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Honeysuckle Scarlet Drop dying?

Michael199Michael199 Posts: 175
in Problem solving

Hello everyone.imageimageimageimageimageCan anyone help us out?

Is this Honeysuckle Scarlet Drop dying? It's growing up a north facing wall. It was planted at the beginning of this Spring into heavy clay but we'll drained soil, shaded area that gets about an hour and a half of morning sunlight. It was flowering well before this. There is some black fly on it...albeit not many and I think the slugs and snails have feasted on it a bit. I have just recently mulched around the base to see if this would improve the situation but too early to tell yet. It gets watered 2 - 3 times a week.

Posts

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,905

    I think you may be overdoing it with the watering. I would also check that the mulch is not actually in direct contact with the honeysuckle stems.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • Michael199Michael199 Posts: 175

    Thanks for those great tips both of you Ladybird and Chloe. It's saveable then?

  • Michael199Michael199 Posts: 175

    I moved the mulch away from the stems and two centipedes came scurrying out! Boy can they scoot fast.

  • Michael199Michael199 Posts: 175

    Thanks again.

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,905

    You're welcome Michael. Centipedes are gardeners friends as they are great predators, its millipedes that do the damage to plants.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,143

    Hmm - honeysuckle don't like dry conditions - they need to have their roots in cool damp soil otherwise they're liable to succumb to powdery mildew - but they do need it to be well-drained - there's a difference.

    I think the watering has been overdone - particularly as it's newly planted and just getting it's roots going.  Also, the weather has hardly been drought-like image

    Also I would have planted it further away from the base of the wall - at least a foot to eighteen inches, then train it back towards the wall.  The base of a wall can be very dry - not only will it be in a rain-shadow but the foundations act like a sponge.

    If the honeysuckle is planted further away from the wall it'll be less dependent upon being watered manually. 

    Good luck image


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





  • Michael199Michael199 Posts: 175

    Thanks Dovefromabove. I will attempt th move it further away from the wall. Any advice on the best way to do this as to minimise damaging the stems and roots?

  • Michael199Michael199 Posts: 175

    Progress report...moved honeysuckle 14 inches from wall and now to attach stems to supports. Should I water it in after? Or not? Remembering that it had to much water already! Honeysuckle with a drink problem.imageimage

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,143

    image

    Are the roots and the soil around them still pretty damp? If so if just give it one quick light drink to settle the soil around the roots and then no more until and unless the soil an inch below the surface is dry. 


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





  • Michael199Michael199 Posts: 175

    It was quite damp still when I repositioned it yesterday so I didn't water it in...and last night and today has been heavy rain and thunder and lots of it. There must be better weather just the other side of this rain.

    Thanks for all your help...All of you.

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