The fire goat sling is sure to cause a stir in the garden. The fast-growing creeper succeeds in this not least thanks to its spectacular flowers.
The attractive play of colors of the fire goat's snail (Lonicera heckrottii) accompanies you well into autumn and in the evening hours the fire honeysuckle beguiles you with its sensual flower scent. The plants can grow more than three meters and beautify gates, fences or facades. The plant is easy to care for and can therefore be cultivated without any problems. In the following you will find out what you need to consider when caring for and growing the plants and how you can preserve their blooms for a long time.
Plant Description
The Fire Goat Sling catches the eye. This is not only due to the growth height of two to four meters. The dark green leaves, which have a blue-green tint on their underside, appear early in the year. Between April and October, the foliage becomes an eye-catcher. From June to September, the colourful, fragrant flowers join them. With ideal site conditions, it is not uncommon for the flower to appear until the first frost. The plants are native to Europe, Asia and the USA and are therefore well adapted to our climate.
The fire goat snare is not just a climber, but a creeper. Accordingly, the adhesive roots are missing. With that, the Fire Goat Sling needs our support and needs a trellis.
With a growth height of up to four meters, the fire honeysuckle is one of the small representatives of the honeysuckles. The garden honeysuckle or the forest honeysuckle twine up to ten meters.
When does Fire Goat Sling bloom?
You can look forward to a very floriferous plant. The first flowers appear in June and the flowering period usually lasts until September. If the site conditions are ideal, the plants often start a new blossom firework display, which can last until the first frost. The flowers reach a length of about four centimeters. The flower is purple on the outside. The inside of the flower is yellowish-white in colour. When the flower is fading, it changes colourfully yellow.
A special feature is the intense scent reminiscent of vanilla. With a bit of luck, you can also witness the formation of the pea-sized red fruits. However, the inedible berries are rarely developed.
Various species of honeysuckle presented
Besides the fire honeysuckle, about 180 different plant species are known. All the varieties that occur are perennial creepers with attractive flowers that require relatively little maintenance.
❍ Evergreen Honeysuckle:
Even in winter, the evergreen honeysuckle impresses with its foliage. As an alternative to ivy, the evergreen honeysuckle can be used for year-round facade greening. The plant was brought to Europe from China in the early 20th century. Depending on its location, the evergreen honeysuckle can reach a height of up to ten meters. If the plant cannot absorb any nutrients via the roots in winter, the leaves can also curl up or possibly fall off. As a rule, however, new shoots appear in spring.
❍ Red Honeysuckle:
The red honeysuckle impresses with its red blossom. The flowering period extends from June to October. The maximum growth height here is only two to three meters. This honeysuckle variety is robust and also very well adapted to the urban climate. Foliage appears as early as April and with mild temperatures, foliage is not shed in winter. The soil should be nutrient-rich. A partially shaded location is preferred.
❍ Gold Honeysuckle:
The golden honeysuckle is extremely vigorous and can grow up to twelve meters under favorable site conditions. A lush bloom characterizes the gold honeysuckle. However, the flowering period is limited to the months of May and June. High humidity and urban climates are well tolerated. The plants can form strong trunks. The occasionally formed red berries serve as a food source for birds in autumn.
❍ Honeysuckle:
This garden plant is quite old and comes from southern Europe and Asia. In Germany, the garden honeysuckle occasionally occurs in the wild. The strongly scented flowers appear in May and June, with an occasional second bloom in the fall. The plant is particularly susceptible to mildew infestation and has therefore become a less common lover's plant.
The right location and the right substrate for the fire goat snare
Should be an easy-careIf beauty finds its way into your garden, it is worth taking a closer look at planting the fire goat sling. The plants have the nickname "Jelängerjelieber" and in fact you can hardly get enough of the flowers reminiscent of orchids. There are a few things you should keep in mind when planting so that the popular creeper will soon attract admiration in your garden.
