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Buddleia dying
Glitzy
Posts: 40
We've had lots of new growth on our buddleia this year but all of a sudden in the past few days the leaves have shrivelled. Some have gone grey, others black and 'mushy'.
Any idea what could have caused this? It's in a really sheltered spot...
0
Posts
It's definitely been watered. The hydrangea next to it is fine...
I know Verdun has said water but, buddleias prefer a dryer environment and that looks well established. I wouldn't say water it keep it on the dry side and don't feed it. just cut out the dead growth and leave it alone, there's plenty of new growth and by the look of it it may be more to do with the way it's been pruned. Cut back to just above new growth and angle the cuts at 45 degrees to stop water getting into the cuts.
Thank you.
I'm wondering about herbicide, I don't use it but it's right next to a communal garden for some flats and they use contract gardeners. It's the side bordering the communal garden that's most affected.
i did also terribly muck up the pruning!
Oh may the saints preserve us from contract gardeners - many of them are not gardeners, they're groundsmen - they wrecked some of the rather choice plants at the gardens where my office was. You may have found your problem!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I think in view of it I'll try cutting back all dying bits and should any further bits start to look affected I'll take it to ground level.
Just an alternative suggestion... Some of the new growth on my buddleia has been killed by frost in the past fortnight. It's grown quickly because of the recent warmth, and the soft growth is very susceptible to frost.
But certainly, slap-happy use of herbicides by next door's contractors sounds likely.
Right, let's see how we get on now...
That looks much better - rejuvenated!
Just an idea, next year - about the time that the contract gardeners usually perform their carry out their annual decimation of living matter in the garden - get a large sheet of cardboard and place it between the buddleia and the fence for a week or so until they've done their worst - it should help protect it from any 'splashes' of noxious stuff.
It won't look that beautiful for a few days, but it'll look better than a semi-dead shrub
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.