Planting, growing and caring for buddleia in open ground, description of varieties

With the help of flower crops you can create a truly fabulous garden. There are a huge number of unpretentious varieties of flowers. One of them is Buddleia. Growing buddleia is a fairly simple task. The main thing is not to forget about caring for the shrub, and then it will delight the eye with its beautiful flowering for a very long time.

Description

Buddleia is also called Canadian lilac. In terms of the type and arrangement of inflorescences, the shrub really resembles lilac. The inflorescence consists of a large number of small five-leaved flowers collected in a panicle. The length can be different, from 20 to 45 cm. There are varieties with a spherical type of inflorescence.

The color of the petals is usually lilac, with a yellow border in the middle. There are also light pink, red, white, and burgundy varieties. The inflorescences do not have a pronounced aroma, but at the same time they belong to honey plants. Bees, butterflies and other insects constantly fly near the bush.

The bushes are tall and can reach a height of 1.5 to 3 m when grown in the southern regions. In areas with cold winters, buddleia grows up to 2 m. The leaves are long, rich green in color.

Depending on the variety, winter hardiness may vary. Some varieties can withstand frosts down to -20 degrees. And some are heat-loving and cannot tolerate temperatures below -10 degrees.

Features and Benefits

This shrub is native to China. In natural conditions, buddleia comes in only four shades - white, lilac, cherry and red. The remaining varieties with other colors of inflorescences were created by breeders.

The advantage of buddleia is, first of all, its beautiful and unusual inflorescence.Also among the varieties you can find a large number of different shades of flowers, ranging from saturated to white specimens. It is also worth noting that the shrub is unpretentious in cultivation. Buddleia has a long flowering period and rapid growth after planting.

Kinds

Although there are not many varieties of buddleia in nature, breeders have developed a large number of different varieties. First of all, shrub hybrids differ in the shade of their flowers.

David

A mixture of inflorescence colors can be found if you pay attention to the Buddleia David variety. This variety is considered the most common and popular among summer residents. The variety is characterized by spreading bushes. The bushes are easy to form, and the inflorescences emit a light honey aroma during flowering.

Royal Red

The Royal Red variety is characterized by rich burgundy-lilac inflorescences collected in long panicles. The length of these panicles is from 30 to 45 cm. The adult bush is of a spreading type. The height is usually from 2 to 3.5 m. The width of the bush is from 2 to 4 m.

Alba

The shrub of the Alba variety is medium in size, grows up to 2 m in height, not spreading, heavily leafy. Petals are white. The flowering period occurs in July and continues until October.

Black Knight

The Black Knight variety is characterized by rich purple inflorescences, with a yellow border in the middle of the flower. Medium-sized shrub.

Orchid Beauty

A low-growing variety, grows up to 1.5 m in height, not spreading. The color of the petals of the flowers is lilac-pink. The flowering period is late, beginning in August and ending at the end of September.

Flower Power

The bushes grow up to 2 meters. The inflorescences are long, about 30 cm. The shade of the petals is purple and orange.The flowering period is short, only one and a half months.

Harlequin bush

The inflorescences are small in size, up to 30 cm in length. The shade of the petals is rich purple.

Border Beauty

Sprawling bush with drooping branches. The plant grows up to 1.5 m in height and about 2 m in width. The flowers are lavender in color; unlike other varieties, the inflorescence has a strong honey aroma.

Empire Blue

This variety has an unusual shade of inflorescences, the petals are blue-violet. The adult shrub is of a spreading type, the branches are of the drooping type. The bush blooms in July. Flowering continues until mid-September.

Mix

The Buddleia Mix variety is distinguished by the fact that the inflorescences in the bush come in three shades - red, white and lavender. The bush is spreading, tall, growing up to 2.5 m in height.

Pink do light

The inflorescences are pale pink, the panicle grows up to 50 cm in length. The bush is medium-sized, up to 3 m high. The flowers emit a strong honey aroma, thereby attracting insects to the garden.

Ile de France

The height of an adult shrub of this variety is 2.5 m. The inflorescences are about 40 cm long. The petals are violet-lilac. Flowering occurs from July to September.

Vicha

The inflorescences of this variety are large and rich pink.

Wilson

The branches of this variety are drooping, the bush looks like a weeping willow. Lavender inflorescences.

Beautiful

The petals are purple, the inflorescences are large. The bush blooms in mid-August.

White-flowered

The petals are white, the inflorescences are pyramidal in shape. The bush is medium-sized, growing up to 2.5 m in height.

Alternate leaf

This variety belongs to almost wild shrubs that grow in their natural environment. The height of the bush is about 4 m. The flowers are small, lavender in color.The flowering period is very short and does not exceed 25 days.

Snezhnaya

The foliage of this variety is covered with fine white fibers, so the leaves appear to be very light. Lilac inflorescences.

Japanese

A medium-sized shrub 2-3 m high. The inflorescences are collected in panicles of small lavender flowers, emitting a strong honey aroma.

Globular

Unlike most varieties, the inflorescences of this variety are not collected in panicles, but are presented in a spherical shape. The shade of the petals is rich yellow.

Tricolor

The inflorescences are of multi-colored shades, the bush is medium-sized, growing up to 2.5 m in height.

Changeable

The shrub grows up to 3 m in height. In some cases, the height of the plant can reach 5 m. Due to the abundant flowering, the branches droop. The inflorescences are purple in color with a rich honey aroma that attracts insects. The flowering period occurs at the end of summer.

Indian

Buddleia indica belongs to bonsai and is grown at home. This variety is light-loving, and if there is not enough sunlight in the house, for example, in winter and autumn, you need to turn on additional lighting.

