Honeysuckle Pruning

[Natalie]

I have a row of what I think is honeyrose honeysuckle at the lot line between my house and the neighbor. It has been neglected the entire 7 years that the previous owners lived there. It is now at least 12 feet tall and the leaves and flowers are only growing on the top third. Thus, you can see right through it to the neighbor's yard.

I read that I can prune these back up to 1/3 of the entire plant, which this year leaves me with almost no foliage whatsoever. The flowers are just falling off now, which I read was the time to prune. This is scary! I would hate to over-prune and lose them, but I really want to create a properly-sized (and view-blocking) hedge out of them. Help!

I suppose I could test one this year and see how it goes. Any guidance is very appreciated!

 

[lesa]

The test idea is a good one- use one of the less obvious ones...I guess the question is, if they aren't hiding your neighbors, do you even want them there? I would take the risk and trim them back good. If it doesn't work, you still won't have privacy....Seems like it is worth a try. Honeysuckle is pretty hard to kill. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[vfem]

Honeysuckle is so invasive you could hack 1/2 or more and it would come back full force and THICK. BUT I live in the south and that is my experience with the 3-4 types I have worked with before. If you are in a good zone for honeysuckle it shouldn't be a problem, but YES if you want some thick vines and flowers... keep it pruned.

 

[Natalie]

I think I will try the test. But it's the shrubby type, not the viney type. I think that might make a difference. I do like them, they still make nice pink flowers, just not where I want them.

 

[crazzzymike13]

Believe me when i tell ya. You won't kill it. Man I bought a house that had a bunch of it in the back. That was about the hardest stuff to kill. I still have it shooting everywhere.

 

[ducks4you]

Honeysuckle is VERY hard to kill. Chop most of it down. NOBODY that cares about their plants lets them overgrow like that.
I've had an experience with a nasty neighbor, who accused me of letting weeds grow taller than the fence. He called the city about it, and we discovered that the weeds were growing on HIS edge of the property, not mine, and he was told to remove them.
Right now we have an elderly neighbor to the north, who is kindof living with family--nice neighbor. To the south, we have a great neighbor. I was mowing last night along my fence line where the everygreens are 20 foot tall and killing the grass. It's turned into a 12 foot wide patch of weeds. My neighbor has a gap that is weeds, and there is a portion of the fence that is down. This allowed me the access to mow his weeds, too. This morning we caught each other while leaving, and discussed how he would have helped me mow if he'd known I was doing this and how we are BOTH going to fix this. He also discovered that one of his favorite plants that he thought was dead was actually growing on MY side of the fence! (So he fed the tops to go over to his side and now we'll both enjoy it.) We've been good neighbors for 10 years now.
I KNOW that "wars" can start over plant life on the edge of your property, so I know that discretion is needed. Good luck on this!

 

[pbjmaker]

Believe me when i tell ya. You won't kill it. Man I bought a house that had a bunch of it in the back. That was about the hardest stuff to kill. I still have it shooting everywhere.

Around here honeysuckle isnt at all invasive - it is trumpet vines that act like that. We are fighting the shoots from one that was on a neighboring property after 14 years of living here. I have two honeysuckles and they stay right where they are planted.

 

[journey11]

Since you mention that the honeysuckle is pink, I think it is probably the same cultivated variety that I have. Not nearly as invasive as the wild white and yellow blooming kind... I would prune it from the "arms" mostly. Anywhere you shorten a section of vine, it should send out side shoots and bulk up there. You can tip prune those afterwhile too and get it to bush up even fuller if you like.

Since you say that it is looking scraggly, it may just be needing a little TLC to get it to leaf out more. Try top-dressing around the base of the vine with compost or composted manure.

They are very pretty and heavenly scented. I got mine as a sucker off of my MIL's. It is probably her most prized plant she has. Not your ordinary honeysuckle!

 

[Natalie]

See, the thing is, it is NOT a vine. It is a shrub, like this

 

[journey11]

Hadn't heard of it before... Very pretty! I looked it up and they say it blooms on old growth. I would say then you'd want to prune it similar to a lilac in that case. If it has not had much pruning, that would explain why it is gangly. If you go ahead and cut it back now (right after it's done blooming), you will forfeit a lot of bloom for the next year or so, but it will be worth it in the end. Maybe you could grow an annual like morning glories, or something fast like autumn clematis to block the view in the meantime?