Location:
You shouldn't leave the location to chance to ensure that the plant delights with lush growth and flowering. The plant tolerates a semi-shady location best. But it is also possible to cultivate the fire goat snare in the shade. Especially the base of the fire honeysuckle should always be in the shade. The fire goat's sling tolerates a full sun position less well. If the plant is too hot and you water it too little, it will quickly become bare. In addition, growth slows down and there is no flowering. The plants often dry up and die.
Substrate:
The fire honeysuckle is less choosy when it comes to soil requirements. The creeper usually gets along well with normal garden soil. The soil should be fresh and nutrient-rich. This favors the addition of compost or horn shavings. Also pay attention to the permeability of the substrate, because the plant does not tolerate waterlogging. In return, the root base must not dry out. It is therefore an advantage if it is permanently in the shade. Incidentally, you can improve the water permeability by adding grit or sand to the soil.
Planting fire goatsling - step by step instructions
Since these are absolutely hardy plants, you can plant the fire goat's snare both in spring and in autumn. Do this as follows:
- Select location.
- Remove weeds and stones from the ground.
- Dig a planting hole twice the width and depth of the root ball.
- Enrich substrate with compost, sand or grit.
- Place plant. If there are several plants, keep a planting distance of half a meter.
- Close the planting hole.
- Press the ground.
- Protect the surface from the sun with stones or ground cover.
- Water the plant.
- Attach climbing aids (e.g. wire ropes, bamboo poles, fences, posts, gates).
Cultivate Fire Goat Snare in Bucket
The fire goat snare can also be cultivated in a bucket. So that the root ball can spreada sufficiently large planter is an advantage. Since the plant is very sensitive to waterlogging, you must first check the planter for sufficient drainage holes in the bottom. A drainage made of potsherds or gravel attached to the bottom of the planter also improves the permeability of the soil. Potted plants need a nutrient-rich substrate and should occasionally be supplied with liquid fertilizer for flowering plants. The location of the pot plant should also be carefully considered, because the fire goat sling also needs a climbing aid in the pot.
Reading tip: Make climbing aids from willow rods yourself - creative support for plants made of natural materials
How to properly care for the fire goat sling
Casting:
If you have chosen a semi-shady location and the root area in particular is in the shade, you can do without regular watering when planting outdoors. A regular water supply is only necessary during longer dry periods. However, tap water is often too hard. Therefore, you should water the plants with rainwater. Potted plants need to be watered more often. This not only applies to hot summer days, the soil must not dry out in winter either, and sporadic watering on frost-free days is also advisable.
Fertilize:
For outdoor plants, it makes sense to enrich the soil with compost when planting. This gives the plant an effective long-term fertilizer and further fertilizers are not necessary.
Tip:
You can mix compost under the substrate in spring and autumn. However, this should be done cautiously. Fire honeysuckle is a shallow root and the roots may be injured.
If the honeysuckle is in the tub, the plant has less substrate available. You can accommodate the limited supply of nutrients with commercially available liquid fertiliser, which you administer every four weeks during the spring and summer months.
cut:
So that the plants do not bare, you should cut back into the old wood. This can be done in late fall or early spring. In any case, it should be a frost-free day. Only cut back individual shoots and avoid radical pruning. The plants often react sensitively to pruning measures and then only hesitantly sprout again. In any case, use sharp and high-quality garden tools to avoid unnecessarily damaging the planthurt.
You should also thin out the plants occasionally. The right time for this are the months of January to March. You should remove old and diseased shoots. Under no circumstances should you dispose of removed and woody shoots. You can use these as cuttings to propagate the plant.
Hiberation:
The fire goat snare is hardy and therefore does not need any special protection in the cold season. However, this only applies to outdoor plants. You must wrap plant pots well with garden fleece or coconut mats. It is important to protect the soil from frost with leaves or brushwood.
Loafing or curling of the leaves can happen in winter. This reduces the plant's need for nutrients. The plants are not damaged and new growth takes place in spring. You can overwinter smaller potted plants indoors in a cool but frost-free place. In most cases, however, it is almost impossible because the fast-growing creepers can no longer be transported when fully grown.
