Marianne's Response
mdumaine’s Question
My honeysuckle has gone crazy. What should I do with this? I live in Auburn WA
Posted by mdumaine on May 25, 2017
Marianne's Response
Honeysuckle vines should be pruned to shape every spring but it you neglect pruning for a couple of years you can start fresh by cutting the entire vine to about one foot from the ground when it is dormant in the winter. You may not get blooms the next summer as it regrows but you do get a fresh start. In your case I would thin out about a third of the vines now cutting the wayward branches back to where they join a main branch. Thin out anything dead, damaged and diseased and try to remove growth inside the tangle to open it up to sunlight. Too many tangled branches inside the vine will encourage mildew. This fast growing vine will always need pruning but the birds and the bees love those fragrant blooms so it is worth the effort. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti
