Honeysuckle in pots?

Don't laugh if this is totally silly!
I have an arbour bench in the garden which has "built on" baskets to the bottom sides to put plant pots in. I tried roses last year but they never took off (probably because I approached it half-heartedly!) and I think one has now even died completely in the winter. This year I thought I try honeysuckle. I bought two honeysuckle plants today (one called "americana" and the other I can't remember the name just now), both meant to be doing well in sun or shade (which is important as they don't get more than a few hours of sun where the bench is). I have not yet transferred them into the bigger pots that fit into the basket-thingys attached to the bench, so there's still time to convinve me otherwise (I have an arch that needs a climber or two, too, and I want to grow one up on the side of the house too). Is it worth trying them in the containers, if I keep up with watering and feeding, or will the roots simply outgrow the pots?

 

Hi there and welcome. Most plants can be grown in containers as long as they are kept fed and watered and given some protection in the winter to prevent the roots freezing.

Not sure why your roses died - as they should have been OK in container's as long as they were big enough. Honeysuckle too should be OK. What size are these baskets, and the containers they will be growing in?

Is there no way you can plant your climbers in the ground to go over the arbour, and fill the baskets with smaller flowers?

 

I was looking at those arbours and I wondered if you could make larger holes in the bottom when planting things, then the roots could grow through the holes when the plant became well established. My experience of planters is that they can get very dry in summer, even when watered every day, so need a lot of care.

 

Ok I decided to go for the honeysuckle in containers. I got these kind of containers with a "false floor" acting as a water reservoir, so I thought I try at least.
Thing is that these arbour benches are constructed so that something should grow up on the sides, so putting smaller plants into the side baskets would be kind of missing the point...

 

I just replanted my honey suckles after 2 years in pots because I moved. All I can say is I hope your containers are large. Mine were all quite healthy looking, but when I took them out of the pots their roots were wound round and round like a giant birds' nest!
I think they must be relieved to be in the ground.

 

I've had a honeysuckle 'americana' in a 15" pot for at least 4 years. I topdress it each autumn ('cos in the spring I've got bulbs coming up in it).I feed it with pelleted chicken manure and prune it to keep it in check. It's not as rampant as it would be grown in the ground but that suits me fine.

 

I have a honesuckle on my balcony suspended long deep pots over the front of the balcony it is growing fantastic, i protect it in the winter cover the whole pot with that white fleece it looks a bit silly but i dont mind what the neighbours think since i removed the cloth it is just fine, the flowers last year where deep pink for some reason they have turned yellow look ok does any members know why this would happen
new member rosa

 

I have an arch on my balcony only get sun afternoons shaded and i have got jasmine it is perfect fast growing, does well anywhere mine is in a large pot had it for 4 years just needs a lot of watering, mine produces small white flowers, just bought another one with little deep pink flowers but expect it to grow better after second and third year and then there is no stopping them. good luck
new member rosa

 

Rosa, honeysuckle flowers often get paler as the flowers age, but changing colour completely is odd. I don't tnihk any honeysuckles are grafted, but you would be able to see if it was, and growth coming from below the graft might well be different, the wild types are mainly yellow. The only other thing I can think of is a virus, this wouldn't necessarily affect the plant in other ways. :rolleyes:

 

liz
The honeysuckle is only about 4 years old this is the second time it has flowered as last year it was a deep reddish shade and this year the flowers where the deep reddish and just as they where coming out they are changing to an
orange/yellow shade now, The plant looks healthy nature is a funny thing its probably all this global warming effect would not be suprised from rosa