Buddleia propagation

I generaly grow these from seed but last year I purchased "Evil Ways" from PDN and don't know if it will come true from seed. I'd like some more in different areas of my yard which means I need to do cuttings which I've never had any luck with in the passed.

I didn't think about propagating until after I pruned it and tossed the trimmings onto the compost heap so I'll either have to wait till later in the season or do softwood cuttings. Any advice welcomed.

Peggy

Peggy, air layer some of the stems/branches - it's the easiest propagation method IMHO. Get some wet moss, wrap it around the stems you want to propagate, wrap all that in saran wrap, secure with twist ties and you're done. Keep an eye on the moistness of the moss - takes from three weeks to three months. When you see roots coming through the moss, clip them from the mother plant and pot them up. It's almost fool-proof!

Kay, do you have to cut the branch you're layering or will it form roots right off of the branch?

I've have to wait until it grows some. It's just now groing out from earlier trimming.

Do not cut the branch - just scrape a small area on the branch, dust some rooting compound on the area, and wrap - roots form on the scraped area.

The link below is to illustrations of how to do air layering:

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/ornamentals/airlayer/airlayer.html

Thanks!

Good luck, bigred!

Kay, I wonder if that technique would work for my Night Blooming Jasmine?

Kay, thanks for the good air-layering instructions. I did some years ago, but this way is better.

As I recall, buddleia and night blooming jasmine are pretty easy to root by regular rooting methods. (10 sticks in a pot with a cover to keep humidity up) Depends, for me, on whether I want lots of new plants (rooting) or just want to entertain myself by trying this new (to me) air-layering method.

BTW, my last encounter with night blooming jasmine was in Ft. Lauderdale about 1953- I got sooooo tired of that sweet smell at night, outside my bedroom (no A/C in those days) that I dug it up and threw it away.
Paul

Peggy, use semi-hardwood cuttings in the fall is best. During the growing season, provide some shade and keep watered well, they will root year round outdoor even.

Due to limited space, I just poke them into pots and container and left them to mother nature to care for each Fall. The following spring I'll have plenty of babies butterfly bushes.

Paul, Ive noticed that people either love NBJ or really hate it. I happen to be one that loves it. I too had an entire hedge of this stuff outside of my bedroom window and the smell would fill my room at night in the summer. loved it. The one (new) bush I have now isnt planted very close to the house but I really enjoy the fragrance.

I've only have three...a white blooming,weeping form and this new gold leaf one. I use to have more but over the years they've just sputtered out.

well, looks like I'll be starting my Buddleia propagation early. I accidentally broke of a stem of one while watering the garden (flipped the hose to get rid of a kink and it landed on my Buddleia). So, like it or not, Im about to plunge into rooting a cutting...LOL.

There ya go - whatever works!

lol, well, lets hope it takes

I have a big banana shub...um...more like a tree....that overwhelms me when it blooms. It's blooming now and I try to remember to take the long way around as much as possible when I'm in the yard. I use to think it smelled great when it was smaller w/ few blooms but now it's 15-20 ft tall and heavy with buds and blooms. A small branch in a vase in the house is nice but "Whoa,baby! A whole tree that big in bloom"....Toooo much!

Peggy, I have banana shrub too, do you know if it is easy to root?
Thanks, Linda

Linda,
I haven't had any success. I even tried burying a lower limb,left it down a whole year and still nothing.

Thanks Peggy, I will research it and see what I can find out. I will let you know if I have any success. Linda