posted
Just wondering if anyone has ever grown Butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii) from seed? I bought some seed from Parks,sowed them, and they r doing really well. Just wondering how tall the plants get the 1st year and whether they will flower. I ended up with about 50 of them! I have given some away, but i'm planting most of them.I know, u think i've "lost" it...LOL!!! I just like birds and butterflies. Gardendreamer03@aol.com
bbbbbbbbb Bob
From: in my garden | Registered: Jan 2003
| IP: Logged
posted
Bob, I don't do much seed my self only what reseeds it's self on the ground over winter.. So I'm not personally sure, found a site that has one question answered..
My next thought would be e~mail the company and they might be able to get back to you with the info...........
Weezie
bbbbbbbbb Weezie
Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it. - Bible - Hebrews 13:2
posted
Weezie, i guess it's not important what it does this year, i was just curious. I try to be positive, and hope that most of the plants i put out flower the 1st year, but i know they don't have a fully developed root system and they will do better the 2nd year. I'm not into veggies at all. My wife's parents flood us with their excess.I'm mainly into perennials and stuff like butterfly bushes and blue beard. Most of what i have,i've started from seed or was given to me. At the moment we are getting excessive rainfall;so, it's going to be interesting to see how this growing season transpires!
Sometimes with annuals they say...to get a better rooting system to cut the flower off to strengthen root.???? Maybe same principle can apply. I have a hard time growing them up North. They grow wonderfully in the summer but have a tough time coming back from spring time....... Maybe I should mulch them. Is the "blue beard" that you grow the caryopteris? I absolutely love that bush. But I have a hard time over wintering that bush but it does reseed for me so I can still have the flowers/bush but it doesn't grow very big. http://msucares.com/news/print/sgnews/sg02/sg020624.html http://www.chicagobotanic.org/plantinfo/pp/PPCaryopteris.html
It's that hard to find elusive "BLUE FLOWER" It smells nice (I think) too!!!
Weezie
bbbbbbbbb Weezie
Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it. - Bible - Hebrews 13:2
posted
Weezie, thanks for the info and web sites. I'm really excited about my butterfly bushes and my bluebeards. I was sold on the blue beards last fall when i was building a barn for someone (he had some growing beside his log home). The butterflies really like them. I have about 40 of them. I've got a few that aren't doing too well and it has got me puzzled. I might have overdid it with the 10-10-10!! I tried testing my soil with my analyzer, but i kept getting inconsistent readings;now i'm really frustrated! I bought it from Parks and it tests the pH and fertility.
I know how cold it gets up in New York-- i'm an ex -Vermonter myself. There are actually 2 varieties of bluebeard and i am growing both. There is the caryopteris x clandonensisand caryopteris x incana.The later is what i grew from seed. The top growth on mine survived the winter here. My only suggestion for u is to mulch your butterfly bushes and blue beards heavy for the winter.I would cut them almost to the ground and pile a "ton" of leaves over them ;maybe they will survive. Being from Vermont i miss the lilacs in the spring time. They just are not common down here because of the heat and humidity.
Celebrating 10 years of helping your gardens grow!
| 
login | 
| 
| 
Printer-friendly view of this topic
