Is my Buddleia still alive? Help please :)

[DianaB]

Hi everyone,
I've just joined this forum (UK based) as I feel I may need some support as I yet again attempt to create a pleasing garden!
First stop is my Buddleia. I planted this early autumn last year but don't think it has grown much and not sure if it's dying?
I have awful clay soil in the garden so I'm surprised anything grows really!
From the pictures do you think there is still hope?
Any opinions would be much appreciated thank you!

 

[Marck]

Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

Overall this plant looks fairly healthy, but it could use a Spring tonic of fertilizer. Apply a generous layer of compost and wood bark mulch around the base of this plant. This is likely good advice for many other plants in your garden.
Also consider a single feeding of a high-nitrogen fertilizer blend to give it an immediate boost.

This Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii cv. or hybrid) is small now but it will continue to grow, more so in the warmer seasons. Give it time.

 

[DianaB]

Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

Overall this plant looks fairly healthy, but it could use a Spring tonic of fertilizer. Apply a generous layer of compost and wood bark mulch around the base of this plant. This is likely good advice for many other plants in your garden.
Also consider a single feeding of a high-nitrogen fertilizer blend to give it an immediate boost.

This Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii cv. or hybrid) is small now but it will continue to grow, more so in the warmer seasons. Give it time.

Thank you so much for the reply and the advice! I will def do this! I'd not thought of wood bark, this will make it look so much nicer too.
I'll send an update picture when it's done and grown a bit

 

[Esther Knapicius]

The butterfly bush is generally considered a weed. it really does not need to much fussing with, less is better for it. It looks good. BTW if you want butterflies. I find that the Joe pye weed does better than the butterfly bush.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Don't worry, mine looked like that for the first year, i guess until the roots got properly established, this year they are taking off big time (I have a white and a purple). They grow like mad, and it is a good idea to take flowers off as soon as they go over or they will spread a lot of seed. To give you an idea, British Rail spend something like three million pounds a year clearing them, and I have seen one growing from the mortar of a badly pointed chimney.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Give it time.

Just about the best advice ever for almost any garden query.

 

[DianaB]

The butterfly bush is generally considered a weed. it really does not need to much fussing with, less is better for it. It looks good. BTW if you want butterflies. I find that the Joe pye weed does better than the butterfly bush.

Hello!
Thank you so much for your reply! Thanks for the tip and for the Joe pye weed recommendation - I shall bear that in mind

 

[DianaB]

The butterfly bush is generally considered a weed. it really does not need to much fussing with, less is better for it. It looks good. BTW if you want butterflies. I find that the Joe pye weed does better than the butterfly bush.

Hello!
Thank you so much for your reply! Thanks for the tip and for the Joe pye weed recommendation - I shall bear that in mind

Don't worry, mine looked like that for the first year, i guess until the roots got properly established, this year they are taking off big time (I have a white and a purple). They grow like mad, and it is a good idea to take flowers off as soon as they go over or they will spread a lot of seed. To give you an idea, British Rail spend something like three million pounds a year clearing them, and I have seen one growing from the mortar of a badly pointed chimney.

Fantastic! This is good to know!
Oh my word really?? Gosh I shall stop worrying and look forward to it taking over my garden.

 

[DianaB]

Just about the best advice ever for almost any garden query.

Definitely!

 

[riverhamill]

We cut our Butterfly bush down to the ground each year, and it grows back bushy and about 6 feet tall. They are hardy plants. I think yours look good.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

We cut our Butterfly bush down to the ground each year, and it grows back bushy and about 6 feet tall. They are hardy plants. I think yours look good.

Mine have not quite reached that stage yet, but the time will come. I have done it to others in other gardens and they thrive on it.

 

[DianaB]

We cut our Butterfly bush down to the ground each year, and it grows back bushy and about 6 feet tall. They are hardy plants. I think yours look good.

Thanks for the reply! This is good to know

 

[Logan]

I wouldn't worry about it they grow very easily and in very poor conditions, I wouldn't feed it.

 

[DianaB]

I wouldn't worry about it they grow very easily and in very poor conditions, I wouldn't feed it.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[Logan]

Thanks for the reply!

Your welcome