Lonicera nitida hedge

[Sjrobinson84]

Hi,

Would really appreciate some pruning advice for a hedge row of lonicera nitida I planted in late 2020. The end goal is a nice and dense 2m high hedge.

I planted the row in late 2020 and used small plugs (10-20cm). All are growing well (probably 2ft now) but they appear to be growing out in long floppy stems. I've provided some support to guide the shoots upwards but the plants are not bushing out much. Could someone please offer some advice on how to prune them to grow bushier and upwards rather than flopping. Many thanks.

 

[Sheal]

Lonicera are climbing plants which is why the stems seem floppy and they are not bushing out. Pruning won't make any difference at this point. You could give them a framework to climb and then weave the stems through it as they grow.