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Pruning buddleia plant

Courtney-PCourtney-P Posts: 17
in Plants
My buddleia has been dreadful this year - really small flowers, some kind of disease on the leaves (making them discoloured and dropping) 

Am I ok to give the plant a really hard prune back to the base of the plant now (September) so it’s ready to start again next year?

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited September 2021
    I cut buddleja back by half in October/November when the flowers are over, then give a proper prune in March.  I wouldn't cut hard back now in case it puts out fresh new growth as it's still mild ... the new growth would be hit by frosts.  

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





  • Courtney-PCourtney-P Posts: 17
    That’s really helpful, thank you so much (unfortunately my flowers are already over for the year, had a really bad season!)
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Mine is the same @Courtney-P,  due to the slower than usual start to growth with the later harsh weather, and then we had very long hot, dry spells, so flowers have been sparser than normal. The dodgy foliage you have might simply be lack of water, or the opposite  - ie  too much water, but it shouldn't be anything to worry about - they're pretty pest free.  :)

    I've just been cutting mine back a bit in the last few days. It's around 8 feet or so, and  I've just reduced everything down to the fence height for now - to around 6 feet. 
    I'll then cut back hard in spring as @Dovefromabove describes  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    I've just done the same @Fairygirl, mine's stopped flowering so I've deadheaded/pruned before it seeds itself all over our gravelled car parking area.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Ours never really seed @Lizzie27 - most seed rots here before it gets to that point.
    Easy from cuttings for new material though, if wanted. 
    I often keep some of the heftier pieces from the spring pruning, to use as supports for odd things, and when you take them out, they've rooted. One of the easiest plants for propagating   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • zzjunkzzjunk Posts: 8
    Mine needs pruning hard every year (some larger stems with a saw). It has not been an issue pruning out the long whippy branches at this time of year so don't worry too much.
    Also, they do respond well to dead heading. I've found new flowers appearing well into October
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