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Prune an old buddleia

dianegflynndianegflynn Posts: 11
in Tools and techniques
I've inherited an old buddleia which hasn't had much TLC in recent years.  
It flowered last year- August /September.  
The ground has been too wet to get to it until now and I'm not sure how to tackle it. If I just prune to the lowest bud it will still have 5ft of bare stem. It's very leggy. 
How can I rejuvenate it? Thinking of cutting some down to ground level as an experiment hoping it s it will grow new shoots from below ground level. 
Any suggestions please other than dig it out? 
Thanks 

Posts

  • dianegflynndianegflynn Posts: 11

  • dianegflynndianegflynn Posts: 11

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I would cut it all back to about knee height ... then give it some Fish, Blood and Bone and stand well back ... if its roots are sound it'll recover, put one plenty of height and flower well, but this time the flowers will be where you can see them.  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,190
    I agree with Dove. Buddleias are bomb-proof. Cut it back to a couple of feet from the ground and it will be flowering and 8ft tall in July
  • dianegflynndianegflynn Posts: 11
    The flower on this buddleia is an orange round ball rather than a purple spear. 
    Do you still say cut it down hard? And if so, will I forego any flowers this season?
    I ask because GW site says the 'globosa' variety is an exception and not to prune hard. 
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    As it's out of control I would still cut half of it back hard and the rest to about 6'.  Given it's current state there is really nothing to lose by trying.
  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,190
    It should be flowering soon so wait until it has flowered and then prune it soon after.
  • mandyroberts99mandyroberts99 Posts: 235
    I asked my OH to prune the buddleia and he did to about knee height! I nearly had a fit and thought he had killed it but it grew back better than ever with flowers that season. I think he did it late April last year - with a chain saw.....
    I now over see any pruning jobs and I do them myself unless it needs the heavy duty power tools 
  • SlumSlum Posts: 385
    dianegflynn said:
    The flower on this buddleia is an orange round ball rather than a purple spear. 
    Do you still say cut it down hard? And if so, will I forego any flowers this season?
    I ask because GW site says the 'globosa' variety is an exception and not to prune hard. 
    As it’s a globosa, if you want to see flowers this year prune it immediately after flowering. It can be pruned as hard as you want. If the size is annoying you, you can prune it hard now but it will not flower this year. 
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