How do I care for honeysuckle vines?

Honeysuckle is a very easy plant to care for. Once it’s established, your honeysuckle vine needs very little water, except in unusually dry weather. Fertilize twice a year with a 10-10-10 all-purpose, time-release fertilizer. Prune your honeysuckle in late February and early March, then only very lightly while it’s blooming to remove dead leaves and flowers.

If you are growing honeysuckle for the first time, plant in the early spring in partial shade when the weather’s still cool to help the roots grow their fastest. Like all new plantings, your honeysuckle needs daily watering until it’s established. The payoff is that it won’t need much water during the heat of the summer when it’s dry. You also won’t need to prune your honeysuckle for the first two years.

Honeysuckle can be grown as a ground cover or trained onto a trellis. If you’re going to use a trellis, set it in the ground well before you plant. This prevents possible damage to the roots and plant. Because honeysuckle can develop mold and mildew, make sure to plant in an area that provides good air circulation around the vine. When it’s time for a hard pruning, it’s safe to cut the vines back by as much as a third.