Pruning budley for the winter

In recent years, the cultivation of budley and its varieties is gaining popularity among flower lovers around the world due to the spectacular appearance of the culture and unpretentious care. gardeners also liked this beautiful plant, and therefore many are interested in what is caring for a budley in the fall. This issue deserves a detailed analysis.

Frost-resistant varieties of budley

Budleya is not without reason called the “oriental beauty.” The countries of warm latitudes are considered its homeland, so it is not surprising that the plant feels most comfortable in the southern regions. However, growing a budley in a summer cottage in the climate is also quite realistic with proper care and due attention.

Since buddleia has gained popularity far beyond the subtropical zone, breeders regularly develop new varieties that can please the eye of those who live in a less hospitable climate.

The most frost-resistant varieties of plants include:

• David’s Buddley, in particular Empire Blue, White Profusion, Pink Delight and Royal Red;

  

• Budley Vycha;

  

• Budley Wilson.

  

They are able to withstand frosts down to -23 ° C.

In addition, among the variety of species, representatives with average winter hardiness are distinguished, among which:

• Budley Japanese;

  

• White-flowered budley.

  

Propagation of budley cuttings in autumn

People who have previously dealt with the cultivation of budley know that it is intensively propagated both by cuttings and with the help of seeds. However, in the climate, even with proper care, it is far from always possible to grow a budley with seeds, and therefore the second breeding option is common in this area.

For budlea cuttings, planting material is harvested in the fall, during the autumn pruning of the shrub. Cuttings are best made from one-year-old branches of the plant, cutting them at an angle of 45 °.

Planting of cuttings is carried out with the onset of spring or in the autumn months after pruning is completed.

Autumn planting of the plant is carried out according to the following algorithm:

1. Shrub cuttings are placed for 5-10 hours in a solution of Kornevin or Heteroauxin.
2. In loose soil, deepenings are made and watered abundantly.
3. Then the shoots of the budley are placed inside by 3 – 4 cm. The distance between them should be 1,5 – 2 m.
4. After that, the cuttings of the plant are covered with plastic bottles wrapped in polyethylene and left until spring.

How to plant a budley in autumn

Planting budley in open ground in autumn is not much different from the same process in spring. In autumn, the choice of a seat must be approached with particular care, giving preference to sunny areas protected from drafts. It is best to carry out autumn planting on a sunny, dry day at a temperature not lower than +10 ° C.

The type of soil is not particularly important for the plant, it can grow in almost any area. The main thing is that the soil is not excessively wet, otherwise the root system will begin to rot.

Having decided on the place, you can start planting the “autumn lilac”:

1. First, they dig a hole with a depth of 30 – 40 cm. In width, it should be 2 times the diameter of the budley rhizomes.
2. Then, high-quality drainage is laid at the bottom of the recess with a layer of 10 – 15 cm. Peat, shavings or charcoal are suitable for these purposes.
3. A layer of organic sub-crust, such as compost mixed with ash, is placed on top of the drainage material.
4. Next, half of the previously prepared soil is poured into the pit.
5. The plant is dug out together with an earthen clod, making sure that the roots are not exposed.
6. Carefully move the budley to the chosen place.
7. Fill up the remaining soil.
8. After that, the soil is compacted. If in the autumn period in the next 2 weeks cold weather and precipitation are not expected, then the near-trunk circle of the bush is watered abundantly.

If you plant a budlea in the fall according to all the rules and organize proper care for it, then it will have time to take root before the frost hits. However, the chances of success will be much higher in those regions where temperature changes are not sharp. But even in this case, it is worth remembering that planting in the fall is quite traumatic for the plant, and you should not do it without extreme need.

Budley transplant in autumn

Despite the fact that the budlea is quite unpretentious in its care, this plant does not tolerate transplants, since its taproot is deep in the ground, its extraction can injure the root system of the bush. However, sooner or later it may be necessary to transplant the budley to a new place, and the spring period before the start of the growing season is considered the best time for this, when the risk of sudden frosts is minimal and the soil is warm enough.

