Advice please re 1year old Rhubarb and custard honeysuckle- not sure it’s thriving

[Purp1eRain]

Has 2 very long spindly branches with shoots .Was planted in a fence corner a year ago and sulked. Clematis apple blossom and creepy hydrangea thriving nearby. Wondered if it wasn’t getting enough water so mulched and kept an eye on it. Loss of buds now but on 2ish very long spindly sparse branches. What would be normal at this time?

Wasn’t supposed to need a lot of pruning and don’t think I can prune it now until
after flowering

I have one of these, in a container so not ideal situation, especially in last year’s heat! Like you, lots of buds now. If you want it to be more bushy I guess you could cut it back a bit…

Hmm I’m itching to but not sure I should atm.

I’d like a strawberries and cream one in a container but not sure if my honeysuckle credentials are up to it going by my poor Rhubarb.

Cross posted, I think not needing a lot of pruning just means it’s not massively rampant like some. It would be fine to do at this time of year as there’s plenty of time left before it flowers. It would just be shorter this year than if you left it alone! But hopefully more of a bushy structure for future growth. Last year really was crap weather for them with the drought and heat.

I got mine autumn 2021, and summer last year it flowered and was gorgeous then when the weather got hotter it suffered with white mould on the leaves so didn’t look great. Every time the leaves dropped off, new ones would grow though!

It’s in a container on a south facing balcony so very much not right plant right place, but I REALLY wanted it!

I REALLY want one too.😀

It’s normal for a-lot of plants to spend the first year developing their root system with nothing much to show for it on top.

Ah, do you think it would cope with a snip now?

I just looked up online and can’t work out whether it would affect flowering. If it was me I’d cut back one of the branches a bit now and leave the other until after flowering, so hedge my bets but maybe I’m a bit too keen on pruning!

Your description sounds totally normal for this time of year. All shrubs and climbers take a couple of years to settle in and get going, and it clearly has new growth, so that is a good sign. Leave it be for now. This time next year, you might be able to prune it back to about knee high, which should encourage it to produce more side shoots.

yamadori is right, a lot of plants take quite a few YEARS to establish and become happy! Pruning is not really nec. it can put them off, they're not a very neat and tidy climber, I love honeysuckles too , I've got 7 in my garden, but they all are different and need different soils, amount of sun or shade etc.

Flowering is also difficult to predict, some do easily and smell divine in the evening others don't bother or you don't even notice them!

I have one of these. As pp have said, it took a year or more to 'settle' in and start to take off. It benefitted greatly from a prune (I took longer shoots back by about half).

I would do it as soon as the coming cold snap finishes.

The rhubarb should do a lot better in the ground and will take at least a year to establish itself. The honeysuckle is quite a vigorous climber and that would be also happier in the ground also. Is there a reason why they're not in the ground?

It's just a honeysuckle, called Rhubard and Custard (I think!)

Sameold Is it in a decent sized pot? Give it rainwater if you can, that never hurts unless you overwater. It should be alright, some honey's love sun, not all though, what does the info on the label say?

Sorry the above post was to Purpleparrot !

The problem with some potted plants from nurseries is that they are deliberately bred to flower immediately in warm conditions. So that when you get them into 'normal ' conditions they get upset. I had a pear tree from a nursery that fruited straight away but hasn't done so for 5 years!! Which is more natural of course. It's still alive though, the cherry I bought from the same place just died (sad).