Spot Control on a Lonicera Leaf

Remove Leaves

• Remove the infected leaves right away. Pinch or prune them off and put them in the garbage. Rake up any leaves, twigs or debris around the Lonicera and put them in the garbage as well. Bacteria and fungus flourish both on and off the plant. Fungal spores and bacteria will fall to the ground and live in the mulch around the honeysuckle. They can even survive a long winter freeze to reinfect the honeysuckle in the spring. For best results, place fresh mulch around the honeysuckle or remove the old mulch altogether and throw it away. Replace it with 2 to 3 inches of new mulch.

Pruning

• In situations where the leaf spot infection is severe, covering most of the shrub or vine, it can be pruned back to about 6 inches high. Place all of the pruned branches in the garbage. Never add branches or leaves infected with bacteria or fungus to a compost pile. These organisms can survive the mulching process and be reintroduced to the garden. Check the other plants growing in the yard for leaf spots and treat them as well. It will not do any good to control leaf spots on the honeysuckle if they are present on other nearby plants.

Watering

• Water the Lonicera and other nearby plants from below the branches and foliage. You can do this by using a soaker hose or by being careful to hold the spray nozzle down low to the ground. Water them in the morning so that any droplets of water that may fall on the foliage will dry before the sun goes down and the temperature drops in the evening.

Chemical Treatment

• Severe cases of leaf spot that keep coming back in spite of these basic control measures can be treated with a fungicide or bactericide. Have the specific problem identified before purchasing a fungicide or bactericide. Take a few leaves or an infected branch to a local garden center or county extension office. They will be able to identify the problem and recommend an appropriate product for treatment. In situations where the spots come back year after year, preemptive treatment may be necessary. You should begin this sort of treatment in the spring when the Lonicera first begins to show new growth. You may need to repeat this every two weeks or so throughout the season.