Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle is a garden plant, great for summer scent, and a lovely way to brighten up a dull wall or fence. They will also be happy scrambling over a tree or a bush or up the side of a house.

If you want to enjoy your honeysuckle in a pot for a short while choose a cool spot if you can. The cooler the roots, the longer the flowers will last. After flowering, you can plant your honeysuckle out in the garden in a sheltered spot next to a wall or fence. Its roots should be cool and planted deep and the new shoots should grow freely towards the light. It will reward you with scented blooms every summer.

Whilst in a pot, your Honeysuckle will need to be watered regularly. Water thoroughly from the top every couple of days and let the excess drain away during the day. You may want to add an ordinary house plant feed to the water every week or so to help your plant continue flowering. Prune lightly after flowering for the best show next year.

Honeysuckle do well in a range of soils but do try and protect the roots from frost by planting near the house or by bringing the pot into a more sheltered spot in the winter.

Problem Solving:

Occassionally Honeysuckle can develop small white patches of mold on their leaves, or botrytis, if the weather is particularly damp. If you do notice this, consider pruning the plant in the following Autumn to allow for more airflow around the leaves. For more information about pruning visit www.rhs.org.uk