Honeysuckles are nectar-filled with delicate tubular and sweet-scented flowers. The plants work great in covering walls and sides of buildings. The plants are heat tolerant and can grow in different climates. They have dark to blue, green leaves that grow as far-reaching vines. Different varieties have different flower colors with some having two colored flowers. They have sweet red berries that birds enjoy, and sweet nectar-filled flowers that attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Types of honeysuckles
- Popular types of honeysuckles
- Specific types of honeysuckles
- Planting honeysuckles in your garden
- Dig a hole two to three times wider than the holding container. Make sure it’s as deep as the plant roots.
- Mix soil from the hole with compost
- Remove the honeysuckle from its container, ensuring the roots don’t get damaged.
- Using your hand, loosen the plant’s soil before placing it into the hole.
- Fill the hole halfway with the mixture of soil and compost, pour water, and let it drain.
- Fill the rest of the hole with compost and soil.
- Water the plant regularly.
- For climbers, attach the plant to its support structure and tie it with wires.
- Planting honeysuckles in containers
- Fill the pot halfway with a mixture of soil and compost.
- Carefully remove the honeysuckle from the container, ensuring the roots are not damaged.
- Put the plant into the container ensuring its base sits flush with the top of the container.
- Fill the space with a mixture of soil and compost.
- Ensure the plant is watered well and has mulch to keep moisture.
- Ensure your soil is not too soggy since this can kill the ability of the plant to blossom.
- Add a layer of fertilizer or organic compost during spring.
- Prune regularly depending on the type of honeysuckle you plant.
- Laying of honeysuckles is vital as this will keep your garden beautiful and stylish.
- New shoots of honeysuckles are prone to pests such as aphids that cause the leaves to turn yellowish or curled. Spray the plant regularly with Bayer provado ultimate bug killer to do away with pests.
- Ensure roots grow deep enough to get water;
- Keep roots moist by applying mulch;
- Allow for proper air circulation;
- Avoid too many nitrogen-based fertilizers;
- Move containers to slightly cooler places;
- Collect and discard plant debris during autumn.
- Planting late in the season
- Too little water at first, too much water later
- Incorrect use of fertilizer
- Pruning time
- Molding due to poor ventilation
- Improper support
There are many varieties of honeysuckles. There are three popular types of honeysuckles; shrubs, bush and vines variety.
Vines
They are common and easy to grow. They are available in many varieties, can grow as climbers or ground cover. Most are trained to cover walls and different structures using a trellis.
Shrubs
Make a great choice when used as an informal hedge; they also do well in containers and pots.
Bush honeysuckles
They are not recommended for garden growth. They grow quickly, thus invading and shading other areas of the garden which will kill your plants.
Trumpet honeysuckles
This is a popular vine that is also known as coral or scarlet honeysuckle. It originates from North America, and it does well during spring and fall. It produces pink and red hues. It thrives in moist soils and partial sun and shade. It is drought resistant.
Japanese honeysuckle
The plant has red to pink flowers that thrive during early fall. It is incredibly invasive and can grow as ground cover or trellis.
Winter honeysuckles
This is a shrub that produces white flowers in early spring and late winter. The flowers have a lemon-like smell; it is highly invasive and can grow well in pots and containers.
Honeyberry
Its berries are edible, and it does better in colder climates. It is non-invasive and produces small white to large blueberry shaped fragrance flowers.
Sakhalin honeysuckles
Belong to the shrub family and is very similar to winter suckles. It is non-invasive with deep red flowers.
White limestone honeysuckles
They grow in full sun and partial shade. It produces white flowers and is less invasive than the Japanese honeysuckles.
How to grow honeysuckles
Garden honeysuckles are low maintenance plants. They come in two varieties; the climbing honeysuckle, and woody shrub honeysuckle. The climbing variety grows on walls, trellises, stakes, and fences.
Select a sunny and moist spot
The plants tolerate some shade, but they flourish in the sun; thus, you need to select a location that receives more sun than shade. The soil around your selected area should retain moisture.
Provide support for your plants if necessary
Once you have the location, you will need to determine if the plant will grow as ground cover or climbing plant. For climbing honeysuckles, you will require to install Fan trellises to help train plants upwards. You can also train the plants towards wall, fences, or stakes. Install the structure before planting.
Plant the honeysuckles
Plant the honeysuckles during early spring after the threat of frost has passed. For ground cover, plant the trees two to five feet apart. For climbers, plant them three to 15 feet apart and six to 12 inches away from their supports. How to plant honeysuckles:
Find a large container
Find a large KINGLAKE 50 Pcs plastic plant pot that can accommodate the plant’s root system. The container should be three times larger than the honeysuckle’s current pot. For climbers, it should provide accommodation for trellis.
Planting the honeysuckle in the container
To elevate the honeysuckle, you can add more soil to the container. Ensure the variety of honeysuckle for your container is not invasive and can adapt to your climate quickly. If you want your plant to climb, you should support it such as trellis, a nearby fence or wall.
Caring for your honeysuckles
The plant might get attacked by mildew infections which cause leaves to have white powder. To prevent the disease you should:
Mistakes to avoid when growing honeysuckles
The honeysuckles should be planted during early spring when the climate is colder after the final frost. Planting the honeysuckles late in spring will inhibit their growth since they will lack the required conditions for growth.
The plant is sensitive to the amount of water and moisture it receives. Just after planting, the plant will require a considerable amount of water, and when the vines get fortified, they will need a small amount of water. Never make the mistake of continuously watering the plant through different stages of growth.
Be careful not to fertilize the plant too much since excess fertilizer will negatively impact flowering. Ensure you maintain the soil pH between six to eight.
Ensure you don’t rush to prune the plants until they get well established. Pruning too early will reduce the number of blooms and might kill the whole plant. Its recommended that you prune during spring of every year.
Ensure the plant receive adequate air circulation since if ignored, the vines will be prone to molds and powdery mildews.
Most honeysuckles require a support system to thrive. Ensure trellis are placed strategically before planting to eliminate any chances of damage. Once the plant starts growing, using frog garden tie, tie the stems to the trellis to prevent them from rubbing over.
Bottomline
Honeysuckles fall into three main types of which two are most common. They produce sweet-scented, trumpet-shaped flowers that you will admire. Some species like honeyberries produce soft pink to red berries that you will enjoy.