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How to cut a Buddleja in autumn and spring?

West Somerset, England Eng

I cut this back too hard earlier this year, and although it has lots of shoots (thank goodness - I thought I'd killed it!) It is not going to flower this year, I suspect. Can anyone tell me how to cut it in the Autumn and prune it in the Spring please?


On plant Buddleja davidii

Pruned_buddleja

Answers

 

I think you are panicing, it looks to me as if it will flower albeit a bit later.You can them off a bit in the autumn and then hard in the spring they are very tough and reliable don't worry.

29 Jun, 2007

 

Thanks - you are very reassuring! Tell you later if it does flower. Usually, I don't prune things hard enough, this year I pruned this very hard as well as a cotinus which had obviously not been pruned at all for years. It has some new growth which looks O.K. to me. It's showing in one of my photos in the back of the border. I didn't have to worry about flowers on that!

29 Jun, 2007

 

My mother in law had an 8' Weigela in her small courtyard garden. Too big for the space, so after flowering I 'pruned' it for her! The largest stem was 6" in diameter and this was cut down to ground level. After a week the new shoots appeared on it, and it's shooting away quite happily

30 Jun, 2007

 

oops pressed the wrong button!! Just shows that pruning is good for the plants

30 Jun, 2007

 

Hiya You've done nothing wrong. Buddleia are usually hard cut back, and I do mean hard, in February as the flowers are formed on new wood. Your plant will flower when it is supposed to - late summer, when it provides much needed nectar for butterflies

6 Jul, 2007

 

thanks Saina - I guess I did panic a bit because I had cut it further back than I normally do! I think there are some flower buds forming at the moment!

6 Jul, 2007

 

It's almost impossible to kill them with pruning! No matter how hard you prune them back they will always come back, just the flowering maybe put back by a couple of weeks at most.

Here they have been in flower for most of July. They are also prolific selfseeders & will spring up in the most unexpected & surprising of places. They are very commonly seen alongside railway tracks.

1 Aug, 2009

 

Yes, you're right, Balcony! I do prune hard, now.

2 Aug, 2009

 

I didn't realise till this moment that your question was posted in 2007!!!!

(Embarrassed burning red cheeks!)

2 Aug, 2009

 

Oh, please don't be embarrassed! How interesting - that must have been not long after I joined, I think - the site was sooooo different then!

2 Aug, 2009

 

i just rescued one from a lamp post lol, as seen in my blog, so ive cut back hard and potted and fed so hoping it will be ok

9 Aug, 2009

How do I say thanks?

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