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Poorly Himalayan Honeysuckle

elaine.mcgovern68elaine.mcgovern68 Posts: 11
in Problem solving
Hi, this is my first time posting, I am a very inexperienced but enthusiastic gardener  :)

I have What I believe is a Himalayan Honeysuckle that has flowered prolifically in the past but looks very sad this year :/  I did snip off some stray branches last autumn (as I have in previous years) because it was getting so full and bushy, but must’ve done something to upset it.  

My neighbour also has one and theirs is lush:
That’s how mine has looked before but this year it just looks a bit bald and fed up with hardly any flowers:


I live in Derbyshire, this is a south facing garden and the plant is near the top of the garden. Not sure of the type of soil, sorry. 

Any advice would be appreciated, I wondered if I should cut it hard back at some point in the hope it gives it a boost? 

Thanks for reading my post.

Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 26,483
    It looks thirsty
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • elaine.mcgovern68elaine.mcgovern68 Posts: 11
    That’s what I thought, but we’ve been watering it lots for a while now.

    I wondered if maybe next door might’ve put something down that it’s accidentally soaked up... their garden was hard landscaped and they’ve done some remodeling but not directly where this plant is. 

    I’ll keep on with the watering, thanks 
  • B3B3 Posts: 26,483
    How much water have you been giving it?
    It's very close to your fence. This may have sheltered it from the rain and the concrete will have soaked up some water too.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • elaine.mcgovern68elaine.mcgovern68 Posts: 11
    Been watering it every other evening along with our new shrubs, apart from rainy days. It’s a bit baffling as it was already established when we moved in (as was the concrete jungle next door). The only other thing that has changed is that the neighbours moved a small shed away from that corner, maybe the rain was being channeled off the roof towards the honeysuckle and now it’s just dissipating across what’s left of their patio. I don’t think we would be able to move it without killing it :/  

    I did lay one of the lower stems under some soil over the winter and have taken some cuttings just in case! 
  • B3B3 Posts: 26,483
    Thats good. If you look around, you might see some self seeders as well. They're easy to spot. The only thing I can say that might be of help is that when mine seed and grow, it's always on the shady side of the garden. Was the shed providing shade?
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • elaine.mcgovern68elaine.mcgovern68 Posts: 11
    B3 said:
    Thats good. If you look around, you might see some self seeders as well. They're easy to spot. The only thing I can say that might be of help is that when mine seed and grow, it's always on the shady side of the garden. Was the shed providing shade?
    A little bit, in the morning. Oh dear it will be even more unhappy now then as we’ve just taken down a massive trampoline that was in front of it and shielding it from the afternoon sun :o perhaps that’s why it didb so beautifully last year. 

    Do you know if it will take a hard pruning? Wondered if that might reinvigorate it next year maybe. Thanks.
  • B3B3 Posts: 26,483
    They grow really quickly. Hopefully your  cuttings will take. 
    Here's some more advice
    https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/leycesteria-formosa/
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • ErgatesErgates Posts: 2,408
    These grow like weeds in our garden, I’m always having to pull them out otherwise they’d take over. As mentioned, if you can find some self seeded babies, to start in pots as potential replacements, ours are always surrounded by them. Interestingly, ours only really took off when we had a row of huge overgrown conifers removed, and they finally got some sun. Our soil is fairly acid, and we never water them.
  • elaine.mcgovern68elaine.mcgovern68 Posts: 11
    Ergates said:
    These grow like weeds in our garden, I’m always having to pull them out otherwise they’d take over. As mentioned, if you can find some self seeded babies, to start in pots as potential replacements, ours are always surrounded by them. Interestingly, ours only really took off when we had a row of huge overgrown conifers removed, and they finally got some sun. Our soil is fairly acid, and we never water them.
    Thanks. I had read that they can become a pest but ours has never self set, we’ve been here six years and I’ve not found a baby yet  :/ (and there is another mature bush in next door’s garden too) Fingers crossed one of the cuttings does well enough to replace it if it gives up the ghost. 
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