Honeysuckle problems

neilmcl

I have a well established Honeysuckle that grows at the back of my garden up the wall of a garage but every year after an initial growth spurt during April/May the leaves start to yellow and die off and I end up with a bare plant for most of the summer. In front of it sits a big rhododendron which keeps the base and roots of the honeysuckle in shade but that seems to fair quite well.

Martin_the_Unjust

IIRC rhododendrons like acidic soil and honeysuckle doesn't.

neilmcl

This is what it looks like at the moment.

sheramber

The roots like to be moist so it could be too dry. It could also need feeding if the rhoddie is removing the nutrients from the soil.

Davesnave

Martin_the_Unjust said:

IIRC rhododendrons like acidic soil and honeysuckle doesn't.

Wild honeysuckle does well in our hedges here in acidic Devon.

I agree that dryness and possibly lack of nutrients could be the issue. Our honeysuckle in our last (alkaline) garden used to get mildew and look sad by midsummer. It was probably drought and lack of special attention there which caused it.

Grenage

I have to keep our honeysuckle (Lonicera Japonica) quite well watered or the leaves turn yellow and fall off within a relatively short space of time.

neilmcl

Thanks guys, I was actually afraid of over watering it. The rhododendron, which is huge, is probably drawing most of the moisture. I'll get some mulch down as well to try and trap the moisture in.