How to Prune Honeysuckle Vines in the Fall

Pruning will improve flower production.

Honeysuckle vines grow well as a basic ground cover or as a shrub form on trellises. Ground cover honeysuckle can be pruned with a lawn mower to a height of 4 to 6 inches every other year. The best time to prune honeysuckle is during dormancy from late fall to early winter. The plant can withstand heavy pruning, but may not produce flowers the first season after major trimming.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning shears
• Wood or bark chip mulch

Instructions

1. Cut back the heavy top growth of the honeysuckle vines. The goal is to open up the top, so the lower portion of the plant receives sunlight.

2. Remove all broken and dead vines after the upper portion of the vine is pruned. This allows for greater access to the lower areas of the honeysuckle plant.

3. Train longer horizontal vines back onto the trellis to extend the plant's coverage of the structure. If the structure is already covered, prune longer vines back to improve new growth to the trellis.

4. Collect and discard all pruned vines to an area away from the honeysuckle plants. Leaving the material near the plants will encourage insects.

5. Layer 3 to 4 inches of fresh mulch around the base of the honeysuckle vines. Irrigate the plant heavily, 2 to 3 inches of water per week, in early spring to encourage new growth.

Tips & Warnings

• Fertilize the pruned honeysuckle vines with a well-balanced plant fertilizer after the new leaves have reached full size, typically early summer. Follow application rates on the fertilizer labeling.

References

• "Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening"; J.I. Rodale; 1975
• New Mexico State University: Pruning Honeysuckle Vine
• Texas A&M University: Proper Pruning Techniques