How to Prune Hall's Honeysuckle
Formally known as Lonicera japonica, Hall's honeysuckle is an elegant flowering shrub native to eastern Asia. Hall's honeysuckle is widely grown in the United States and is classified as an invasive plant in some areas. This twining vine can grow 15 to 30 feet tall if given something to climb or can serve as a spreading groundcover, rarely reaching more than 2 feet in this case. Hall's honeysuckle features fragrant yellow or white blossoms and slender stems. This plant should be pruned several time throughout the season to keep a neat appearance, with one recommended large scale pruning in the late winter. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Cut back older, woody stems by one-third. This will stimulate new growth of young wood, recommended since Hall's honeysuckle only flowers on your wood.
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2
Trim back all growth on your honeysuckle vine by several inches to maintain a neat appearance. Hall's honeysuckle is a vigorous grower and may need to be trimmed in this manner one to two more times throughout the growing season to still look neat in appearance.
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3
Trim back branches that are growing in directions you don't want. This could be downward, outward or over a fence or trellis into a neighbor's yard.
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4
Work through the vine one section at a time, thinning out some of the growth. If left unchecked, vines can become extremely matted or tangled, so pruning out older growth and tangled sections regularly is recommended.
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5
Pinch off spent flower heads to keep your Hall's honeysuckle looking attractive.
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Tips & Warnings
Honeysuckle responds well to pruning at any time of year. Horticulturists as the University of New Mexico recommend severe pruning of overgrown vines in the late winter and suggests both winter and summer pruning to maintain a neat-looking vine.
