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The summer or butterfly bush, botanically Buddleja davidii, is extremely popular in this country because it forms beautiful panicle flowers in summer and, as the name suggests, is a magnet for butterflies. However, in order for this to be the case from the start and to remain so in later years, it needs regular pruning. This is carried out in late winter, because from March to September there is a ban on cutting due to the breeding season of the birds. Here you will learn how to cut the butterfly bush properly.
Cut butterfly bush
Before you pick up the scissors and get started, you should pay attention to a few things about cutting so that the buddleia is not damaged.
cutting tool
Since cutting the butterfly bush involves cutting branches and twigs of different thicknesses, you should also have the appropriate cutting tool.
- for shoots with a thickness of up to 2 centimeters, hand scissors (pruners, bypass scissors)
- For branches between 2 and 4 centimeters thick, use pruning shears
- for shoots with a thickness of more than 4 centimeters, a sword or folding saw (for thinning out)
Always make sure the cutting tool is sharp and clean. Not only does this make the job easier, but it also reduces the risk of you spreading diseases with tools.
Buddleia
cutting technique
During the actual cut, you should make sure that you do not squeeze the shoot. If this does happen, then make a new cut below the bruise. Under no circumstances should you continue to cut at the bruised area, because this is an ideal gateway for pests and diseases.
If the faded shoots of the previous year are cut off in spring, then you should
- Start the cut just above an outward-facing bud
- Cut slightly away from the bud (cut slightly at an angle)
To remove ground shoots, proceed as follows:
- Put the pruning shears on the base
- Cut off the bottom shoot at a slight angle
notice: With this slightly sloping cut, irrigation and/or rainwater can drain off better. This serves as protection against fungal infections and other diseases.
cutting time
In addition to the right time in the calendar, there are also some requirements for the right day for pruning the buddleia. It is best to work on a frost-free and overcast day. Sunny and rainy days are not suitable for a cut. Since the summer lilac 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.
Pruning a butterfly bush: instructions
In order for the butterfly bush to thrive vigorously and healthily, you should carry out the following types of cuts regularly:
- Educational pruning of young plants
- Pruning for older plants
- Cut faded flowers
- thinning cut
- taper cut
- education cut
education cut
The education pruning takes place in the first five years of the butterfly bush. The aim of this annual cut is to form a stable framework from older shoots. Because this forms the basis for the budding of the flowering branches.
In the first three years, proceed as follows:
- leave only the strongest 3 to 5 ground shoots
- forming the framework
- Shorten scaffolding to 30 centimeters
- Cut off stunted, dead and superfluous shoots close to the ground
- When: late winter (mid/end of February)
In the 4th and 5th year, proceed as follows:
- Shorten young bottom shoots (from the 4th and 5th year) to 30 centimeters
- Extend scaffold shoots from the first three years by 15 to 20 centimeters per year
- Cut back side shoots on the framework to short spurs with two or four buds
- When: late winter (mid/end of February)
notice: "Pruning on cones" means that branches or shoots are not cut down to the base, but remain about 10 centimeters.
maintenance cut
With the maintenance cut you ensure a long life of your summer lilac. This type of pruning is carried out from the 6th year. The butterfly bush is cut back by half to two thirds every year in late winter. Its height after cutting should be about a meter.
With the maintenance cut you can influence the abundance of flowers as well as growth height and width. The harder you cut back, the stronger growth and flowering. A harmonious growth habit with a homogeneous crown can be obtained with a moderate pruning (shape cutting); cut deeper and 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 making the cut, you should consider what your goal is.
The following instructions serve the goal of increased flowering:
- Ground shoots of the first three years close to the ground on 10 centimeter long cones
- cut off (overaged, lack of frost resistance)
- Shorten side shoots to cones with 2 to 4 buds
- Cut back younger shoots to 30 centimeters
- Always cut the three oldest scaffolding branches in the following years
- When: late winter (mid/end of February)
If the goal is a homogeneous crown, then proceed as follows for the shape cut:
- Cutting height of scaffold drives vary
- branches favorable for crown formation only shorten by a third
- Cut faded flowers
During the flowering period, you should constantly cut off faded or withered flower spikes, because this form of cutting does not fall under the cutting ban. Pruning is done because the withered flowers not only take the sunlight away from the underlying buds, but also prevent the Buddleia from putting most of its energy into seed formation. So that the new buds can develop well, cut off the shoot tip up to the next bud.
tip: In the course of removing the withered flowers, you can also cut off overhanging branches up to a side branch.
thinning cut
The clearing cut pursues the goal of counteracting a balding of the summer lilac. Causes of the balding can be the following cutting errors:
- repeated cutting during the season
- Formation of branch whorls
If you subject the butterfly bush to pruning several times during a season, the base of the bush may become bare, with simultaneous increased sprouting at the shoot tips. If the butterfly bush has never been thinned out, then it forms branch whorls. These are thick branches that have grown together and can hinder each other's growth. In addition, you only see bare, i.e. leafless, branches inside the butterfly bush.
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 affects its appearance. Therefore, you should thin out the summer lilac regularly. Proceed according to the following instructions:
- Cutting off old and heavily branched branches
- Cut branches at the base deep into the branch ring
- also shorten thin base shoots
- Time: early spring
taper cut
A rejuvenating pruning revitalizes a stunted butterfly bush by making room for the bush to rebuild. Proceed according to the following instructions:
- remove dead shoots close to the ground
- Shorten old or senile skeleton branches to cones with at least one pair of buds
- Shorten strong young shoots to 30 centimeters (replacement for scaffolding shoots that no longer sprout)
- Shorten the side shoots of the young shoots by 2 buds
- When: late winter (late January to late February)
In the following years, cut the old butterfly bush like a summer bush in the first few years. So you can slowly build it up again.
Remove frost damage
If you notice significant frost damage to the buddleia after a harsh winter, then you can ignore the general pruning rules. Proceed as follows:
- Completely remove deadwood
- Cut off all frozen shoots down to the healthy wood
If you are unsure whether it is healthy or frozen wood, you can check this with the so-called 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, it is deadwood.
disease cut
A disease cut is carried out regardless of the season, because after all the disease should not spread. To avoid this, cut off the diseased or infested parts of the plant generously. It is important that you disinfect the cutting tool before and after the cut, because some pathogens hold out on scissors, knives and saws for weeks.
tip: If the infestation has already been cut far in advance, you should also disinfect the cutting tool in between. This reduces the risk of spreading the disease when cutting.
