How to Care for Trumpet Honeysuckle

Trumpet honeysuckle is a native vine with beautiful red to bright yellow flowers. This vine can grow up to 20 feet long with flowers that range from 1 to 2 inches in length. Trumpet honeysuckle does well in zones 3 to 5 and will start to bloom midspring or sometimes later. Flowering time for this vine lasts through the summer and is a wonderful source of nectar for hummingbirds. Bees, butterflies and birds are also attracted to this vine. Caring for trumpet honeysuckle can be relatively easy if you follow these simple steps.

Things You'll Need

• Insecticidal spray
• Water
• Fungicidal spray
• Sprinkler or garden hose
• Fertilizer

Instructions

1. Water the trumpet honeysuckle. Keep this vine moist by watering regularly. Set a sprinkler near the trumpet honeysuckle on a low setting and leave for 15 to 20 minutes twice a week or when the ground is dry around the vine. You can also place a garden hose 6 inches away from the base of the vine and leave it trickling for 30 minutes. Make sure it is well drained.

2. Feed the trumpet honeysuckle. Be sure it is planted in quality soil and feed it monthly in the early growing season with a multipurpose fertilizer containing nitrogen. Do not fertilize in the late growing season or the fall or winter.

3. Prune the trumpet honeysuckle. You should prune the vine immediately after it is done flowering. Remove dead and broken vines and shape it to fit whatever fence, trellis or arbor to which it is attached.

4. Make sure the trumpet honeysuckle gets plenty of light. This vine requires full sun for maximum growth and health. The flowers bloom the most in full sunlight.

5. Troubleshoot the trumpet honeysuckle. Use an insecticidal spray on the leaves of the trumpet honeysuckle to prevent pests. You can catch one of the bugs on your vine and take it to your local nursery for identification. The staff there can then tell you which specific insecticidal spray to use on that particular pest. Leaf spots are brown or black spots on the leaves of the trumpet honeysuckle; they can be caused by bacteria or fungus. Remove the affected leaves and keep fallen leaves raked up from around the base of the plant. A fungicide spray can be used on the leaves for leaf spots caused by fungus. If the problem persists, take a diseased portion of the plant to your local nursery for identification and specific treatment.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy ladybugs from your local nursery and introduce them into your garden. They will feed on aphids, thus protecting your trumpet honeysuckle.

• The trumpet honeysuckle is attractive to bees, so it may not be a good idea to plant it near a doorway.