Garden Care Guide

Etruscan Honeysuckle Care

Lonicera implexa

An evergreen climber of Mediterranean origin. It likes full sun or partial shade and well-drained soil. Used to cover walls and hedges or as a ground cover.

Hardy · -25 °C / -13 °F

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

January
  • Watering: Very little (once a month, as the soil surface dries), 5 L/m²; reduce if there is rain.
  • Pruning: Remove only dry/diseased branches.
  • Plant protection: Dormant mineral oil application if needed (against eggs and larvae).
  • General care: Protect the area around the roots with mulch.
  • Pests & diseases: Check for scale insects. Protect young plants in areas at risk of frost.
February
  • Watering: Very little (once a month, as the soil surface dries), 5 L/m²; reduce if there is rain.
  • Pruning: Remove only dry/diseased branches.
  • Plant protection: Repeat the dormant oil application if needed.
  • General care: Check the mulch layer.
  • Pests & diseases: Continue checking for scale insects. Keep up protection against the risk of frost.
March
  • Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
  • Fertilizing: Apply balanced NPK compound fertilizer (15-15-15) to the soil at 20-30 g/m². Do not overapply.
  • Pruning: Prune just before the shoots break. Because flowers form on this year's new shoots, hard pruning increases flowering. Before growth starts, dead and weak branches are removed. Because it flowers on new growth, early spring pruning does not cause loss of flowers.
  • Plant protection: Check the new shoots for aphids.
  • General care: Suitable period for planting and transplanting. Flowering begins.
  • Pests & diseases: Monitor for aphids. Watch out for late frosts.
April
  • Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
  • Fertilizing: To encourage flowering, a potassium-heavy liquid fertilizer (drip/foliar) can be given; do not overapply.
  • Pruning: Do not do it.
  • Plant protection: If aphids are dense, use neem oil or an insecticide (active ingredient: acetamiprid).
  • General care: Suitable period for planting and transplanting. Flowering continues.
  • Pests & diseases: Watch for signs of powdery mildew (white powdery coating).
May
  • Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
  • Fertilizing: During the flowering period, potassium-heavy fertilizing can be continued; do not overapply.
  • Pruning: Prepare for after flowering.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Suitable period for planting and transplanting. Flowering continues. Drainage is critical for this plant. In heavy, water-retaining soil, plant on a mound or bed raised 20-30 cm; the root collar should remain above the surrounding soil level.
  • Pests & diseases: If you see black spots with yellow halos on the leaves (black spot), collect the diseased leaves and remove them from the garden; the disease overwinters in fallen leaves.
June
  • Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
  • Fertilizing: At the end of the month, a light liquid fertilizer may be applied.
  • Pruning: After the main flowering ends, carry out shaping and control pruning.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Flowering continues.
  • Pests & diseases: If you see black spots with yellow halos on the leaves (black spot), collect the diseased leaves and remove them from the garden; the disease overwinters in fallen leaves.
July
  • Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. The area around the roots should be wetted to a depth of 20-30 cm.
  • Fertilizing: Do not apply fertilizer in extreme temperatures.
  • Pruning: Do light corrective pruning if needed.
  • Plant protection: The risk of spider mites continues; use a miticide if necessary.
  • General care: A suitable time for propagation by cuttings.
  • Pests & diseases: Watch for spider mites, especially in hot, dry weather.
August
  • Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. The area around the roots should be wetted to a depth of 20-30 cm.
  • Fertilizing: Do not fertilize.
  • Pruning: Do not do it.
  • Plant protection: Keep up checks for spider mites and other sucking insects.
  • General care: You can propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings.
  • Pests & diseases: Plants under stress are more open to pests; do not neglect watering.
September
  • Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
  • Fertilizing: To prepare for winter, apply a low-nitrogen fertilizer rich in phosphorus and potassium (e.g. 5-10-15 NPK) (15-20 g/m²); do not overapply.
  • Pruning: Only tidy up the shoots that look untidy.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Clear the fallen leaves around it.
  • Pests & diseases: If you see black spots with yellow halos on the leaves (black spot), collect the diseased leaves and remove them from the garden; the disease overwinters in fallen leaves.
October
  • Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
  • Pruning: Do not do it.
  • Plant protection: Do a general check going into winter.
  • General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.
  • Pests & diseases: Keep the surrounding area clean to prevent diseases from overwintering.
November
  • Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
  • Pruning: Remove broken and diseased branches.
  • Plant protection: If necessary, apply a protective spray with a copper fungicide.
  • General care: Suitable period for planting and transplanting. Make sure water does not pool in the root zone during winter rains; for this plant, drainage is more critical than irrigation.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the trunk for overwintering pests. Mulching is important against the risk of frost.
December
  • Watering: Not necessary. Only during prolonged drought. If it has rained, reduce watering.
  • Pruning: Remove only dead branches.
  • Plant protection: None, observation only.
  • General care: Check the mulch layer and the frost protection.
  • Pests & diseases: Carry out a general condition check. Protect young plants from severe frost.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

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