The Honeysuckle (Lonicera), is well known to gardeners in its climbing form. Large woody and voluble liana, it is endowed with a flowering with an inimitable perfume. It is a climbing plant of easy culture, of fast growth, and of a real winter, spring or summer interest according to the variety or the selected species. The Honeysuckle are so numerous that there are at least two or three adapted to each situation, each soil and each climate.
Growing a honeysuckle on the balcony or terrace is possible. All you have to do is provide it with a sufficiently large tray, a support on which to roll up its stems, and a good substrate.
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The honeysuckle in pot
The honeysuckle can be planted in pots or tubs. Install them in large bins, you will not have to repot them. Plant them against a wall and think of a trellis or a stake to allow the vine to grow harmoniously.
In which pot to install the honeysuckle?
Choose a pot at least 20 inches wide and deep. It will be fine for a few years. Then it will need to be made larger.
Where to install the pot and its honeysuckle?
Place them in a sunny corner of the balcony or terrace. Honeysuckle tolerates half-shade, so be sure to give it a few hours of sunshine a day.
How to plant a potted honeysuckle?
- The honeysuckle is an ideal plant for the balcony where it brings its colors and its generous perfume.
- Prefer hybrid varieties such as Lonicera “Goldflame”, from the beginning, install the honeysuckle in a very large tray in which it will remain all its life.
- As in the garden, help the plant to grow with the help of a stake, wire or trellis. It will have to be pruned because it is an invasive plant.
- It is necessary to repot the honeysuckle every year in the spring. This will be easier if you only change the soil and keep the bin.
Honeysuckle can be planted in any season, but it is recommended to do so in autumn or spring and outside of periods of frost or high heat.
Honeysuckle care
Watering
After planting, little but regular watering is required throughout the growing phase. You will have to stop watering completely in winter, unless the season is dry.
Beyond the second year, it will no longer be necessary to water the honeysuckle in the field except during dry periods. For potted honeysuckle, it will be necessary to continue watering the plant even during the winter, however, it is more a matter of conserving the moisture in the soil.
Honeysuckle size
If you have a large garden, you don’t need to prune your honeysuckle. Nevertheless, to keep the beauty of the plant and its flowers, you must remove dead stems, especially in the central part, to give air to the foliage.
After flowering you will cut the branches above the bud without pruning the carpenter branches. On the balcony, cut regularly to control the growth of the plant.
Cutting of honeysuckle
The 2 most common techniques used to propagate honeysuckle are layering and cutting.
Honeysuckle cutting
- The honeysuckle cuttings are made in summer on the non-flowering stems.
- Take the end of the stems about 6 inches.
- Remove the lower leaves to keep only the 2 upper layers.
- Plant the cutting in a special soil for cuttings.
- Place the cutting in the light but without direct sunlight.
- Keep the substrate slightly moist.
Honeysuckle attacks and diseases
Aphids
Generally, ladybugs should be able to get rid of them. If not, spray a mixture of water and black soap (10%) for three days.
Powdery mildew
An attack by certain fungi. The main symptom is the formation of a whitish layer on the leaves. The disease spreads by spread, so it is important to act quickly either by removing and getting rid of the affected branches or by spraying a solution based on sodium bicarbonate and Marseille soap on the leaves.
The application of Bordeaux mixture as a preventive measure is recommended in autumn (after the fall of the flowers) or in spring (when the buds appear).
About honeysuckle
Native to Europe and Asia, honeysuckle is a climbing shrub that produces berry-shaped red fruits and its flowers are famous and appreciated for their scent in spring.
There are varieties of honeysuckle with deciduous foliage but others are evergreen. You will thus have a vast choice of colors, shapes and scents.
The honeysuckle grows in the ground as well as in pots, which makes it an essential ally for gardens but also for terraces and balconies.
Summary
The honeysuckle is a climbing shrub with very fragrant flowers. Its plain or variegated foliage, green or purple, and its bicolored flowers will be of the most beautiful effect on your arbors, trellises and wire fencing. We explain you how to plant it and make it thrive in a pot.
