A few years ago our snowball bush was invaded by honeysuckle vines. We spent 2 years pruning the vines and pulling them from the bush, but finally they simply consumed it. Last fall we cut the snowball bush down. This spring it came back beautifully and is about 12 inches tall and thick now, but those cursed vines are coming back also. How can we kill the vines without harming the bush itself?
Thank you.
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Cut the honeysuckle down to the stem. Buy an herbicide with a dye in it so you can keep track of what you treated. Treat the cut edge of every stem.
We had the same problem with one of my rose bushes a few years ago. Sadly, the honeysuckle killed the rose bush (literally choked it to death) and I felt terrible.
What someone later told me is the method of last resort is to dig up and move the bush...or if that isn't possible, before cutting it to the ground, take cuttings to start a new plant.
I have started many a plant from cuttings so I felt bad I didn't think of that on my own. I think I was too focused on being mad about the invasion.
When I start cuttings, depending on the size of the piece, I put them in a sturdy plastic jug with just (warm to start) plain tap or saved rain water.
Also depending on the plant and its light needs, place the jug where the new plant is going to go so it starts out with the right type of sun.
Watch the water level in the bottle, refilling as needed.
When the cutting starts to get roots, I add just a dash of the appropriate plant food (I only do this once but you may do it as often as is appropriate for the plant).
When the roots start to ball...every plant is different...it goes into the ground.
Once it is in the ground, the watering frequency depends on what the plant is...snowball plants like to be moist but not sopping wet.
I love honeysuckle, but, like ivy, it is super invasive, so if you do go the last resort method...be sure to move the new plant away from the site of the honeysuckle.
Hope this helps!
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