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Buddleia

sublimenaturesublimenature Posts: 1
in Plants

Hello People! Hope you are having a fantastic time in your gardens during this Spring! 

I have a 2 meters Buddleia tree (shaped as) in the garden of my recently moved-in home. I don't know what type of buddleia is, but absolutely love the idea of attracting as many butterflies and all possible sorts of winged animals as possible. Although, the plant is full of dead brown flowers and I have been reading that deadheading shall be done as soon as flowers start to dry and pruning by early Spring. So, the question is: Shall I deadhead all dead flowers? Or shall I do not or maybe just some of them? 

Good to have in mind that I am a beginner in gardening (basic tips would also help a lot) and have just started a veggies and fruits garden (which is actually my priority), so would deadheading now (consequently attracting or not butterflies and/or birds) influence positively or negatively on the growing?

Any help will be highly appreciated! Thx!!

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Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,146

    Normally you would cut buddleia right back to knee height in March. As it's now mid May I would reduce half the branches to knee height and cut the rest back to a metre tall.

    Give it a sprinkling of rose fertiliser or alternatively a watering with tomato feed and stand well back - it will put on lots of growth and soon be covered with blooms.   If you remove each bloom as it turns brown you will encourage more flowers and  prolong the blooming period. 

    In December cut the whole plant back to half it's height to prevent wind rock and consequent root damage. 

    Next March cut the whole plant back to knee height and feed. 

    Enjoy the butterflies image


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





  • Rob LockwoodRob Lockwood Posts: 380
    Hi sublime - as you've asked for basic advice(!), the deadheading should have been done, as Dove says, as the blooms turn brown, so last September etc. The idea of this is that all plants want to do is create new versions of themselves, so flowers on most plants (Buddleia included) should be whipped off once they fade so the plant is encouraged to create more flowers for you to enjoy, rather than ripening its existing seeds and going to sleep for the winter. If you've heard the phrase "gone/going to seed", that's what we're talking about here! Hope that makes sense!

    Buddleias, I think I'm right in saying, only grow flowers on the new season's growth, so when Dove says to cut them right back, what you're doing here is a) stimulating the new growth, b) making sure the flowers aren't 4 metres off the ground! If you don't cut it back, the plant will still grow new shoots but I think more slowly and certainly on the end of the existing growth, which may be already a metre or so high. I cut mine almost down to the ground (above a pair of leaves / buds) in March, but it's a bit late to do that now, so do as Dove says and enjoy.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    It may be worth bearing in mind that Buddleia globosa flowers on last year's wood, so prune back straight after flower and never next Spring or you won't get any flowers, 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,088

    If your dead flower heads are long an pointy you have the kind that can be cut back hard and will produce flowers this year  Prune and feed as Dove has advised.

    In my last garden I always cut to two lengths like this and ended up having a longer flowering season as the longer stems produced flowers ahead of the short ones.  Dead heading the central flower as soon as it goes over encourages the 2 side shoot flowers to grow bigger and stimulates more lower down.

    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
  • babs.karaOAJD3tz0babs.karaOAJD3tz0 Posts: 14
    Hi, need some advice please. I planted my 3 in one coloured Buddleia plant about 3 months ago its taken terrific and in the middle of beautiful pink, blue and white flowers, but it seems to be growing/spreading horizontal rather than growing upwards! Help please all advice much appreciated. Thank you. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Unfortunately, these 3 in one plants are usually a bit of a con @babs.karaOAJD3tz0, and these buddleias will eventually get sizeable, regardless of the care they get. They're 3 separate specimens planted together, and often one will thrive better than the others too and will take over. 
    It wouldn't be unusual for the growth to become 'splayed' though, especially if there's been plenty of moisture and the soil's decent. Even the standard cultivated varieties grow out to a large size as well as growing upwards.
    If you can provide a photo, that will help further  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,575
    Each of the three plants is trying to get light and space so they're growing away from each other. The roots are probably too intertwined to separate successfully by now (I think they plant three young cuttings in the same pot). It's very poor practice to sell it as a single plant. The best you can do is make sure it's in a really big pot or in the ground, and stake it if you don't like the spreading habit.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,190
    There is a newish buddleia called Butterfly Towers which is more upright than other varieties. It is available in mauve/purple and white forms. It is quite short, growing to about 6 feet.
  • babs.karaOAJD3tz0babs.karaOAJD3tz0 Posts: 14
    Hi Fairygirl, thanks for yours. Herewith photo as requested. It came as ONE plant not 3 branches are not entertwined and free flowing! Thank you. 

  • babs.karaOAJD3tz0babs.karaOAJD3tz0 Posts: 14
    Thank you JennyJ. Please see attached photo! 
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