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mlubih

Wintering Honeysuckle

mlubih
17 years ago

Hi Everybody,

I am a newcomer to this nice forum, I came accross it searching the internet for an idea as I couldn't find a satisfactory answer for my problem. I grow a honeysuckle in a pot on my small balcony. I started to propagate it the summer of 2005. This summer it bloomed and made a number of vines, some of them being about 5 feet long. It is the first winter I have to care what to do with it. I asked an agronomist and she suggested that I don't take it indoors but to isolate the pot in some way. I did it and we had already one night with temperature about 23F (-5C). The leaves in the morning were not in normal shape, kind of frosted, so I couldn't stand that and moved it indoors - on a place between the apartments which is not heated and has some light. That was about 2 weeks ago. Today I saw that the leaves of the plant are falling, many of them yelloish, and as the weather is now quite better (38F at night and 60F at daytime) I took it back to the balcony. Now I really wonder how to proceed.

I love this plant and maybe next spring will find where to plant it in a garden so that I don't torture it this way.

Don't know what type of honeysuckle it is, I can tell only that its flowers are white and become yellow when grow old.

Please help! Thank you in advance!

Mariana, Bulgaria

Comments (3)

  • jenny_in_se_pa
    17 years ago

    Many honeysuckles are quite hardy and can generally stand cold temperatures - even in a container, but up to a point. They are usually deciduous and will lose their leaves in cold winters so the loss of leaves won't be a problem.

    I have 2 myself, one of which I've had for 4 years out on my balcony and I have never brought it in. In the case of both of mine, I would only consider moving them inside if the temperatures were forecast to go below 0° F (I'm not sure what the average coldest temperatures are where you live but I think you are okay with it in a container outside and protected from the wind as long as the night temperatures stay above ~ -15° C. My oldest honeysuckle has experienced that temp a couple times but only a couple times and that particular one - a Mandarin honeysuckle - was bred in Canada for colder temperatures). The other one that I have is an American native honeysuckle and I'll have to see what it does this winter...

    The larger the container, the better the chances of survival outside and you can group other containers and even wrap it in insulation material (blankets, bags of leaves, etc) to help keep the roots and stems protected.

  • mlubih
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Hi Jenny,
    Thank you very much for the help with my honeysuckle and for soothing my soul! :))
    Mariana

  • jenny_in_se_pa
    17 years ago

    Sorry late in responding but good luck! :-D

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