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Propagating Buddleia globosa

joostvanschaikjoostvanschaik Posts: 2
in Plants
I have raised quite a number of Buddleia globosa from seed, all of them sooner or later were killed by the sometimes harsh Dutch winters over the years - all but one. Literally the runt of the litter, initially a spindly, slow growing, crooked bush that by all means should have ended up and the compost heap - but it alone survived, it even survived 2 weeks of -15 and brutal cold winds. It is at least 4 meters tall, and flowers it socks off every spring.

So apparently this one individual has struck lucky some on some genetic bingo card and is much hardier than it should be, and for obvious reasons I want to propagate it. But this fails miserably - where other Buddleias are simply propagated by sticking a growing tip with three leave nodes into the earth, add a bit of water, keep them moist and off they go, cuttings of this bush sit in the earth for a months doing nothing, then suddenly they all wilt, get covered in fungus and that's the end of it. 

Anyone tried this before with this plant? What's the secret sauce I am missing?

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    I have propagated these by taking a semi ripe cutting. A strong new side shoot, just as it is beginning to stiffen. Take thick stems, rather than spindly ones and put one in each corner of a square 4 inch pot, a deep one if you can get it. I use rooting powder, a quick dab, trim beneath a node, and cut excess leaves in half. Soak the pot and allow to drain.  I then put them in a high domed unheated propagator in semi shade so that they do not wilt before rooting.  They usually root in about four weeks. I find B. globosa are ready for cuttings before B. davidii, probably because all my davidii type get hacked down hard in Spring.
  • joostvanschaikjoostvanschaik Posts: 2
    Great, thank you! What's the best time to try this?
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    It depends a bit on your climate. As I said, keep an eye on new shoots, and test the pliability from time to time. Here it would be end of April into May. I do B.davidii in June.
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