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A very woody tall Buddleia !!!

liznaylor1234liznaylor1234 Posts: 8
in Plants
Hi All

I've just moved into a property with a little garden but I've never had one before and so it's all a learning curve. I have what I've identified as a very very large woody white Buddleia. I like it but need to cut it as it's massive standing at around 3 metres high. It's very woody (and ugly tbh) from the bottom pretty much up to eye level as it has a very large thick.okd woody trunk. The flowers were lovely but not loads of them. It didn't flower until quite late last summer around late Aug/September. I'd like to keep it but have no idea how to cut it back. I was going to simply saw it from the bottom trunk about (knee high length) and let it start again. I'm frightened given the size of it though that it may be too extreme and I don't want to kill it off. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you. 

Posts

  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    I would just cut it down in April but if you dont want to be that drastic cut it down to where you feel happy though without a photo hard to say where is best. They will grow about 6ft in a season and only flower on new wood, you can cut them over a couple of months which would give a longer flowering period 
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    PS August/Sept is when they flower.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Your first thought is right. Cut it down now to knee high. Use a saw if necessary.
  • liznaylor1234liznaylor1234 Posts: 8
    Thanks so much for reply. Much appreciated Here's  pics if it will help as well. 
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    If it were mine I would cut off the  left trunk completely and cut out crossing  branches  then cut the rest down as low as you are brave enough to. Next year you can cut it much lower, cutting out some of the older branches completely.
  • dappledshadedappledshade Posts: 1,017
    That’s a beast!
    The problem when they get so tall and woody, like my neighbours’ one, is that they tend to sprout their flowers mainly towards the top, where they have been cut back a bit, so you don’t see much flower action lower down.
    These plants are effectively weeds, growing in very little soil, along railways banks etc.
    Chop it down to 30cm from the ground in March and it’ll shoot back up again in no time.
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    We cut ours back in January and have never had problems with it flowering  again.
  • StephenSouthwestStephenSouthwest Posts: 635
    I'm experimenting with cutting mine down lower at the front and higher at the back this year, in the hope that it will extend the flowering season. Time will tell.
    They're very difficult to kill, and can be cut back very low at this time of year.
  • liznaylor1234liznaylor1234 Posts: 8
    Thank you so much for all your replies. I'm going to be brave and cut it down using a saw to around 30 cm today. 
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