Northeast Gardening: Garden Photos of '09......#5, 1 by bbrookrd

bbrookrd wrote:
Ge1836, You are good to get it done. I have one Buddleja that tends to block a major walk by mid summer and just before it blooms, I end up cutting back some of those branches that are about to open and they just seem to put out new buds and bloom later on that side. Those buds may be a bit smaller when in bloom. I have tried to force those blooms on the cut branches, but not too successful.

Here is a collage of the live cycle last summer from not cut back on April 8th, to pruned on April 28th to more than half its fall size. I would say from 10 to 12 feet to 4 feet or about level to the back of the dog in that picture. This year I took a lot out of it in the early winter, but will prune it hard again in early May. I don't think it cares. The others in the yard got a big trimming last Oct and I will not touch them again, except to dead head them. I innocently planted this one years ago, not knowing it would get so big. I don't know which one it is. I call it the backdoor buddleja. It has never self seeded. Patti