Marianne's Response

How to support honeysuckle

I have honeysuckle planted on both sides of an arbor. It doesn’t seem to like to climb it—it just goes straight up and flops. How is honeysuckle supposed to be supported? Does it need to be pruned?

Posted by mdumaine on September 4, 2014

Marianne's Response

Honeysuckle has many forms, and a few varieties are more shrub like. But if your honeysuckle grows up then flops it could just need some gentle guidance to cover the arbor. Use strips of old nylon stockings to tie the long tendrils to the arbor as the vines grow. They are probably reaching for the sun so if the arbor is in a shaded site you will need to do more persuading to get the vines to cooperate. Once you secure a framework of vines the new growth will usually follow as the tendrils can cling to the undergrowth of the original vines you tied. Honeysuckle can be a messy vine so don't feed bad if you decide to change your mind and use a clematis or akebia vine over that arbor instead. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti