Buddleia Davidii

[James M]

We have several Buddleia Davidii in our garden, I was wondering if anyone could tell me when was the best time to prune them and how? I have heard somwhere around late march or early April but Im not too sure.

[Greyowl]

We have several Buddleia Davidii in our garden, I was wondering if anyone could tell me when was the best time to prune them and how? I have heard somwhere around late march or early April but Im not too sure.

Thats right as far as I know James. They like to be cut back fairly hard.

[Polar Continental]

Hi James,

i normaly prune my buddleia around this time in March to around 2 or 3 foot, but this year with the season being so advanced, i prunned my bushes about 3 weeks ago, dispite the recent frosts, they seem ok.

http://www.bakker.co.uk/Garden/Article.aspx?article=9494

Paul

Edited March 21, 2007 by Paul Carfoot

[James M]

Thanks Glen and Paul.

[Portland Paul]

I've even pruned them down to around 5 or 6 inches in the past, and the results are spectacular!

[Somerset Squall]

I pruned mine down to a foot high at the end of February. It's growing back very well now, and I always get a stunning show in the Summer, even by pruning it this low.

[johnholmes]

would agree, prune hard back, or else they end up leggy and with less flowers. When you do it is up to you, sometime end Feb into mid March is best usually. Try to avoid doing it just before a spell of colder, especially frosty weather is forecast.

[James M]

I have done it now we have 7 of them in our garden and I have cut right down leaving around 2 inches of last years growth. Cheers everyone

[Osbourne One-Nil]

Cut them down to 3 inches in the first week of April or they will die.

[acbrixton]

Buddleia? The Devil's Spawn...nasty, destructive, invasive things: clearly easy to grow as they are able to penetrate Victorian brick railway viaducts in London and attain towering heights despite sustenance that consists of little more than crumbled mortar and windblown soil.

Their hardness and drought resistance enables these brutes to send roots down the middle of double-skinned garden walls eventually leading to a collapse of such walls: I had to rebuild 80' of garden wall after one particularly loathsome specimen broke apart part of the wall...if butterflies are the main attraction I would rather grow nettles!

Regards

ACB

[mushymanrob]

ive got several, some i dont prune at all leaving them to form small trees, others i cut back anytime after flowering over winter (filling my brown bin over several months), or i cut them right down... around now.

tbh theres no hard and fast rule, those i pruned in october flower just the same as those i cut now or those i dont prune... i very rarely have had any trouble with frosts but even if they do kill the tips... they do grow back!

the old notion that gardening is governed by hard and fast rules is basically... bull! lol, (im a proffessional gardener of 34 years)

[James M]

Thanks didn't see these replies a bit late now lol. They have done really well this year with nice big healthy leaves and they seem a little bigger too (although the recent windy conditions hasn't helped them). Lots of buds already, I can't remember whether or not they started coming up earlier than usual. Also on one of them something has been eating it, not the whole leaf but enough so they look really tatty and worn, don't what it could be.

Edited June 22, 2007 by James M