Recognizing diseases and pests on the fire goat snare
The fire goat sling is quite robust and easy to care for, but it can still happen from time to time that diseases occur or the plant is attacked by pests. Not infrequently, these circumstances are due to care errors. At the Fire Goat Sling have been observed:
❍ Powdery mildew - danger for leaves and shoots:
The fire goat snare can be attacked by powdery mildew and downy mildew. A sure-fire indicator of the occurrence of the fungal disease is a grey-white, floury coating on the leaves. With powdery mildew, the coating is visible on the upper side of the leaves. If you don't treat it in time, the leaves will turn brown and eventually fall off. In the case of downy mildew, the undersides of the leaves show a grey-violet discoloration. Powdery mildew occurs more often when the plant lacks moisture. On the other hand, the infestation of downy mildew is promoted by watering errors and too much moisture.
What to do?
You can prevent powdery mildew by watering the plants moderately. Waterlogging is to be avoided in any case. You must also generously remove infected parts of the plant. However, you must not dispose of plant parts affected by powdery mildew in the compost. A very effective remedy against powdery mildew is, for example, a mixture of milk and water, with which you treat the plantspray regularly.
❍ Aphids - the voracious visitors:
Aphids seem to have a special fondness for honeysuckle. They particularly like to sit down on the flowers. As they sit there, they excrete honeydew. This greasy coating then coats and sticks to the plant.
What to do?
Aphids can be controlled very well with natural means. If you recognize the infestation in good time, it may already be sufficient if you spray the plant with water. Other effective solutions are treatments with soapy water or nettle slurry (instructions for making nettle slurry yourself). Coating the shoots with olive oil or neem oil has also proven useful.
❍ Root rot - the undiscovered danger:
If the plants are permanently too wet, root rot can occur. This remains undiscovered for a relatively long time, since the parts of the plant above ground cannot be seen at first. An infestation can only be recognized when the leaves wilt and the shoots die off. Not only can you see root rot, you can smell it too. If a putrid odor rises, urgent action is required.
What needs to be done?
Unfortunately, most of the plants cannot be saved. Younger plants are easier to transplant, which should be done immediately. Home remedies are ineffective for root rot. Good ventilation of the soil and the avoidance of waterlogging alone serve as reliable preventive measures.
How to breed Fire Goat Sling?
The Fire Goat Sling can be propagated in a number of ways. The propagation is quite uncomplicated and usually brings guaranteed success. You can propagate the plant by cuttings, layering and by seed.
Propagation by cuttings:
You should start propagating by cuttings in early spring. It should be a mild and frost-free day. The time should be chosen so that new shoots have not yet started after the winter. Then do the following:
Cut the slightly woody shoots to a length of about four inches. Then remove the lower leaves. The foliage is only preserved for a few centimetres. Now grow the cuttings obtained in this way in a mixture of potting soil and sand. Position the planter preferably bright and warm. You must now keep the substrate regularly moist. Also spray the cuttings regularly with water, as this promotes growth. After a few weeksthen show the first new shoots. You can then assume that the plant has successfully rooted. Once the cuttings have grown for a few months, you can plant them outdoors.
Propagation by lowering:
Propagation by layering is a little more complex and time-consuming. You have to insert a shoot close to the ground into the ground in spring and weigh it down or fix it. The shoot tips must not be covered with soil. Where the roots are to develop, you must lightly score the shoot with a knife. Now moisten the soil and wait. In a few months new roots will have formed so you can separate the layer from the mother plant and replant.
Propagation by seeds:
If you have a little patience, you can also multiply the fire goat snare by sowing. You can obtain the seeds directly from existing plants or buy them in stores. If the seeds are collected in autumn, they can be grown immediately in potting soil. You should only cover the seeds thinly with soil and then keep the substrate evenly moist. The germination time at room temperature is then about a month. Before planting young plants out, give them some time to develop.