Advice on planting a Buddleia plug

RainbowsInTheSpray

Have just invested in a 'Black Knight' cultivar - quite a nice plug through the post with healthy roots and foliage, just under a foot tall. For the moment I've just shoved it into some standard multipurpose compost using an appropriate sized pot (I think).

Are there any thoughts about how to nurse this through the coming winter? Should I actually risk planting it out? Any advice gratefully received.

roddydogs

Buddleias are tough, should be OK.

Flugelhorn

I think sometimes these are happier in the ground than in a pot 

twopenny

They are a tough shrub that grows in gutters, coast and the roof tiles.
Because this has been hot house grown it's a good idea to let it recover in a pot.
Don't feed it, water only enough to damp the compost right down if it gets really hot or to stop the new roots drying out.

Plant it out late September/October and firm well in.
I wouldn't do any more than that for its first year. Just wait for the butterflies 
After that it should take care of itself.
Remember, don't kill it with kindness. These are scrub shrubs.

Oh, pot, an inch or so bigger than the original. Coarse compost.

Farway

As above, and remember they are really easy to root from cuttings should you want more

Just a stick shoved into the ground in Autumn will root by the next summer

35har1old

RainbowsInTheSpray said:

Have just invested in a 'Black Knight' cultivar - quite a nice plug through the post with healthy roots and foliage, just under a foot tall. For the moment I've just shoved it into some standard multipurpose compost using an appropriate sized pot (I think).

Are there any thoughts about how to nurse this through the coming winter? Should I actually risk planting it out? Any advice gratefully received.

Plant will grow to 6 to 8 feet in height and a spread of 3 to 5 its mesnt to be a hardy cultivar.

Katiehound

If you are going to leave it in a pot I would put in something like John Innes number 3 compost . personally I would plant out, maybe use the 'puddling in' method.

ArbitraryRandom

Just be well aware that if you plant a buddleia in your garden you will - always - have a buddleia in your garden, and it can easily take over if you're not firm with it. It's less about 'nursing it through winter' as it is hacking it back to the ground every few years and ripping up anything it seeds in other parts of the garden before it can take root. 

Farway

ArbitraryRandom said:

Just be well aware that if you plant a buddleia in your garden you will - always - have a buddleia in your garden, and it can easily take over if you're not firm with it. It's less about 'nursing it through winter' as it is hacking it back to the ground every few years and ripping up anything it seeds in other parts of the garden before it can take root. 

And the evil pleasure of seeing them popping up all along the road as years roll by

Katiehound

Except here you are talking about a cultivar and I'm not sure they are quite so vigorous!

We have bog standard ones self sown in the gutters (road side not roof! but they could be) which are now flowering. Roads never get swept.

I have a big one at my holiday home and last month it was a picture with loads of wonderful butterflies including peacocks, red admirals &  frittilaries, not to mention loads of bees. Well worth having!

ArbitraryRandom

Katiehound said:

Except here you are talking about a cultivar and I'm not sure they are quite so vigorous!

I agree they're great plants (and those are some lovely pictures) - I've got a huge one at the bottom of my garden... but no one should underestimate quite how vigorous ANY variety of buddleia can be.

In this specific case: https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/99262/buddleja-davidii-black-knight/details



So I reiterate, anyone planting it directly into the garden should be prepared to prune it HARD in spring (down to a foot), and consider trimming again after it's flowered to discourage spreading by seed. Best bit is, proper pruning will actually encourage more flowers each year (which is better for the butterflies).