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Honeysuckles in pots? Mine not doing well!

Mrs_MigginsMrs_Miggins Posts: 60
in Plants
Ive got a large square planter (about 40cm) with a honeysuckle - lonicera heckrotti - in it on a west facing wall in a south east facing garden. It gets a good few hours sun especially in the afternoon but certainly far from all day. Its never done very well - even less so since i got rid of a tree that provided some afternoon shade. 

So im going to move the pot to the other side and it will get some shade from that border and a big tree down the bottom but get more morning sun. 

But im wondering if thats the whole problem? Another one (in the ground) down the end has been decimated by blackflies 3 years running. That has less shade than it had and is on the west side too in fact i would say the top (its a standard) gets pretty much all day sun. 

So how much sun do they really need/want and is the afternoon sun simply too fierce? Im in london. Do they needs lots of feeding? Lots of watering? I chopped my contained one back and it hasnt grown back this year. 

Heres a pic 

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Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Honeysuckles are woodland edge plants that like a rich soiland deep root run.  A 40cm pot amounts to cruelty really thru starvation and thirst so get it planted out if you can and, if not, give it a much bigger pot with good compost - John Innes no 3 mixed with about 30% MPC for moisture retention - and keep it well watered but not drowning and make sure you feed every spring with some slow release fertiliser for roses or tomatoes as composts only have enough nutrients to last 80 to 90 days.   A weekly liquid feed of tomato or seaweed thru the growing season will also help.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Mrs_MigginsMrs_Miggins Posts: 60
    Ive just given it a good feed thanks Obelixx. I also put a cane through the soil in several places and it easily goes through to the bottom so its not root bound. So more feeding and maybe less afternoon sun which can get pretty strong here (haha for the UK). Ive many plants in pot which find it too much so it looks like i need to try different locations out. As a woodland edge plant (very helpful description thank you) it would probably like a little dappled shade. 

    I would put it in the ground but this end is paved and i dont know whats under it. 
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Lift a slab and find out?

    Not a good idea to feed a stressed plant so make sure it gets plenty of water to help it recover and do find it a bigger pot or a place in the ground. 
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • AuntyRachAuntyRach Posts: 5,291
    I have tried honeysuckle for the last 3 years, in pots, and I can conclude that they don’t like pots. I had a prolific one in my last garden, and was in the ground. 
    My garden and I live in South Wales. 
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    They don't like pots but it may be worth pointing out that this summer has been a killer. My honeysuckle,  all in the ground, look dead. I'm  not sure they will recover.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I have been watering mine in the ground.  15 litres at a time, once a week.  It's just coping.  It'll get a good mulch when/if we get some decent autumn rains.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • RoddersUKRoddersUK Posts: 537
    Tried pots too, rather big ones, they didn't do well. Put in ground, off they went!

    A neighbour has one in a pot, looks terrible.
  • LunarSeaLunarSea Posts: 1,923
    RoddersUK said:
    Tried pots too, rather big ones, they didn't do well. Put in ground, off they went!

    A neighbour has one in a pot, looks terrible.

    No - definitely don't like growing in pots. Ours is in an absolutely gi-normous container that it shares with a rose on a north-facing house wall. The rose does well but the honeysuckle always struggles after a spring spurt despite feeding & profuse watering.
    Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. 

    I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    I grow many plants in pots successfully but not honeysuckle.Dappled Shade and lots of water and get it into the ground if at all possible or you will be constantly struggling to keep it happy. 
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    I do have a couple in pretty small pots,but all have suffered this year, in a north facing garden,and shaded under trees,and watered.
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