Budleya is a beautiful garden shrub native to China. The bush, abundantly blooming, fragrant with marvelous honey aroma, is simply a paradise for a brotherhood of insects and butterflies.
Despite the fact that this heat-loving plant has already learned to grow in the climate of the middle zone, inflorescences-sultans of an exotic beauty are not often found in gardens. Gardeners at first became interested in the late and lush
flowering shrubs, but it soon became clear that the plant is very whimsical, caring for a wake-up for the winter requires additional hassle. Fans were disappointed, and only the most persistent continue to engage in its cultivation.
In a cold climate, the buddlea adapted to survive in the form of a shrub, but for a successful wintering, it is necessary to observe the rules of planting and care, as well as to make the correct shelter of the buddy for the winter. This shrub is not particularly picky about the composition of the soil, but is demanding on the growing conditions. Best of all, it feels on drained nutrient soil with sufficient but moderate moisture. In such a fertile area, the bush grows faster and has a brighter color of inflorescences. The place should be sunny, protected from blowing north winds. Bushes are planted at a distance of about three meters so that the heavy arched branches have enough space to grow. For 2-3 years, young buddies grow up in school and only then they plant them in a permanent place.
An adult wake-up for the winter remains in the open ground, but in the summer it is carefully looked after before: the stem circles are mulched with compost, watered in dry weather, fed with ash or complex fertilizer during the bud formation period. Some gardeners negatively assess the wintering of bushes in open ground. They believe that sheltering a wake-up for the winter does not guarantee her a successful wintering. However, the mistake of most fans of the thermophilic plant lies in the improper preparation of bushes for the winter cold.
Winter wake-up shelters begin in October - early November. When the leaves begin to blacken, in sunny weather, the shrub should be sprinkled with dry earth to a height of about the third bud. Then trim, leaving stems-hemp no more than 20 cm, which cover the spruce branches. The resulting mound should be covered with a wooden box, and on top with roofing material or slate (can be fiberglass). If possible, it would be good to sprinkle the building with snow later, this helps to stabilize the temperature and create a good microclimate inside the shelter. Snow is the best insulation for plants.
To build an air-dry shelter for the wake of the winter, you can use other improvised means, the main thing is to have more air, then the probability of a successful wintering is greatest. In the spring, shelter must be removed to prevent aging. Budleya does not tolerate wrapping, so it is undesirable to use sawdust and film.
To an exotic and slightly moody creature, which is waking, a special approach is required. Despite the opinion of skeptics, it is worth trying to grow a beautiful bush with luxurious inflorescences, over which butterflies will dance.