In article ,
Jo wrote:
I forgot to mention that last year there was a tiny bit of what was probably
mildew towards the end of the summer. I cut back the affected parts but
this year it is ten times worse. Is it OK to cut back vigorously now even
though the plant is flowering?

Please don't top post and leave all the old message in.

It depends on the honeysuckle. You can certainly cut back hard,
but the new wood of the more tender species may not ripen enough
to survive the winter. With honeysuckles that shoot from the
base, this will not matter; with those that don't, it may.

As the mildew might be powdery mildew (i.e. an insect, not a
fungus), I would cut out the worst parts and saturate the rest
with soft soap or detergent solution.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.