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Honeysuckle leaves drying but new blossom

mrgnbarriemrgnbarrie Posts: 4
in Problem solving
Hi, this is my first post so hopefully its all ok. I'm a novice gardener, and have a honeysuckle in its 3rd year. It's planted into the ground with a (as you can see fairly poor) weed membrane then gravel topped. I left it to grow the first two years then cut it back gently last back end (I'm still a bit nervous about cutting back) This year the longer tendrils are growing well but the original 'bush' doesn't seem to be faring so well. It's dying off and the leaves are browning, curling and drying, but what's strange is over this last week there is new flowers coming through on the same branches. 
We had a solid month with no rain but I kept it well watered, and stopped watering in the last fortnight when thunder storms and rain started again. It gets full sun and I specifically bought a hardy variety as we get a lot of wind but it's been fairly still. Any advice at all on generally what would cause it to not grow so well closest to its base and especially on what this browning of the leaves but flowering indicates would be greatly appreciated, as well as just any honeysuckle related tips 😊  in the pictures I've tried to show how the main bush is not at all a happy bunny, and how the longer tendrils are doing so well as a contrast.

Posts

  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    Honeysuckles like to be in areas that give them good damp conditions. However saying that we have 2 that were my fathers who had them in containers and we then took them in the containers for another year after he died. We planted them out when we moved into our home and this year the flowers are the best ever. They are in full sun in the morning and then as the day moves on they are still in sun.
    Maybe the weed membrane is stopping water getting to the roots. Gravel as well?
  • mrgnbarriemrgnbarrie Posts: 4
    I was hoping the gravel would help protect the roots from the sun and help drainage but you might be right. I may need to change it to have a mulched area around it, I don't think the membranes doing much of anything to be honest given the amount that's growing through it 😂 and I was wondering about how damp it is, like I say I watered it daily until the recent rain again but maybe it could just be a case of always do more than you think you need to given how it's in full sun, thanks 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited June 2023
    Try peeling back the membrane and giving it a couple of buckets full of water every other day for ten days … then one bucket full twice a week until mid sept … and lots of organic mulch 🤞 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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