In autumn, the budley is transplanted only in extreme cases. At this time, the chances that the plant will take root are very low, even with proper care. If in the autumn it is transplanted into open ground, it is likely that the shrub will not survive the winter months, as it simply does not have time to gain a foothold in the new site. Therefore, if possible, it is worth postponing the procedure until a more suitable time. In the event that an autumn transplant of buddleia is inevitable, the plant should be properly cared for for a successful winter.

How to care for budley in the fall

In autumn, the subsequent care of the transplanted budley is not too complicated and comes down to mulching and pruning.

Many gardeners are interested in the question of whether, before sending the plant for the winter, watering and fertilizing should be included in the procedures for caring for the budley. This largely depends on weather conditions.

It is worth watering the plant in the fall when the weather is dry and sunny and only if the soil near the budley bush is completely dry. Before that, you need to dig a ditch around it and irrigate it using settled water at room temperature. The ditch should not be made very deep, since the roots of the budley lie close to the surface of the soil. This method of autumn watering will help the budley rhizomes absorb more water.

As for feeding the budley, then, according to the recommendations for care, it is not advisable to carry it out in the autumn season. So the culture will winter better in open ground. On the other hand, top dressing introduced into the pit during planting work will not harm the budle.

Such a care method as mulching in the fall will also help prepare the budley for the winter. An air space is created between the soil and the mulch layer, which keeps the roots from freezing in winter and provides optimal heat transfer for the shrub. Budleys use peat, rotted manure or straw as mulch. Autumn mulching is carried out immediately before the plant is covered.

How to cut a budley for the winter

Trimming the budley is another important point in the care of the shrub. Often, this procedure is understood as spring pruning, which precedes the growing season. However, they cut off the budley in the fall, before sending it to spend the winter. This method of care is not aimed at giving the plant an aesthetic appearance, but has a practical goal – to make life easier in late autumn and winter.

Do I need to trim the budley for the winter

Being a culture of tropical origin, Budleya is quite sensitive to low temperatures. Even frost-resistant varieties, such as, for example, David’s buddley, often endure the cold with problems and need special preparation for winter. The ability to properly cut shrubs in the fall affects how the plant will subsequently be covered and whether it can quickly wake up from wintering with the onset of heat. Therefore, in temperate latitudes, budley pruning in the fall is mandatory.

Preparation of tools and materials

The procedure for trimming budley in the fall does not require the purchase of any special tools. To do this, it will be enough to have a standard plant care kit that every gardener has. It includes:

• pruner for plant branches 25 mm thick;
• gloves;
• protective glasses.

If pruning in the fall is carried out over tree-like varieties of budley, then it will not be superfluous to get hold of a stepladder and a lopper. The latter will help in removing thick branches up to 5 cm in hard-to-reach places of the autumn lilac crown.

Trimming time

Experienced plant growers who know a lot about caring for a budley are advised to prune the shrub from the second half of autumn, as soon as its leaf blades begin to blacken. The timing of autumn pruning is influenced by climatic conditions in the region and what kind of care the budley received during the season. As a rule, this procedure falls on the end of October – the beginning of November.

How to cut a budlea for the winter

Autumn pruning of buddleia does not require special skills and efforts, however, when starting the procedure, one should take into account the area where the crop is grown and its variety. So, when pruning David’s budley in autumn in areas close in climate to the subtropics, you only need to shorten the branches by 5-10 cm. This will be enough for the plant to live until spring. And even if, in the event of a sudden cold snap, the aerial part of the budley freezes, the shrub will quickly sprout young shoots as soon as the weather is favorable.

In other climatic zones, they practice autumn pruning of buddles under a stump, leaving only cuttings of 20 cm above the ground. In this form, it will be easier to cover the plant, and it will not suffer from frost.

Crop care after pruning

As soon as the autumn pruning is completed, the budley does not require any further care, until the next summer season. All that remains to be done is to clear the area around the bush of debris and take care of creating a shelter.

