Winter honeysuckle: when and how to prune

Winter honeysuckle: when to prune it?

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In April, straight after flowering. It flowers on the previous year’s wood.

What else to prune in those months? April

Winter honeysuckle: how to prune it?

1. Every year or every other year, remove a quarter to a third of the oldest stems right at the base.
2. Cut out dead and crossing stems and shorten over-long stems to a side branch.
3. An old, neglected shrub can be cut back to 30–50 cm in April; it will hardly flower the following winter.

How much to cut, and how often?

• One pruning period a year: April.
• Prune in moderation: never remove more than about a third of the shrub at once.

What does it mean for wildlife?

• Pruning in April can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
• Winter honeysuckle flowers in January–March, when it attracts bees.
• Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Common mistakes

• Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
• Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Nearby: related pruning guides

• Box-leaved honeysuckle
• Box-leaved honeysuckle (Lonicera pileata)
• Fly honeysuckle
• Honeyberry
• Honeysuckle
• Japanese honeysuckle

Plant profile: Winter honeysuckle · Pruning calendar and basic rules