Honeysuckle Vine Pruning Tips

Honeysuckle is a beautiful vine on the surface, but beneath the fragrant flowers is a nightmare of tangles. Pruning honeysuckle can be a challenge for even the most experienced gardener. But follow a few simple tips and you can eliminate the frustration, tame your honeysuckle and create a fuller, more flower-laden vine in your garden.

Best Time to Prune Honeysuckle

There are two kinds of honeysuckle, the Japanese honeysuckle, which is best pruned in the spring, usually in March or April after it starts to grow. Then there is the Dutch honeysuckle. The best time to prune Dutch honeysuckle is when it is dormant, usually late fall, or in the spring before it begins to show signs of growth. Not only will you avoid the bees, bugs and pests that thrive in the tangle of vines, you'll be able to see where the vines go. You can actually prune honeysuckle any time after the plant has become established, and most varieties can be pruned in fall or spring. It's hard, if not impossible, to kill honeysuckle. If you have an old, neglected, not very flowery honeysuckle vine of either kind‚ prune it in the spring. Untie it or clip it from its support structure first. Then lay it out and begin by pruning the oldest vines. It will take a year or more to come back and flower, so be patient.

How to Prune Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle vines range in size from 1/4-inch to the thickness of a small tree, or about 10-inches or more in diameter. The use of standard pruning shears is advised, although many gardeners prefer loppers which allow them to reach into larger stands and to cut the thicker vines. To prune the plant merely cut back the vines as much as possible—usually the top half of the plant is good. Cutting the plant back to where it is about 2 feet tall is even better. Don't worry. It'll grow back.

First Things to Look For When Pruning Honeysuckle

As with any plant or vine, first remove any dead, damaged, diseased or dying vines. Cut them to at least 2 inches into live growth. After dead vines are removed, cut back overly tangled vines, wandering or rogue vines and any vines not growing along the support structure—whether it's a fence, tree or building. Once these vines are out of the way, look for non-producing vines. You can tag these with colored threads, or by dabbing them with a spot of paint during the flowering season if you like.

After Pruning

Once you've pruned your honeysuckle vine, there is still work to be done. Once the vine begins growing you'll need to pinch back new growth and pinch off new flowers to encourage the growth of additional buds and flowers. Training your new growth is important too. Proper training means tying the vines to new support structures like lattice, poles, fences, etc. Proper support and training not only makes it easier to prune the vines the following year, but helps you encourage flowering through more effective pinching.