Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Buddleja for just a year.

elderberryelderberry Posts: 118
in Plants

I have removed most of the Buddleja from my garden, but I saw a table full of them at the garden centre which looked interesting en-masse,  and now I fancy planting a small area for low-growing flowers...but I'd like to be able to easily remove them after perhaps only one year, rather than letting them establish themselves. How best to achieve this? Sunken pots? 

«13

Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    You cut them right back to the ground in March, they dont grow silly big then.

    Mine have been here forever, they only get to six or seven ft a year, that way you get masses of flowers for the bees and butterflies

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,064

    Buy the variety Buzz which is a dwarf form aimed at small gardens and small planting schemes.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • elderberryelderberry Posts: 118

    Thanks obelixx, I'd never heard of Buzz.

     

    Lyn, I don't want the roots to be able to establish, I've dug up so many in the past.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139
    elderberry wrote (see)
    ... Lyn, I don't want the roots to be able to establish, I've dug up so many in the past.

    I'm really confused by that image  how else do you get a good, healthy shrub full of flowers except by the roots establishing? If you want the flowers you have to have the shrub and the roots too.

    It's not as if they're deep rooted invasive roots - it's roots are usually near the surface and it has a relatively small rootball.

     


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





  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,064

    It seems odd to me too.  If you cut the dead flowers regularly you won't get unwanted seedlings and then you maintain the parent with proper pruning and feeding.

    If you really want something small, why not just grow suitable perennials?  Less expensive than buying shrubs and binning them.   Seems a waste to me.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • elderberryelderberry Posts: 118

    My experience is that a hardwood Buddleja cutting will turn into a flowering shrub very quickly. I want a short turn-around, get the flowers for perhaps as little as one season, and then get rid of the lot if I fancy it. If I plant, say, 30 cuttings, I don't want to have to dig up 30 established plants, even if the roots are near the surface.

    It will be an experiment.

    I might repeat it with Lavatera.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139
    obelixx wrote (see)

    ... If you really want something small, why not just grow suitable perennials?  Less expensive than buying shrubs and binning them.   Seems a waste to me.

    My thoughts exactly.  Buddleja aren't bedding plants.


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





  • elderberryelderberry Posts: 118

    Buddleja cost nothing.

  • NorthernLass2NorthernLass2 Posts: 407

    Seems odd to me.  So wasteful and unnecessary.

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,888
    elderberry wrote (see)

    Buddleja cost nothing.

    Can you tell me which garden centre you use?



    Devon.
Sign In or Register to comment.