Buddleya: planting and care in the open field, description of varieties and breeding methods

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 buddley. Growing buddleia is a fairly simple task. The main thing is not to forget about caring for the shrub, and then it will please the eye with its beautiful flowering for a very long time.

Description

Buddley is also called Canadian lilac. By the type and arrangement of inflorescences, the shrub really resembles a 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 shade of the petals is usually lilac, in the middle there is a yellow border. There are also light pink, red, white, burgundy varieties. The inflorescences do not have a pronounced aroma, but at the same time they belong to melliferous plants. Bees, butterflies and other insects constantly fly near the bush.

The bushes are tall, 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.

Depending on the cultivar, winter hardiness may be different. Some varieties can withstand frosts down to -20 degrees. And some are heat-loving and do not tolerate cold below -10 degrees.

Features & Benefits

The birthplace of this shrub is 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, a 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. Buddley has a long flowering period and fast growth after planting.

Views

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

David

A mixture of colors of inflorescences can be found if you pay attention to the variety of David's buddleia. This variety is considered the most common and popular among gardeners. The variety is characterized by sprawling bushes. The bushes are easy to form, and the buds exude a light honey aroma during flowering.

Royal Red

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 a spreading type. Height, as a rule, from 2 to 3.5 m. Shrub width - from 2 to 4 m.

Alba

Shrub variety Alba is medium in size, grows up to 2 m in height, not sprawling, strongly leafy. Petals are white. The flowering period falls on July and continues until October.

Black Knight

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

Orchid Beauty

Short variety, grows up to 1.5 m in height, not sprawling. The shade of the petals of the flowers is lilac-pink. The flowering period is late, starting 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 with orange. The flowering period is short, only a month and a half.

Harlequin Bush

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. In height, the plant grows up to 1.5 m, in width - about 2 m. Lavender-colored flowers, unlike other varieties, the inflorescence has a strong honey aroma.

Empire Blue

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

Mix

Buddleia Mix variety differs in that the inflorescences in the shrub come in three shades - red, white and lavender. The bush is sprawling, tall, grows up to 2.5 m in height.

Pink Delight

Inflorescences of a pale pink hue, the panicle grows up to 50 cm long. The bush is medium tall, up to 3 m high. The flowers exude 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. Inflorescences are about 40 cm long. Violet-lilac petals. Flowering occurs in July-September.

Vicha

The inflorescences of this variety are large, rich pink.

Wilson

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

Beautiful

Petals of purple color, large inflorescences. The bush blooms in mid-August.

White-flowered

Petals of a white shade, inflorescences of a pyramidal form. The bush is medium tall, grows 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 shrub is about 4 m. The flowers are small, lavender in color. The flowering period is very short and does not exceed 25 days.

Snowy

The foliage of this variety is covered with thin white hairs, so the leaves seem to be very light. Inflorescences of lilac color.

Japanese

Medium-sized shrub 2-3 m high. Inflorescences are collected in panicles of small lavender flowers exuding a strong honey aroma.

Globular

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

Tricolor

Inflorescences of a multi-colored shade, medium-sized bush, grows up to 2.5 m in height.

Changeable

In height, the shrub grows up to 3 m. In some cases, the height of the plant can reach 5 m. Due to the abundant flowering, the branches are drooping. Inflorescences of a lilac shade with a rich honey aroma that attracts insects. The flowering period is at the end of summer.

Indian

Indian Buddleia belongs to bonsai and is grown at home. This variety is photophilous, and if the house does not have enough sunlight, for example, in winter and autumn, you need to turn on additional lighting.

Outdoor planting

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

Choosing a seat

Buddleya belongs to light-loving plants, so it is recommended to plant shrubs in open sunny areas. The shrub does not like drafts, so the seedling planting site must be protected from cold winds.

Soil Requirements

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

Date of planting

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 enough. Especially if cuttings or seedlings grown from seeds are planted. You can plant a shrub in the fall, but if it is already a large enough seedling, or planting is done by dividing the bush.

How to plant

Planting a shrub is easy, the main thing is to follow all the rules of agricultural technology for planting a plant. It is important to remember if the shrub 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.
• Put drainage and mineral fertilizers on the bottom.
• Mix a small amount of rotted manure and soil, cover the drainage layer.
• Spread the roots of the seedling, carefully place it in the hole.
• Fill with soil.

Lightly tamp 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, then you can also mulch the soil.

Care

If you follow all the rules for the care of buddleia, it will bloom profusely and for a long time.

Irrigation

Shrub refers to drought-resistant crops 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.

Feeding

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

Cutting

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

Necessity

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

The right time

Spring is a formative pruning of shrubs. And in the fall, dry and damaged branches are removed.

Optimal cutting pattern

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

How to care after

After spring pruning, it is necessary to apply nitrogen-containing top dressings to the soil under the bushes so that the plant starts growing faster and it is easier for it to survive pruning.

Preparing for winter

Buddleya is not the most frost-resistant plant species, so you need to think about sheltering the bush before the onset of winter.

Medium lane

In the middle lane, the shrub normally hibernates even 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, a plant can be covered according to the same principle as in the middle lane.

Siberia and Urals

When growing on the territory of Siberia and the Urals, the buddle must be well covered, otherwise it will die.

Material and technology of shelter

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

Transfer

Buddleya does not need frequent transplantation. The plant can constantly grow in one place. You can replant a shrub if it has grown strongly and interferes with the growth of nearby plants.

Reproduction

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

Shanks

Cuttings are carried out in the spring. Cut green cuttings 20 cm long. Plant them in the soil and water abundantly. Then cover with cut bottles to create a greenhouse effect.After a few weeks, the cuttings will give 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 sprout faster, they are covered with cling film. When the seedlings grow up, they are transplanted outside. For the winter, it is imperative to cover young bushes, they are very vulnerable and may not survive frosts.

Diseases and pests

Insects and diseases are sometimes encountered when growing shrubs.

Whitefly

Whitefly appears during dry weather. Insecticides are used to kill the pest.

Spider mite

With spider mites, severely damaged branches are cut off, and the bushes themselves are sprayed with chemicals in the evening.

Collection and storage of seeds

Seeds are collected in September-October, when the shrub has faded. But it is very difficult to collect them, and shoots rarely appear from them. It is best to buy them in the store. It is recommended to store planting material in the refrigerator.

Possible errors

Buddle landing errors:

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

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

Use in garden design

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

Reviews

Katerina, 31: “Buddleya is a real find. I planted a shrub in my area a few years ago. Easy to care for, Buddleia grows beautifully with minimal care. The inflorescences are very beautiful and fragrant, the shrub immediately attracts attention.”

Marina, 28 years old: “I have been cultivating flowers for a long time, of all flower shrubs, buddleia is my favorite. It blooms for a long time, the inflorescences are very beautiful, similar to lilacs. The shrub is unpretentious. True, it is useless to collect seeds for reproduction, they do not sprout.”

Recommended