HONEYSUCKLE won't flower :-(

Hello All,

My honeysuckle is entering its 3rd year. It flowered a tiny bit when in a pot, then was planted out May 2011 and this year has established itself well.

It's a healthy plant, by all accounts - but has never reflowered.

It's westfacing and gets plewnty of sun, but the base of the plant is shaded by other plants in a raised bed, with good drainage, as apparently honeysuckles like.

I didn't cut it back last year - ought I to this year? Will it increase the chance of flowering in 2013 or is it just that the plant needs more time to settle?

*thanks*

Thanks for the advice - mine is in a bed that is well drained, but because the base of the plant is in the shade, it is seldom ever dry there. How many years did yours take to flower, if you don't mind my asking?

I also have this problem but I have had my honeysuckle for 6 years and every spring it grows away like this is going to be its year but still no flowers.

no I don't tend to mulch as there are too many plants to get around!

joslow - glad I'm not the only one are you giving up or trying a differnet tac?

thanks for the advice c2 - shall check dryness and maybe feed more...

My honeysuckle did not flower for 7 years, since when it has flowered profusely.  I left it where it was as it was a pleasant looking plant and covered a bit of fence that was even more boring without it - now it has been stunning for 3 years or so. Sometimes patience is a virtue in gardening - though at times it does seem to take an especially long time!

thanks Bookertoo - I'll need to work on my patience though, as I tend to lob things in the garden recycling when they don't perform 

what type of honeysuckle is yours, by the way?

I guess at least mine is also doing its coverage job well, if nothing else

joslow - if your HS is anything like Bookertoo's, then you will have flowers next year! let us know

reading these answers explains why my honeysuckle does not flower much, because it is growing up my corkscrew willow. That must take most of the moisture from the roots. Maybe I'll start another plant somewhere else.

Having given mine a short back and sides last autumn brcause there was a lot of dead wood it has been beautiful this year, masses of flowers and very stongly perfumed. It seems to flower on the new years growth.

@ilovemontydon I am also growing mine near a tree so I may have a go at cuttings and see if it does better in a damper spot, but it is not in the way so it can stay.

@christopher2 I will have a go at giving it some extra food.

@Bookertoo that is the problem do you need to be patient or are you doing something wrong.

I am confused now to prune or not to prune

@christopher2 when do I prune?

Thanks for your advice.