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Having Problems with my lonicera japonica 'cream cascade'

Elliot_Porter4Elliot_Porter4 Posts: 10
in Problem solving
Hello, recently my Japanese honeysuckle has been having issues with powdery mildew and then the leaves go yellow and brown and then falling off and I do not not know what is causing the second part. I have been treating it for powdery mildew which seems to be working however I do not know what is causing the loss of leaves and the signs of it dying towards the bottom of the plant. It was in shade, however, the higher it climbed the more sun the new part would receive so I was helping that would make up for where it is. It is thoroughly watered everyday and it is in a spot which can support plants such as runner beans. 

Below is a picture of where it was which was taken on Tuesday and since then the bottom half's leaves have been falling off and going brown including the stems. It is now in a pot with lots of feed, hopefully that will help it to recover. 
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  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Mildew is most often caused by the erratic availability of water at the roots - so periods of wet followed by periods of dry. This weakens the plant and allows mildew to get a hold. So that is the most likely reason your plant is suffering.

    Once mildew has killed a leaf, the leaf dries and drops off.

    Re-potting is fine, but don't feed it anything until it has recovered.
    Most important is not to let it dry out again. Try and keep the compost just a little damp and keep your plant somewhere bright, but out of direct sunlight.
    Hopefully it will recover.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Elliot_Porter4Elliot_Porter4 Posts: 10
    Thank you for the response, it is currently potted with a little bit of feed as it was done before this post was made. Originally, besides the powdery mildew I was guessing a lack of nutrients may be a problem but I'm not sure now. It was mostly never dry due to the amount of shade it was planted in, however, could too much water be an issue? The newer parts growing would be in sunlight in most of the day but not the foundations of the plant so is it possible it didn't have enough sunlight for it to survive? The newer stems look healthy but it's mainly the lower parts which now look not well as so.
     
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited June 2022
    Yes, too much water can also cause the problem.
    Roots need oxygen from the air just as much as they need water.
    It doesn't want direct sunlight while its unwell, but somewhere bright and not too windy will be fine.
    A lack of nutrients is unlikely to be the cause, but if the ground is poor where it is planted dig in some organic matter and a light sprinkle of blood fish and bone will ensure the soil is good for it.
    If the plant is frequently soaked, several inches of grit at the bottom of the planting hole will help - or plant it somewhere more suitable.
    Hopefully it will recover

    PS - as long as the upper part of the plant gets some sun the roots and lower part of the plant will be quite happy in shade.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Elliot_Porter4Elliot_Porter4 Posts: 10
    This is where it was planted before, I thought it could have been where it was planted but I'm not sure now. 
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    The the soil at the base of a wall or fence is usually very dry most of the time, and yours is planted between the base of a wall and a fence by the look of it. A general rule is to plant at least 18" away from a wall or fence.
    When it rains you indicate it gets very wet in that area and when it's not rained it will quickly dry out - an ideal combination for mildew to get a grip.
    I'd move it elsewhere if you can when it's recovered.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Elliot_Porter4Elliot_Porter4 Posts: 10
    Would moving it further out allow for the plant to climb up the wall? The idea was that I intended it to climb the wall and bring a bit of life to it so would 45cm/18 inches from the area I showed above help?
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    It would be better than where it was for sure. 2ft/60cm would be even better.
    But it's for you to judge if in that position the soil it's planted in will not dry out, or if it does, you'll need to remember to water it in dry spells.
    Adding lots of organic matter will make a huge difference in terms of keeping the moisture level stable.
    If you can get it established there for a couple of years it will then be far more resilient.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Elliot_Porter4Elliot_Porter4 Posts: 10
    Would it be possible for it to reach the wall supports when I put them up from 45cm away. I've looked up that the canes supporting it now should be angled towards the supports but wouldn't it have like a leaning effect inbetween the base and the wall?
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Yes it will initially, but it's a honeysuckle!
    As it settles in more shoots will come from the base and it will form quite a thicket low down, so you won't notice and your honeysuckle will be much happier with a bit more space around it.
    Plant it in the new position and use bamboo canes to train the stems toward the support on your wall. it'll soon be scrambling away - but keep a close eye on watering, honeysuckle is very prone to mildew if the conditions aren't quite right.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Elliot_Porter4Elliot_Porter4 Posts: 10
    I think for now I will let it get stronger in the pot that I showed in an earlier message. So should I have the canes lean towards the supports that I'll put up to train them? 
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