Article: During the winter, the honeysuckle bushes and vines are dormant, and more severe pruning won’t harm the plant. Aim for early winter to avoid the flowering period, but pruning in late winter is also acceptable, as long as the plant does not have any new growth.  Pruning in the winter also tends to increase flowering in the following years because the branches can heal completely before blooming. Avoid severely pruning honeysuckle more than 1 time every 2-3 winters. Over pruning could kill the bush. Using a hand saw or loppers, trim all of the stems so that just 1 ft (0.30 m) of growth remains. It will continue to grow, but the plant will not produce flowers for another 1-3 years. In this case, it’s okay to cut even the oldest and thickest branches. They will make up the majority of the remaining bush and will produce new growth in the following years. For a more gradual rejuvenation of the plant, remove only ⅓ of the branches, starting at the top of the bush and working to the bottom. The plant will still produce flowers from its remaining branches in the following spring. In this case, you will remove ⅓ of the branches each winter for 3 years in a row, until the bush is a reasonable size.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Wait until the winter to prune overgrown honeysuckle. Cut severely overgrown plants within 1 ft (0.30 m) of the ground. Remove only ⅓ of the branches if you want the plant to bloom that year.