Cutting the butterfly bush: Instructions in 6 steps

The summer resp. Butterfly lilac, botanically Buddleja davidii, is extremely popular in this country because it grows in summer forms beautiful panicle blossoms and, as the name suggests, a magnet for butterflies is. In order for this to be the case from the start and to stay that way in later years, however, it needs a regular cut. This is carried out in late winter, because from March to September there is a cutting ban due to the birds' breeding season. Here's how to properly prune the butterfly bush.

Cut the butterfly bush

Before you pick up the scissors and get started, you should consider a few things to do with cutting so that the buddleia is not damaged.

Cutting tool

Since branches and twigs of different thicknesses have to be cut when cutting the butterfly bush, you should also have the appropriate cutting tool.

• hand shears (secateurs, bypass shears) for shoots up to 2 centimeters thick
• Use a pair of loppers for branches that are between 2 and 4 centimeters thick
• for shoots with a thickness of more than 4 centimeters a sword or folding saw (for thinning)

Always make sure that the cutting tool is sharp and clean. This not only makes the job easier, but also reduces the risk of you having tools Diseases transfer.

Cutting technique

During the actual cut, you should be careful not to squeeze the shoot. If this does happen, make the cut again below the pinch. In no case should you continue cutting at the bruised area, as this is an ideal gateway for pests and diseases.

If the withered shoots from the previous year are cut off in spring, then you should

• Start the cut just above an outward-facing bud
• Guide the cut slightly away from the bud (cut slightly diagonally)

To remove ground shoots, do the following:

• Attach pruning shears to the base
• Cut off the bottom shoot at a slight angle

Note: With this slightly angled cut, irrigation and / or rainwater can drain off better. This serves as protection against fungal infections and other diseases.

Cut time

In addition to the right time in the calendar, there are also some requirements for the right day for the pruning of the buddleia. It is best to go to work on a frost-free and overcast day. Sunny and rainy days are not suitable for a cut. Since the buddleia should be cut very early in the year, the ideal conditions should exist for several days so that the butterfly bush can recover from the cut.

Cutting the butterfly bush: instructions

In order for the butterfly bush to thrive vigorously and healthily, you should regularly carry out the following types of pruning:

• Parenting pruning for young plants
• Maintenance pruning for older plants
• Cut of dead flowers
• Clearance cut
• Taper cut
• Upbringing

Upbringing

The upbringing cut takes place in the first five years of the butterfly lilac. The aim of this annual pruning is to create a stable framework from older shoots. Because this forms the basis for the budding of the flower branches.
In the first three years of operation, proceed as follows:

• Leave only the strongest 3 to 5 ground shoots
• forming the framework
• Shorten the scaffolding shoots to 30 centimeters
• Cut off poor, dead and surplus shoots close to the ground
• Time: late winter (mid / end of February)

In the 4th and 5. Proceed as follows:

• young ground shoots (from the 4th and 5. Year) to 30 centimeters
• Extend scaffold drives from the first three standing years by 15 to 20 centimeters per year
• Cut the side shoots on the frame back to short cones with two or four buds
• Time: late winter (mid / end of February)

Note: "Cut on cones" means that branches or shoots are not cut to the base, but remain about 10 centimeters.

Conservation cut

With the conservation pruning you ensure a long life for your summer lilac. This type of cut is used from the 6th Stand year carried out. The butterfly bush is cut back by half to two thirds every year in late winter. Its height should be about a meter after the cut.

With the maintenance pruning you can influence the abundance of flowers as well as the height and width. The more vigorous you prune, the stronger the growth and flowering. You get a harmonious growth habit with a homogeneous crown with a moderate cut back (shape cut); if you cut deeper, you will get large, voluminous panicles of flowers. However, the abundance of flowers is at the expense of the crown, i.e. a homogeneous appearance. Therefore, before cutting, you should think about your goal.

The following instructions serve the goal of increased flower formation:

• Ground shoots of the first three years of standing close to the ground on 10 centimeter long cones
• cut off (overaged, insufficient frost resistance)
• Shorten side shoots to cones with 2 to 4 buds
• Cut younger ground shoots back to 30 centimeters
• Always cut the three oldest scaffolding shoots in the following years
• Time: late winter (mid / end of February)

If the goal is a homogeneous crown, then proceed as follows for the topiary:

• Vary the cutting height of the scaffold drives
• Only shorten branches that are favorable for crown formation by a third
• Cut of dead flowers

During the flowering period, you should Cut off wilted flower panicles continuously, because this type of cut does not fall under the cut prohibition. It is cut because the withered flowers not only take away the sunlight from the buds below, but also You also prevent the butterfly lilac from putting most of its energy into seed formation. So that the new buds can develop well, cut off the tip of the shoots until the next bud.

tip: In the course of removing the withered flowers, you can also cut off overhanging branches up to a branch.

Clearance cut

The aim of the clearing cut is to counteract the balding of the summer lilac. The causes of the baldness can be the following cutting errors:

• multiple cutting during the season
• Formation of branch whorls

Cut the butterfly lilac several times during a season, then it can the base of the shrub becomes bald, with increased budding at the same time Shoot tips. If the butterfly bush has never been thinned, it forms whorls of branches. These are thick branches that have grown together and can prevent each other from growing. In addition, you will only see bare, i.e. leafless branches inside the butterfly lilac.

Another possible cause of the balding is when Buddleja davidii is subjected to a vigorous pruning every year. Balding does not harm the shrub itself. However, the leafless interior of the shrub massively detracts from its appearance. You should therefore thin out the buddleia regularly. Follow the instructions below:

• Cutting off outdated and heavily branched branches
• Cut branches at the base deep into the astring
• also shorten thin base shoots
• Time: early spring

Taper cut

A rejuvenation cut makes a meager butterfly bush fit again, because it makes space for the bush to be rebuilt. Follow the instructions below:

• Remove dead shoots close to the ground
• old resp. Shorten aged scaffold branches to cones with at least one pair of buds
• Shorten strong young shoots to 30 centimeters (replacement for scaffold shoots that are no longer sprouting)
• Shorten the side shoots of the young shoots also 2 buds
• Time: late winter (end of January to end of February)

In the following years you cut the old butterfly lilac like a buddleia in the first years of standing. So you can slowly build it up again.

Remove frost damage

If you notice significant frost damage to the Buddleia after a severe winter, you can ignore the general pruning rules. Proceed as follows:

• Completely remove dead wood
• Cut off all frozen shoots down to the healthy wood

If you are unsure whether it is healthy or frozen wood, you can do so with the so-called. Check vitality test. To do this, scrape off a small piece of bark. If the tissue underneath is light and green, then the shoot is healthy. If, on the other hand, it is brown, then it is dead wood.

Disease cut

A disease incision is carried out regardless of the season, because after all, the disease should not spread. To avoid this, cut off the diseased or infected parts of the plant generously. It is important that you disinfect the cutting tool before and after the cut, because some pathogens hold out for weeks on scissors, knives and saws.

tip: If the infestation has already been cut well in advance, you should also disinfect the cutting tool in between. This will reduce the chances of spreading the disease when you cut.