Among the climbing plants, honeysuckle is perhaps one of the most beautiful that can be found. But sometimes we don’t have enough space to put it in the garden and we just have honeysuckle in a pot.
Now well, Are there any changes in care that should be provided? How to take care of it so that it develops properly? We tell you everything below.
Contents
Characteristics of honeysuckle
One of the characteristics of honeysuckle is its ability to grow very easily and quickly, which makes it possible to cover an extension in a few months. In addition, it tolerates the cold very well, so you should have no problem getting the plant to grow properly without fear that winter will kill it.
Its scientific name is Lonicera caprifolium forks originating in Europe. The most striking thing is the fragrance of its flowers, which are visually very beautiful. Of course, there are more than 500 species described, and among them only 100 accepted.
It can reach two meters in height, and even in some species it would reach 6 meters.
It has a very robust trunk, as well as the roots. It is woody and reddish. From there come the branches whose leaves, light green and dark on the underside, measure up to 10 cm.
As for the flowers, they are bell-shaped and have a pink color. It blooms in spring, and they are about 4-5 cm tall. After these would come the berries, red and full of seeds.
Potted Honeysuckle Care
Next, we will focus on caring for potted honeysuckle. These do not differ too much from the usual in this climber, but it has more needs than if it were planted in the garden.
location and temperature
If you want to have a honeysuckle, the first thing to consider is where to place it. This climbing plant is a sun lover. It likes full sun but can also tolerate partial shade. If you have it indoors, you can try placing it next to a window so it gets as much light as possible.
As for the temperature, it is resistant to both heat and cold. Indeed, the latter resists temperatures down to -15ºC.
Substrate and pot
One of the main points of potted honeysuckle is knowing what soil to use and what pot to put it in.
Let’s start with the pot. You need to make sure it’s big. Usually, choose one at least 40 centimeters in diameter so that it has the space it needs to grow.
The land you will use must be fertilized, that is, it is good mix the soil with a fertilized substrate. The proportions are: half the pot with fertilized soil then the rest with normal soil.
You have to be careful when planting because it is very delicate and you could easily kill it. Experts usually fill the pot more or less halfway with the fertilized soil and when the plant is placed, they start pouring soil over it.
Of course it is convenient that you mix this earth with a bit of emptying, like perlite or even bigger like akadama. This way you will oxygenate the roots better and you will not suffer from excess and accumulation of water.
Irrigation
To give you an idea, honeysuckle does not need a lot of watering because it tolerates drought well. But in the case of potted honeysuckle, that’s not quite true.
When you have it potted it is convenient to be more aware of its lack of water. It is normally watered when the tops have dried out. In summer it can be watered 2-3 times (if it is in a very hot region it may need more watering); and in winter one a week is enough.
If your pot has a saucer, when watering make sure there is no more water on it after 15 minutes. If it has any, you need to remove it because this standing water can end up rotting the plant.
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If they receive fertilizer in the hole or in the pot itself when planted, they will also need more fertilizer over the years. And it is that it is a plant that must be paid often.
In general, you should use a fertilizer during the growing months. And continue until the end of the season (that is, after flowering and fruiting).
Of all the fertilizers you can use, organic compost will be the best choice.
Cut
Pruning honeysuckle in a pot should be done in the same period as if it were in the ground, i.e. after flowering (in winter). You will need to remove the dead, weak or diseased branches, and control those that cross so that the sun not only reaches the outermost branches but also the interior of the plant.
A trick for pruning is to cut the branches that grow in the opposite direction to the shape you want to give it. In this way, you will “tame” the potted honeysuckle.
Plagues and diseases
Honeysuckle is not free from pest attacks or that due to poor lighting and/or poor irrigation it can be made ill.
Common honeysuckle pests include cottony mealybug, aphids and whiteflies. In the first case, what you have to do is remove the mealybugs one by one and then clean the whole plant with neem oil because it is very effective. You can use this same product to eliminate the other two pests.
Multiplication
If you want to reproduce your plant, you can by seeds or cuttings. The normal thing is cuttings, because when you plant it through seeds it takes about two years to flower, while with cuttings it is much faster.
As for the cuttings, they are kept for a few weeks in water so that they develop the roots they need. Then we move them to the ground but be careful, because if you do it in a pot the growth will be much slower than in the ground.
Did caring for potted honeysuckle make sense to you?