Another reason to cut back honeysuckle is that it will actually encourage it to flower<\/a>; the lovely scented blooms occur most often on new growth, so cutting your plant back will encourage beautiful flowers.<\/p>\n

This not only smells delightful, but the blooms will attract useful pollinators too your garden, such as bees and butterflies.<\/p>\n

Keeping your honeysuckle in check means that you can grow it in whatever shape you like<\/a>, and it will keep the whole plant in great health. Removing dead or overgrown stems allows the plant to put more energy into growing new, strong shoots.<\/p>\n

How to cut back honeysuckle<\/h2>\n
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  1. Start by cutting back any dead or diseased shoots, and any that are damaged or broken.<\/li>\n
  2. Next, remove any stems that are rubbing against each other, or which are growing in the wrong direction.<\/li>\n
  3. Cut the stems back to the point where they join another stem, or just beyond a leaf node.<\/li>\n
  4. You can shape the plant however you want it to grow, and make sure that you thin out the top of the plant to allow air and sunlight to circulate.<\/li>\n
  5. If you are pruning a very overgrown honeysuckle, the best thing to do is to prune it severely, to about a foot above the ground. Do this in the winter, and the plant will reward you in spring with fresh new growth.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Here is a video showing a hard pruning, to show you how it can be done:<\/p>\n