How to cover a budley for the winter

Since most types of budleys are heat-loving, winter for such shrubs is a very harsh time. From how the plant is prepared for wintering, its well-being and further flowering directly depend.

Tender young shrubs that have not reached the age of 2 to 3 years are especially affected by temperature changes, since they are most likely to freeze in the area of ​​u5bu10bthe lower branches. But if the temperature indicators do not fall below XNUMX – XNUMX ° C, then there is a possibility that with the advent of spring, young buddles will recover quickly enough. In more severe frosts, the shoots will hardly grow green mass and will begin to bloom weakly.

To avoid this and ensure a successful wintering for buddles, it is worth taking care of proper care for them in the fall by building a shelter from frost:

1. First, a special frame is made about 20 – 25 cm long. It can be made of wood or wire mesh.
2. Then it is wrapped with a waterproof cloth or other water-resistant material, such as polyethylene or roofing felt.
3. After that, the frame is carefully fixed with stones from all sides so that it is not blown away by the wind.
4. Dry leaves or hay are placed inside the structure. To cover a budley in a climate with slushy autumns and mild winters, in no case should film or sawdust be used, otherwise the shrub will rot under such shelter.

Features of preparing budley in autumn for winter in the regions

Often, the nuances of how to prepare a budley for the winter become clear when analyzing the characteristics of the region in which the bush is to be grown. Each area has its own nuances for plant care.

In outskirts of Moscow

So, in the region near Moscow, where the winter months are relatively warm, but characterized by humidity and unstable precipitation, gardeners make impromptu greenhouses from polyethylene. The way to build this structure is described above. Often, this measure is sufficient for the well-being of the plant.

In the middle lane

In the climate of the central zone of the Federation, during the autumn frosts and winter colds, it is imperative to make the most protected shelters. Under these conditions, buddleia, grown from the seeds of shrubs that grew here, and not in warm regions, winters most successfully.

In Siberia and the Urals

Before wintering, budleys in the Urals and Siberia sheltered shrubs are mulched with sawdust. This method successfully protects the plant from freezing, however, the effectiveness of the method extends only to these areas. In warm regions, wood shavings can only kill the budley, as it interferes with the circulation of moisture in the soil and can lead to bud rotting.

In the Volga region

In the Volga region, budleys are often grown as a tub culture, and during the winter they transfer tubs with a plant to a basement or other frost-free place.

If the shrubs are still grown in open ground, then since autumn they have been building a film greenhouse into which a dense layer of mulch is laid, or a box is installed on top of which spruce branches are laid out.

How to save a budley in winter

Often, when caring for a budlea, even experienced gardeners face difficulties due to the fact that the plant is reluctant to leave the winter state of dormancy and begins to grow greens only by autumn. In some cases, the shrub completely freezes out. It will not be possible to completely insure your plant from this problem, but you can reduce the risk if you follow simple winter care recommendations:

1. At the age of 1 – 2 years, even the most winter-hardy species, such as Vich’s buddle or David’s buddle, are moved to a pot for the winter and placed in a dark, well-ventilated room or basement. The air temperature should not exceed 10 – 12 °C. In this form, the shrub will overwinter without problems in the absence of watering and light, and in April it can be transplanted to a permanent place.
2. The last top dressing of the budley should be carried out no later than the beginning of autumn: best of all in June-August.
3. All plants in areas where the thermometer drops below -5 ° C are subject to shelter. If there is no need for more complex structures, you can protect the bush with spruce branches or brushwood. Snow is also great for hiding.
4. It is better not to use sawdust and autumn foliage to protect the budley from the cold. This material retains water and does not allow air to circulate, which can cause the plant to rot.
5. Before the construction of the protection, the budley shrub is subjected to hilling to the height of the 3rd bud on the remaining stem. The soil used for the procedure must be dry.

If you follow these rules for care, then the plant will easily survive the autumn cold snap and the most severe cold.

Conclusion

As you can see, caring for a budley in the fall, although it has many nuances, is not too difficult. The implementation of the recommendations, care and attention will ensure the health of the plant not only in the autumn period, but throughout the year.