Pruning Buddleia
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Buddleia - Arbre-à-papillons
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Why prune buddleia?
Buddleias will continue to grow and flower even if you do not prune them, and yes they can develop a casual carefree look if untended for a few years which is very charming.
However, they tend to have fewer flowers, especially in the lower part of the shrub, and eventually become very thin and leggy.
Pruning stimulates new growth and flowering.
When to prune.
Early spring is the best time to prune.
Buddleia blooms on the new season's growth so you will not be losing any flowers.
If the plant is very young trim each stem back to a leaf bud set and by around one-third.
Established Buddleia daviddi need to be pruned back hard, examples of those are Black Knight, White Profusion, Pink Delight. Trim these to 50-70cm from the ground.
Remove any branches that are diseased to the ground and those that are not following the shape of the shrub you want.
Exceptions
Buddleia daviddi Wisteria Lane is a trailing shrub and needs less severe pruning just trim back after blooming to keep its shape.
Dwarf Buddleias (such as Tutti fruitti®), B. colvilei , B. farreri and B. globosa require less drastic pruning.
Tips
Deadheading will always encourage the shrub to continue blooming.
To delay the blooming of your plant light pruning can be carried out in May-June.
Alternatively pruning at the end of August can provoke a second flowering.
Moving and pruning an old established buddleia
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A Black Knight buddleia davidii that we moved to this area of the garden against the wall. It had been unattended and not pruned for many years, and at the time was about the same size it is now in photo 1. We pruned it back hard when we moved it to 80-90cm as shown in photo 2. This year we will prune it again at an angle, between 80-90cm at the back and 30cm at the front so it remains taller at the back against the wall.