buddliea

hello. I'm new to gardening and know nothing about it at all! So can anyone help me regarding buddlieas, I've managed to pull some twigs of it from a roadside bush at a layby, and have put them in water. that was about 2/3 weeks ago, how do I grow them on?, they range in size from about 3/4 cms long to 20/25 cms long. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Hi bfg,
To be honest, they will have gone past their best after 3 weeks, but it is not the right time to take the cuttings anyway, you are a couple of months to late.
the best time to take hardwood cuttings is from late Sept. to Jan.
Give them a go though, you may be lucky.here's what to do.
take cuttings that are pencil thickness, cutting at the junction of the current seasons growth and the previous seasons growth.
trim to about 6" lengths, cutting at the top just above a bud, or pair of buds and, at the bottom, below a pair of buds.
remove the leaves form two thirds of the cutting, leaving just a few at the top.
dip prepared cutting into water, shake off, and dip into hormone rooting powder, shake off excess powder, insert cuttings into 4" pots of cutting compost around the edge of the pot, about 5 per pot.
place in a heated propogater, or some where warm with light...keep you eye on the watering, not to much, but dont let them dry out.
when you see roots coming from the bottom of pots it's time to pot individual plants in their own pots, and grow on...
you may find it less of a chore to buy some from your local nursery, as they are not expensive, but if you want to have the satisfacton of growing your own, there is nothing better.
hope this helps

[ 01. March 2006, 09:02 PM: Message edited by: rossco ]

 

Hi!
I agree with Rossco about timing, and about the likelihood your cuttings won't take - BUT - you don't have to worry about rooting powder for hardwood cuttings - I always put them directly in a trench in the garden and leave them well alone for months, and they generally work fine! And it saves the rooting powdeer - I'm a thrifty Scot!

 

Good on ya! nixon23, agree about the rooting powder, but just thought it may give the old cuttings a bit of a chance.
I must get to scotland some time as it is a beautiful country, and dont need a passport!! yet!

 

'Liberated' Buddleia are likely to be a pale lilac shade and may not be terribly interesting although you can get lucky and obtain a really free flowing specimen with a good colour so it's always better to aquire plants when in flower. Although not a native, never remove any wild flowers from nature sites and you should always ask permission first. Most folk though would not object to you 'lifting' a seedling or two from a derelict building site which they colonise quite readily

With regard to yours, do they have good roots attached?

If so they might be ok planted out now although it would be better to put them in a pot somewhere a bit warmer untill the last of the frost is out of the ground.

Cuttings would be doubtfull at this time of year as there's little active growth yet but they are tough plants so you never know.

Growing conditions for buddleia are full sun in well drained, preferably neutral to alkaline not overly rich soil. Prune hard after leaf fall in the autumn and remove any dead canes. They can become a bit untidy but more than make up for it with the rich honey scent and the bees and butterflys during summer.

Edit: Just to add, sofwood cuttings can be taken during growth from non flowering shoots in the summer. Hardwood cuttings are taken late autumn to mid winter as has been explained.

[ 01. March 2006, 09:47 PM: Message edited by: frogesque ]

 

WOW! what a lot of replies so quickly! Many thanks to all, I'll try and do as you suggest and if I don't manage it at least I know I can buy some! Once again many thanks