How to Prune Buddleia
Prune your buddleia in early spring., Prune severely., Remove older branches., Prune dead flowers after the blooming season finishes.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Prune your buddleia in early spring.
When you prune your buddleia matters greatly in terms of care.
You should always prune your plant in early spring.
Usually, March is the recommended time for pruning.However, when to prune truly depends on your region.
Severe frost, present in late spring in some areas, can cause damage to a buddleia.Making a decision on when to prune your buddleia heavily depends on the weather in your area.
As stated above, if you prune too soon early spring frost can harm the plant.
However, waiting until later in the summer, or even the fall, can be deadly for the buddleia.
If new growths do not harden before winter, they will be killed by the cold.
This results in a dead plant the next spring.Keep an eye on the forecast, especially if you live in a colder area or an area with unpredictable weather patterns.
If you see freezing temperatures or snow in your 10 day forecast, hold off on pruning.
Wait until the weather's been consistently warm and above freezing for a few weeks before pruning. -
Step 2: Prune severely.
Buddleias bloom on new wood.
Even if there is no sign of rot or damage to existing branches, cut branches back to the ground in early spring.
This will stimulate blooming and growth from your buddleia during the flowering season.Buddleias grow in bunches of stems sprouting from the same patch of ground.
You prune the plant by cutting these stems downward towards the ground.
Stems should be at least a foot tall.
Stop pruning once your stems are about a foot in length.
Trimming any shorter could cause damage to the plant.When you finish pruning your buddleia, it should look somewhat like a stag's antlers.
Don't be alarmed by how much you cut from the plant.
Such intense pruning is what helps the buddleia grow new flowers when the rainy season passes. , Buddleias can become overcrowded if too many branches sprout.
If your buddleia bush looks crowded, remove older branches completely rather than just trimming them down.It's fairly easy to differentiate old stems from young stems.
Young stems tend to be green.
Old stems are of a darker shade and usually have peeling, gray-brown bark.You should dig out old branches by the roots.
This will prevent them from re-blooming in the coming season., While the main pruning should be done in spring, wait until the buddleia appears to be done flowering.
You should prune again once all flowers have bloomed.
Clip any dead or faded flowers from the plant to keep it looking healthy and strong.The buddleia flowers in multiple places.
Both main stems and side shoots that grow from main stems may flower.
When seeking out dead flowers, look in all these places.Watch to make sure all potential flowers have bloomed before pruning again.
You should not prune flowers, even dead ones, until the buddleia is completely done blooming. -
Step 3: Remove older branches.
-
Step 4: Prune dead flowers after the blooming season finishes.
Detailed Guide
When you prune your buddleia matters greatly in terms of care.
You should always prune your plant in early spring.
Usually, March is the recommended time for pruning.However, when to prune truly depends on your region.
Severe frost, present in late spring in some areas, can cause damage to a buddleia.Making a decision on when to prune your buddleia heavily depends on the weather in your area.
As stated above, if you prune too soon early spring frost can harm the plant.
However, waiting until later in the summer, or even the fall, can be deadly for the buddleia.
If new growths do not harden before winter, they will be killed by the cold.
This results in a dead plant the next spring.Keep an eye on the forecast, especially if you live in a colder area or an area with unpredictable weather patterns.
If you see freezing temperatures or snow in your 10 day forecast, hold off on pruning.
Wait until the weather's been consistently warm and above freezing for a few weeks before pruning.
Buddleias bloom on new wood.
Even if there is no sign of rot or damage to existing branches, cut branches back to the ground in early spring.
This will stimulate blooming and growth from your buddleia during the flowering season.Buddleias grow in bunches of stems sprouting from the same patch of ground.
You prune the plant by cutting these stems downward towards the ground.
Stems should be at least a foot tall.
Stop pruning once your stems are about a foot in length.
Trimming any shorter could cause damage to the plant.When you finish pruning your buddleia, it should look somewhat like a stag's antlers.
Don't be alarmed by how much you cut from the plant.
Such intense pruning is what helps the buddleia grow new flowers when the rainy season passes. , Buddleias can become overcrowded if too many branches sprout.
If your buddleia bush looks crowded, remove older branches completely rather than just trimming them down.It's fairly easy to differentiate old stems from young stems.
Young stems tend to be green.
Old stems are of a darker shade and usually have peeling, gray-brown bark.You should dig out old branches by the roots.
This will prevent them from re-blooming in the coming season., While the main pruning should be done in spring, wait until the buddleia appears to be done flowering.
You should prune again once all flowers have bloomed.
Clip any dead or faded flowers from the plant to keep it looking healthy and strong.The buddleia flowers in multiple places.
Both main stems and side shoots that grow from main stems may flower.
When seeking out dead flowers, look in all these places.Watch to make sure all potential flowers have bloomed before pruning again.
You should not prune flowers, even dead ones, until the buddleia is completely done blooming.
About the Author
Hannah Johnson
Experienced content creator specializing in creative arts guides and tutorials.
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