With the stormy weather set to continue, many plants in your garden will need a helping hand to protect them from strong winds. One of these plants in particular is the buddleia bush.
While you may have protected your garden from heavy rain, it can feel somewhat impossible to shield taller plants and bushes from strong winds. And although wind can be a helpful tool in seed spreading and pollination, it's also extremely destructive when the speeds get too high.
In addition to protecting your plants from frost and rain this season, the head gardener at Sarah Raven's beautiful gardens at Perch Hill has warned us that now is the time to start protecting your buddleias from the wind too.
How to storm-proof buddleia: an expert's advice
Knowing how to prune a buddleia bush is key to ensuring you're met with a stunning floral display come summertime. However whilst they do belong on the plants to prune in February list, there's good reason for giving the tall bush an even earlier chop.
Sarah Raven reveals on her Instagram @sarahravensgarden, "Large shrubs like Buddleja are vulnerable to storm damage and with more windy weather on the way, what’s the best way to protect them?"
If your garden is somewhat exposed to the elements you might be wondering the same thing. Luckily the solution is simple, you need to give them a good old chop.
Pruning is just as important as watering your garden plants properly, and it's one of the key ways to promote growth. However, during the winter, pruning especially tall plants offers other benefits.
Josie Lewis, head gardener at Sarah's Perch Hill gardens, recommends a light winter prune to take the weight of your larger garden plants as it will help prevent wind rock and splitting.
Wind rock is where a plant is rocked back and forth due to the wind which can weaken their roots, making them break from the soil. Buddleias specifically are at risk of this due to them being tall bushes with countless stems.
"So plants like Buddlejas, we tend to cut hard back in the spring. But at this time of year, so wintertime, we just take the weight off the top of them. If you’ve got storms rattling through, it’s better to take the top off them so they don’t split," explains Josie.
Then when it comes to springtime she advises you to prune the bush down to knee level so the new growth is encouraged.
Come summer you'll have one of the best plants for pollinating thriving in your garden and attracting endless amounts of butterflies.
Shop winter pruning essentials
RRP: £17.78 | To cut tougher stems cleanly, you may want to invest in a pair of hardy secateurs such as these.
RRP: £24 | These professional shears are an 'Amazon Choice' buy, with a 4.6-star rating from over 3,400 customers. Ideal for trimming hedges.
RRP: £22 | These loppers are useful for thicker branches like on your buddleia. These lightweight telescopic loppers, with high-quality blades, easily cut branches up to 4cm in diameter.
After cutting down your buddleias, why not use a sustainable garden hack and use the cuttings for mulch? Whether you let them decompose in your compost bin or cut them down for moisture retention, reusing cuttings is always a good idea!
