Honeysuckle

Hello
I have what would appear to be a very health looking and rapidly growing honeysuckle BUT it has no flowers. I have lived in my current house for 6 years now and every year it is getting bigger and bigger however still no flowers. I have never pruned it - could this be the problem? Or does it need some special feed? I'm afraid I cannot tell you which type of soil I have. All suggestions greatly appreciated as I consider myself a novice gardener
Thanks
Liz

 

Good Morning Poppet and welcome!
I too am somewhat of a novice so can't advise you on Honeysuckle I'm afraid. This site is great though, everyones really friendly and they give fantastic advice. Good sense of humour too - check out Bananamans monkey! :D :D

 

Do you know what kind it is? sorry just a long shot.

what aspect are you growing it on - north, south?

they are usually easy, so this is very strange. Have you ever fed it?

 

Poppet - it could be that it is just too darn comfortable. Plants flower to reproduce - and sometimes if too comfortable just make growth. Although some varieties are quite late flowering.

With the detail you've given, I would suggest, stop any watering, and give it a feed of potash rich fertiliser (like tomatoe food) every two weeks and see what happens.

 

One of my roses came up blind this year I think it is spoilt too. Welcome poppet from North Yorkshire :D

 

Thanks for the responses - all very friendly!
The honeysuckle is growing on a north aspect. I have never treated it to anything. I've never ever bothered to water or feed it so maybe I'll try the advice from Fran and give it some tomato feed.
Liz

 

i have got three honeysuckles 1 is fine flowers great the other 2 are growing but like you no flowers these 2 are in a sheltered aspect maybe this is the problem. the one that is doing great has full sun light maybe other members can throw some light on our problem from rosa

 

i find honeysuckles are quite greedy when it comes to there oun space. thay need full sun and rich soil. prune to woody stems to encurrage new groth.

 

I planted an evergreen one up in spring this year, the original shoots haven't grown at all and look a bit sad, but it has alot of new bits coming on it, including new shoots from the root. I haven't fed it at all just give it a bit of water every night

 

Some honeysuckles flower on last years' growth, so if left to themselves will flower only on the end of the shoots. For lots of flowers, as nicsdad says, you need lots of shoots.
I have several which have been sp!rse in their flowers whilst in pots but are now flowering freely in the ground, so I think nicsdad is right here too.Try pruning and lots of feeding, and make sure they're not dry if in pots.

[ 27. June 2006, 11:22 AM: Message edited by: Liz ]

 

my honeysuckle that is doing great in full sun light, flowered they are just dying off and new shoots are growing will it flower anymore this year, The other one in shade is growing but very thin any ideas why other than shade it is growing like that. from rosa

 

The Japanese honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica is probably the most rampant grower of them all AND the most shy of flowering. If that is what you have then, flowering is not likely to happen for a good many years.

 

Do you recommend a specific time of year to prune?
Liz

 

Generally speaking all honeysuckles are best pruned after flowering, though how one knows when that is, on one which does not flower, is hard to work out. I usually hack ours down in September when I think about it and when they are annoying me by being covered in rust and mildew. It does not seem to bother them, they are all in flower quite well now.

 

I am always unsure how far back you should prune honeysuckles and other shrubs. I am always worried they will not come back. ;-(