Cut out what has withered in late summer
The shrub blooms continuously from July to October and during this time it continues to produce new flowers while other umbels are still blooming.
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Since the buddleia forms a very large number of seeds and willingly reproduce itself, it is advisable to cut off the bloomed panicles regularly above the next leaf knot. Also in autumn you should carefully clean everything that has faded.
The actual pruning takes place in late winter
Like almost all summer-flowering shrubs, Buddleja forms the flowers on the new wood. By pruning in late winter, the abundance of flowers that appear on the annual shoots can be significantly increased.
Please note the bird breeding season from 1. March to 30th September and pick up the scissors before then.
When pruning, you have two options:
- Taper cut: You can safely put Buddleja back on the stick. Leave about a foot and a half and cut off any branches above a bud.
- Cut back: Shorten flowering shoots from the previous year by up to two thirds. Cut back shoots that are not very beneficial for shaping by at least three quarters. In addition to this, you can thin out the entire shrub.
The right cutting tool
Usually a good one is sufficient Secateursto shorten the buddleia. Since the wood of this bush is hard and brittle, you shouldn't skimp on tool quality.
Bypass scissors are preferred, in which the curved blade glides past the opposite cutting edge when pressed together. Thoroughly clean the tool each time to prevent pathogens from entering the buddleia through the open wound.
Tips
Alternate-leaved Buddleia, which you can recognize by the overhanging branches with dense clusters of flowers, require a slightly different cut. They are carefully thinned out in late winter. From the fourth year onwards, cut out some of the old shoots close to the ground.