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What's wrong with my buddleia?

PassTheFoxPassTheFox Posts: 38
in Problem solving
Hi all, hoping you can help a very novice gardener... We have a buddleia davidii (affectionately named Brian) in the front garden. It's clearly been here much longer than we have (at least 6 years). 

Over the last few days many of Brian's new shoots have got very droopy and begun falling off. This happened to a couple of stems about 6 weeks ago but he's been thriving since. Like most of us, Brian has had a stressful year and during some heavy snow he split in half down the main trunk (the bottom picture shows this). We tidied him up, mulched him and then in March/April we pruned him right back, fed and mulched again. He was slower to start than usual but started to put on some good growth. We've been feeding periodically and watering in drier periods.

Does anyone know what might be causing this? I'm concerned he might have become diseased after the pruning perhaps. 

Any advice to help perk Brian up would be very welcome!

o




Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Maybe killed it with kindness by feeding it.
    They survive in waste ground with very little soil or nutrients, it looks like it made a lot of new weak growth,   I would suggest not feeding it again, give a lot of water to wash the feed through and see if it perks up later on. 
    There could be hope for Brian yet. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    If he perks up I’d take some cuttings … looks like he’s getting to be an elderly gent. 😊 

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





  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    Our globosa  is cut back every year and when it comes into good growth we notice that the stems grow very quickly and then seem to wilt.
    The next day they are all upright.
    Maybe this is happening with yours.
  • PassTheFoxPassTheFox Posts: 38
    Thank you so much everyone and for sharing the possible reasons too. This does makes sense as I've always like buddleias for being such low maintenance guys!

    We've been so lucky to inherit a beautiful garden from the previous owners and are keen to keep learning more about how to take care of it. We have the same type of buddleia (named Bruce 🤣) in the back garden (suspect one could be a cutting from the other) which is doing super well so perhaps we could take cuttings from him. @Dovefromabove do you have any advice for taking cuttings? New territory for us! 


  • PassTheFoxPassTheFox Posts: 38
    @Lyn I've only recently given Brian a feed. Do you think it would it help if I removed the top layer of soil and replaced it to reduce the extra nutrients?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    This thread will tell you what you need to know 
    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1015313/propagate-buddleia-butterfly-bush 

    Hope that helps 😊 

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





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They're among the easiest plants to propagate. Chop bits off, stick in pots of compost, or in the ground. That's about it  :)
    As @Lyn says - they don't need loads of food. The cultivated varieties are slightly fussier than the bog standard one which seeds and grows anywhere, but they'll grow in any average soil. Mine have never been fed, other than a bit of bone meal when planted. They might garner a bit if I feed anything nearby in spring, but other than that, nothing.
    It'll be fine if you just let it get on with it.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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