Hi everyone, I have a lovely honeysuckle plant in a container. Actually it turns out to be two different plants. In the last month, it has really suffered and lost much of its leaves. It seems like there are two likely reasons. One is because it needs a bigger container with more soil. I did repot it after buying it, but the largest container I had was not that much bigger than the original. The other possible reason is that the summer sun and heat has been too harsh. We water this plant quite a bit, but our porch is on the third floor with southwestern exposure, and sometimes the sun is quite intense. Of course, it could be both causes as well. Thanks for your help!
Yeah, I'd guess it's probably a bit of both. So the treatment would be to find a nice large container and fill it with some kind of rich, moisture-retentive potting mix. And fertilize lightly after transplanting, water regularly, and hope for the best.
Part of why I'm asking is because we can move it to a spot where it gets western exposure, not south + western, but I'd rather not unless it's important.
I think you're far enough north that direct sun should not be a problem, as long as the plant has sufficient moisture. A bigger pot will also help keep the roots cooler, which is a good thing. In nature, a climber like honeysuckle would tend to grow with its roots down in a cool damp shady place while its stems clamber upward hungrily through taller plants looking for sunshine. So perhaps if there is a way you could actually cast some shade onto the pot itself, not the foliage, this would help replicate this natural situation. Do you know what the exact species or variety of this plant is?
