Also thin out any crossing branches to prevent rubbing, and remove any thin twiggy growth sprouting from the base. Aim to produce a short, strong framework of five to six main branches. Pruning in May You can encourage buddlejas to flower later in the season, by cutting them down to the ground in May. This benefits butterflies such as the small tortoiseshell. Browse the fantastic range of fully mature hardy perennials, shrubs, ferns, grasses and bulbs to create a spectacular garden to enjoy all year round.
Use code: GW Kick start the festive season and get in touch with your creative side with our minute online class on creating Christmas wreaths with natural materials. The perfect seasonal addition to your garden, these low-maintenance expertly trained evergreen trees can be enjoyed for years to come.
Some shrubs flower on stems that have grown during the current year, others on stems that were formed during the previous season. The time of year a shrub flowers, and the age of the stem on which it flowers, will determine how it should be pruned. Regular pruning of flowering shrubs will keep the plant to an attractive shape and will encourage large, healthy flowers. In general, pruning is only necessary for mature shrubs, so wait a year or two after planting before starting to prune.
The stems of the butterfly bush, Buddleja davidii , should be cut right down to the base, leaving a woody clump.
Cut just above the first shoot at the bottom of the stem. Even by the end of a single season the stems can be thick and woody, so you will need loppers or a pruning saw rather than a pair of secateurs. After cutting back all the stems you will be left with an unattractive stump, but not cutting it back could result in a shrub 3m tall with a solitary flower at the tip, similar to those found on railway embankments. The Russian sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia , should be treated similarly, but waiting until late spring to do it will lessen the chance of frost damage to shoots.
The majority of shrubs that flower on new growth are not as vigorous as Buddleja or Perovskia , and cutting back all the stems can leave a shrub looking thin and weedy. The best strategy is to remove about a third of the stems by cutting them down at the base.
If you are unsure how much of the shrub to cut down, err on the side of caution, cutting back fewer stems. Hydrangea paniculata, for example, can end up as an ugly stump if all of it is cut down continually.
Cut any dead, overcrowded and thin stems back to the base, but cut back the flowered stems to the next bud. Not all plants in a genus should be pruned the same way. This hard pruning encourages stronger growth at the base of the plant, producing new shoots with flowers developing at their tips throughout the summer. As flowers bloom and fade during the growing season, deadhead any spent flowers to reduce the chances of self seeding.
In the fall, prune away all of the tips to remove any faded flowers and developing seeds. In some areas, buddleia has become an invasive pest. Deadheading and removing the spent flowers before they go to seed is an important step in reducing the chances of butterfly bushes escaping from the garden and into the surrounding fields and woodlands.
A beautiful Swallowtail butterfly visits our Buddleia Butterfly Bush. If the butterfly bush has a drawback, it is the potential for becoming an invasive pest. These bushes produce a lot of seeds. After the flowers fade in the fall, the seeds are dispersed by birds and by the wind.
Some states list buddleia as species of special concern due to their ability to reproduce and spread, and we have found a few "volunteer" plants sprouting up in our New England gardens. So far, we have not found any of these plants in the woodlands surrounding our property. Check with your local Department of Agriculture to determine if the buddleia butterfly bush is considered as environmental threat in your area.
Cutting the stalks back in the spring and deadheading the spent blooms not only encourages butterfly bushes to produce more stalks next year and more flowers but also prevents the plant from producing seeds.
Hard pruning also helps to control the size and shaping of the plant, and I also selectively trim wayward stalks during the spring and summer. Question: In the middle of August, can I cut off the faded brown flowers of my butterfly bushes after the purple is gone? Will it encourage new ones in time for the Fall?
Answer: Pruning away the spent flowers prevents the plant from producing seeds, and can encourage new growth with new blooms. Question: I have year-old buddleia davidii that have not been hard pruned in many years. If I cut my buddleia butterfly bush back hard, will they survive? They are 15 feet tall at this point! Answer: Hard pruning can stress a mature plant. Instead of cutting back the entire plant, prune selectively to re-shape the shrub over several seasons.
This will help to encourage new growth. Answer: Yes, absolutely! Butterfly bushes can be pruned in the late fall after the flowers fade. In addition to shaping the bush, cutting away the dead blooms reduces the chances for the plant to re-seed and spread in areas where the Buddleia is becoming an invasive pest.
Question: Deadheading these flowers, encouraging new blooms may seem good to us humans, yet I have noted that a great many birds eat these seeds over the winter. Should we not consider the greater picture, of the effects of our plantings? Answer: Buddleia are considered as Invasive Species in many areas of the country. Deadheading the spent flowers before they produce seeds is one method for controlling the unwanted spread of these plants. Seeds that are ingested by birds can be deposited elsewhere, helping the plants to spread.
We let many of our perennial plants to go to seed to help feed the birds in winter but since Buddleia can spread in our area, we will deadhead the spent blooms. In spite of the deadheading, we occasionally find a volunteer growing in the gardens. Answer: You can remove any weak or wayward stalks, or thin out an overgrown bush. This will help to encourage the plant to put more energy into the other stalks.
Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 though 11, depending on the variety, grow from 5 to 15 feet tall, depending on species, and bloom in multiflower panicles in white, shades of pink, purple, blue or yellow. Buddleia are divided by species into two different pruning groups. How much you cut them back each year -- and when -- depends on the variety you're growing.
Butterfly bushes grow in full sun in moist soil. The flowers generally bloom from summer through fall at the terminal ends of branches in clusters, called panicles, 4 to 10 inches long.
Where winters aren't severe, the branches can become woody and flower sparsely at the bottom. The plants can die back to the ground where winters are cold, but emerge back from the roots in spring.
0コメント