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how to trim my buddleja
garden gone wild
Posts: 5
in Plants
hi i have never hard pruned my buddleja but i really need to can anyone tell me how much to take off and when its about 7'-8' tall the base is just bare trunk with a very heavy flower filled top any help would be great xx
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Buddleias are tough as old boots so don't worry about doing too much. They grow, as I'm sure you know, a lot each year. When pruning, try to imagine how tall you would like the plant to be next year when it flowers. Then look at the main stems and cut them at a height that would get you to your desired height if the plant grew, say, four feet next year. So if you want it to be six feet high next summer with all its flowers doing their thing, and it grows four feet a year, cut it to about two feet up from the ground. Then trim away any silly little straggly side shoots that are just blocking up the centre of the plant and there you are, job done. The more you cut off the more the plant will react with growth next year. If you just cut off a few inches, it will only respond in the same way.
Prune it in the autumn and then the birds will have a chance to eat the seeds first.
Hi. These shrubs come within the realm of needing Spring pruning when it is suggested to cuth them well back to or towards ground level to encourage all that nice new growth and good flowering. I do this but since my bushes are all mature I cut them 2 thirds back in Spring. Do though ask the experts since I cannot and do not claim to be thus.The Bees and Buttergflies wil love you.
so i can be quite harsh with it then as the bottom part just looks like tree no leaves or flowers at all x
Buddleias are "all hat and no knickers" as my dear old granny used to say. They are very showy up top but lacking in grace below.
Hi. Last comment from me here - I always prune mine in Spring and I do not have "leggy ugly plants " all Summer as suggested here. The "expert" confounded perhaps. The whole idea of pruning in Spring ( as with so many plants - even Roses) was/is to protect the plant itself and newly formed buds as much as poss - if they have all been pruned away in Autumn and a severe winter develops what then - sorry for my comments and I withdraw them - I hope to send you some pics of my "leggy ugly plants" when they are flowering away like mad with masses of Bees and Butterflies on them beginning shortly. I will not respond further.
thank you ever so much i will wait for the stunning flowers to go as i dont want to take the food away from the butterflies (as this was the main reason for getting it) with the young tops that will be cut off can i replant these to make new plants or do i have to buy ones with roots sorry for all the questions x
Hi all. The "expert" confounded?. Heres a few pics of my Spring pruned "UGLY LEGGY BUDLEJAS" - they look pretty good to me, smothered in buds. as every year.
You can take cuttings. Not from soft green sappy growth and not from stuff that would make palings, but slightly brown growth made this year a out as thick as a pencil. Pull off a shoot from the main stem so that you have a little "heel" left from the main stem on your new plant to be. Trim the cutting to about 10" long ( more or less, no need to be accurate) so that your cut is just above a leaf node. Trim off all the leaves on the cutting to reduce water loss from the stem and push it into some fairly moist,fairly gritty soil. If you do it in spring you will have success I''m sure.