Honeysuckle appears to be dying

nicolajmawson · August 2021

can anyone help not sure what is wrong with my honeysuckle. This is the second one this year this has happened to. Its on a South facing wall, well watered and only 2 months old. Any advice would be appreciated.

Fairygirl · August 2021

South facing is always a problem. They prefer a shadier site, where they can grow into light, but if it's sunny they get fried. They also need huge amounts of water to establish, and plenty during dry spells. Soil with leaf mould or compost added to replicate what their natural conditions would be, ie edge of woodland. It's showing the signs of mildew which is due to lack of moisture.
Is it in the ground?
It also needs all those ties removed, and something for it to climb onto and scramble over.

nicolajmawson · August 2021

Yes its in the ground with trellis to climb over. Should i move it.

Fairygirl · August 2021

You'd have to make that decision based on what other sites you have available.

Loads of water is probably the best route initially. other planting close by is competition, so that's definitely a factor if that's the case.
They're generally very large plants though [although there's few smaller varieties] so trellis alone may not be suitable.

Fairygirl · August 2021

Hi @Leakyboots - judging from your description, there's also a good chance the plant had been grown in what we all like to call a 'tea bag'. In theory, the plants are easy to grow on, and pot on, but they often don't make it out through the tea bag, and the roots never get a chance to thrive and grow. The plant often dies through being so restricted, before it even gets a chance to grow, and it's hard for them to stay hydrated too.
It's a popular method used by lots of growers, but it doesn't always seem to translate well.
Small plants are always better grown on a bit too, so that they're bigger and more mature before planting out. Gives them a better chance of thriving

Fairygirl · August 2021

Your lavenders are possibly in the same situation @Leakyboots .
It's a common growing practice for seedlings and cuttings, although those tiny plugs you got can also be very tricky if you aren't really careful with potting on etc. Even then, it would be fairly normal to lose some. They need protection, so if you got them at a cooler time of year, and they didn't have that, the shock alone can be enough to see them off.
It can sometimes be cheaper to buy one big plant, and take cuttings yourself.

Fairygirl · August 2021

The tiny plugs need protection from extremes, so that includes sun, even though they're sun lovers, because it's too much for small plants to cope with.
Pieris are completely hardy, so that wouldn't really have needed to be undercover - against a wall or similar is enough to give them protection if they're small, as long as they get watered enough. They won't be happy if they dry out completely.
If it was small, ie in a 4 inch pot or similar, another good way to give them protection is to just put them in among other plants - especially shrubs, and that's particularly useful over winter for hardy plants. That protects them from extremes, but allows them to get enough light and water, and they don't dry out too readily. They do change colour though - that's perfectly normal for them

It's always better to buy shrubs from a good supplier [nursery] though, whether online or in 'real life'. Things like Pieris are readily available too - even from DIY places. They can be perfectly good, depending on the outlet and staff, although they can be dearer sometimes.

Honeysuckle appears to be dying

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