Planting in open ground

Planting buddleia in open ground does not require much effort. This plant is very unpretentious and begins to grow quickly after transplantation to a permanent place.

Selecting a location

Buddleia is a light-loving plant, so it is recommended to plant the shrub in open, sunny areas. The shrub does not like drafts, so the place where the seedlings are planted should be protected from cold winds.

Soil requirements

Buddleia is best planted in fertile and well-drained soils with neutral acidity.

Landing dates

The most favorable time for transplanting a plant to a permanent place is the end of April, when the snow has melted and the soil has warmed up sufficiently. Especially if cuttings or seedlings grown from seeds are planted. You can plant a bush in the fall, but only if it is already a fairly large seedling, or planting is done by dividing the bush.

How to plant

Planting shrubs is not difficult, the main thing is to adhere to all the rules of agricultural technology for planting. It is important to remember if the bush grows strongly, so if you plan to plant several bushes side by side, the distance between them should be at least 40 cm.

The process of planting buddleia in open ground:

• Dig a hole 50 cm deep.
• Fill the bottom with drainage and mineral fertilizers.
• Mix a small amount of rotted manure and soil and cover with a layer of drainage.
• Straighten the roots of the seedling and carefully place it in the hole.
• Cover with soil.

Lightly compact the soil near the trunk. At the end of planting, water the bush with plenty of warm water. If the plant was planted in the fall, you can also mulch the soil.

Care

If all care rules are followed, buddleia will bloom profusely and for a long time.

Watering

The shrub is a drought-resistant crop and tolerates heat well. But if the drought lasts for a long time, it is still worth watering the plant several times a week with plenty of water.

Top dressing

Mineral fertilizers for flowering shrubs are added to the soil. Thanks to regular fertilizing, flowering will be more abundant. You can also water the bushes with wood ash diluted in water.

Trimming

Like most shrubs, buddleia needs to be pruned every year.

Necessity

The plant must be pruned. If this is not done, the branches stretch out and become thin, and the bush itself practically stops growing.Regular pruning allows you to increase flowering and prevent the bush from growing.

The right time

In spring, formative pruning of shrubs is carried out. And in the fall, remove dry and damaged branches.

Optimal pruning scheme

As the inflorescences fade, they are cut off. In the spring, formative pruning is carried out. Tall varieties are pruned so that 90 cm of stems remain from the root. For low-growing ones, 30 cm of stems are left, the rest is removed.

How to care after

After spring pruning, it is necessary to add nitrogen-containing fertilizers to the soil under the bushes so that the plant begins to grow faster and it is easier for it to survive the pruning.

Preparing for winter

Buddleia is not one of the most frost-resistant varieties of plants, so before the onset of winter you need to think about covering the bush.

Middle lane

In the middle zone, the shrub overwinters normally without shelter, but it is still better to mulch the soil or cover the soil with spruce branches before the onset of cold weather.

Volga region

In the Volga region, the plant can be covered according to the same principle as in the middle zone.

Siberia and the Urals

When grown in Siberia and the Urals, buddleia must be well covered, otherwise it will die.

Shelter material and technology

In regions where winters are not very severe, you can simply mulch the soil or cover the soil and part of the trunk with a thick layer of spruce branches. In northern latitudes it is better to make a mini-greenhouse. Install wooden beams and stretch plastic film or agrofibre over them. Then cover with fir branches.

Transfer

Buddleia does not need frequent replanting. The plant can constantly grow in one place.You can replant a shrub if it has grown greatly and is preventing nearby plants from growing.

Reproduction

Buddleia is most often propagated in two ways - using seeds or cuttings. Both methods are quite simple and do not require serious effort to grow shrubs.

Cuttings

Cuttings are carried out in the spring. Take green cuttings 20 cm long. Plant them in the soil and water them generously. Then cover with cut bottles to create a greenhouse effect. After a few weeks, the cuttings will produce roots. After two years, the seedlings will be fully formed and can be planted.

Seeds

With the seed planting method, the shrub begins to bloom only in the 2-3rd year. Planting material is planted in containers at home. To make the seeds germinate faster, they are covered with cling film. When the seedlings grow, they are transplanted outside. Young bushes must be covered for the winter; they are very vulnerable and may not survive frosts.

Diseases and pests

When growing shrubs, you sometimes have to deal with insects and diseases.

Whitefly

Whiteflies appear in dry weather. Insecticides are used to kill the pest.

Spider mite

In case of spider mites, severely damaged branches are pruned, and the bushes themselves are sprayed with chemicals in the evening.

Collection and storage of seeds

Collect seeds in September-October, when the bush fades. But they are very difficult to collect, and shoots rarely emerge from them. It's best to buy them in a store. It is recommended to store planting material in the refrigerator.

Possible mistakes

Buddleia planting errors:

• Plant seedlings in unheated soil.
• Do not cover the bushes for the winter.
• Neglect mineral and organic fertilizers.
• Forget about pruning the bush.

Although buddleia is an unpretentious plant, many gardeners make mistakes when growing this shrub.

Use in garden design

Buddleia fits perfectly into landscape design. It is often used as a hedge. The plant goes well with other flower crops, especially low-growing ones.

Reviews

Katerina, 31 years old: “Buddleya is a real find. I planted a bush on my property several years ago. It is easy to care for and Buddleia grows well with minimal care. The inflorescences are very beautiful and fragrant, the bush immediately attracts attention.”

Marina, 28 years old: “I’ve been growing flowers for a long time, and of all the flowering shrubs, buddleia is my favorite. It blooms for a long time, the inflorescences are very beautiful, similar to lilacs. The shrub is unpretentious. It’s true that collecting seeds for propagation is useless; they don’t sprout.”