How to Kill a Honeysuckle Without Killing Azaleas
As a vine plant, honeysuckle doesn't take long to overrun everything that it grows around. In most instances, people choose to leave the honeysuckle alone because it brings in various species of birds, like hummingbirds, and it is beneficial for bees. There are times, however, when an out of control honeysuckle vine needs to be taken care of because it is more damaging than it is helpful. When you have honeysuckle vines that are threatening to kill out your azalea bushes, it is necessary to get rid of them. Dowsing the whole thing in weed killer is dangerous to the azalea bush. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Clip as much of the large honeysuckle vine pieces as you can using the garden shears.
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Pull out the clipped pieces of the vine, as well as the pieces that you couldn't reach. Pay attention to your azalea bush and any blooms that are located within the vines. You will need to be more careful in these areas, clipping away as needed.
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Use the garden cultivator to pull away the pieces at the root of your azalea bush. At this stage, do not yet try to yank the honeysuckle vines out of the ground, but leave enough there to get a firm grasp.
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Apply a layer of the brush on weed killer to each stem piece that you can see. It may be necessary for you to get on the ground and be eye level with the roots of your azalea bush to see all of the honeysuckle stems.
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Apply the weed killer to new sprouts as they appear. You will need to continue this process many times when new sprouts of the honeysuckle vine grow.
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Tips & Warnings
You will have to keep applying the brush-on weed killer for at least two or three years, in the spring, until you are confident that you have destroyed all of the underground root system of the honeysuckle vine.
Avoid getting any of the weed killer on any part of the azalea bush; even the smallest amount can be damaging.
