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budliha pruning

nellie85nellie85 Posts: 12
in Plants

good evening fellow gardeners,

still new to site, would like some advice about pruning a butterfly bush back, unsure of age because brought house with plants here, very woody and very tall branches, guessing at lease 10ft, can I cut it right back to knee height??

 

thanks Nellie image

 

 

Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,888

    cut soon. If you can see new shoots at the base , you're pretty safe to cut it very hard, but maybe take it down to "knee height" as you suggest would be safer.

    Devon.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,888

    BTW Welcome to the site Nellie.

    Devon.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138

    Hello Nellie image

    I agree with Hostafan - cut it down to knee height or even below - I've cut quite old ones very hard and they've never failed to reward me image


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





  • Rhod CromptonRhod Crompton Posts: 160

    Cut it back as above, if you leave it another year it will probably snap in any strong winds! You'll be saving it's life!!

  • gardengirl6gardengirl6 Posts: 223

    Yes, cut down now.    My method of pruning is to reduce height by half in the autumn after flowering, and then reduce by half again in the spring, ie. March.

  • ForrestgrumpForrestgrump Posts: 247

    oh yes that reminds me I've not done mine yet.image

    If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.
  • seilseil Posts: 16

    I cut mine down to about knee high too but I have seen some people who cut it right to the ground.  It grew back but it bloomed much later than mine did.

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