What would you do with this honeysuckle ?

In this garden I've inherited a poorly maintained honeysuckle in my main border.

Have a look at the photos. As you can see, it's grown massively and disproportionately over to one side, to the point where it cannot support its weight any more (on the photo you can just see I've tied a cane in to try and lift it from the ground a bit)

I've tried on the second shot to show the main 'trunk' of the bush in red (incl where it goes into the ground) and I've outlined the whole bush in green.

Would you
a) just leave it like this, use canes or stakes to support the left hand side of the bush (though this may niggle at my OCD over time )

b) cut it heavily back on the left to bring it more back to being 'bush shaped' (but what about all that dead branches etc that this would expose ... would that come back ?)

c) just rip it out as a bad job


Ta !

 

I think it looks fine as it is I would give it a prune now to keep it in shape if that what you want to do , "a cane" isnt going to do much two posts and some trellis would be better suited.


The buds on mine are starting to show already so thats my next job this week.

To rip it out is Evil Len ........

Spruce

 

I agree with Spruce. That is really a remarkably tidy honeysuckle. No one plants them for their beautiful form. So just shape it a bit and enjoy it as it is.

 

I would tidy up the bottom, any falling canes downward. And I would clip any canes that are going straight up to heaven. Would want to keep the general long traveling look. Also cut any suckers off at the root level to keep a nice one truck look. Other than that, keep it. Some honeysuckles are humming bird magnets, this may be one of them. The one I have on my deck railing is, and grand to sit and watch them.

 

Hi its somthing we dont have in the UK is huming birds the closet thing is a moth from Africa that comes here over the Summer

Lucky you


Spruce

 

Humming birds, warm summers, Rib Eye Steaks Oh to live in heaven

Jack McH

 

Yep, Jack. On my deck in the summer you will find, Humming birds on the honeysuckle. And my grill going with Rib Eye steaks. some potato salad to go with it. And a nice cold Martini. Have beer on hand or wine also.

 

You forgot to tell them about the bugs in the summer and the big old spiders and mosquitos .

 

Thanks y'all ! It's a keeper then, and I think I'll have a go at trimming it ... didnt want to trim it and find I'd got 1/2 a dead bush at the end if it (if it didnt re-grow!)

 

I would peg some of the branches into the soil to propogate new plants, trim some of the others to tidy up. At least then you would have replacement plants if you do eventually decide to rip it out, and you could train those from very young, or swap with friends for other plants.

Steve...

 

Are you Kernowdreamer, in that statement referring to my location?

If you are that statement is incorrect. This area is very low on spiders, not any abnormal amount. and mosquitos very little. I can sit out on the deck many a summers night with no issue from either creature.
We do have our little friends called Bats that roam through the air eating all sorts of insects. Oh, yes and the huge population of the swallows that pass through help with bug issues.

If you go south further down around South Carolina, a good 12 hour drive from us, that is where the bug belt is located. I heard there are clouds that roam around.