kuntrygal
Texas ~ Zone 8
Posts: 3436
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| Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 5:56 pm Post subject: Butterfly bush trimming |
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After the bush blooms (each pod thingy)... are you suppose to cut them off? Gosh, I feel so dumb! 
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Gaylyn ~ 2277 ~
"I'm so far behind, I thought I was first"
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, It's about learning to dance in the rain"
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Jewell
 Regular Plants Contributor
Puget Sound Region of the Pacific NW (Washington State, US)
Posts: 1587
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| Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 6:39 pm Post subject: |
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I don't and it doesn't seem to make any difference in the amount of blooms I get (lots). I should because the seeds they produce add lots to my weeding. I am from a different region/climate, so maybe someone with a more regional perspective could be of more help.
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~Jewell
If a you have but two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one to sustain your life, and a flower with the other to give you a reason to live. ~Chinese Proverb
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Sjoerd
West - Friesland
Posts: 6915
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| Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:13 pm Post subject: |
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Well, I guess the key word hewre is, "supposed". I don't thi nk that one is supposed to remove the dead flowers. I do however because I have so many and I like to fill up my compost bin with them. I remove some when they are still greenish and soft and then later on I remove the rest which has turned brown and crispy.
Some years I don't do anything with the deas flowers at all and remove them in October and/or March when I am pruning limbs anyway.
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Sjoerd http://www.volkstuindersvereniginghoornenomstreken.nl/Page11.html
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kuntrygal
Texas ~ Zone 8
Posts: 3436
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| Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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OK, thanks J and S. I didn't know if it would bloom better by dead heading it!
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Gaylyn ~ 2277 ~
"I'm so far behind, I thought I was first"
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, It's about learning to dance in the rain"
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real_ale
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 8:11 pm Post subject: pruning butterfly bush |
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Cut back in February to 1/3 and take some cutting from the prunnings, stick them in the ground and they'll root, use thick stems (but this applies in the UK). Doing this keeps the flowers at head high.
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gardentoad
Indiana
Posts: 73
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| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 5:02 pm Post subject: |
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I had 2 bushes about 3 feet apart. I cut the pods and dead flowers off of 1 plant and not the other.
The one I didn't deadhead got taller and the blooms slowly decreased, but didn't totally stop.
The other bush got wider, denser and had lots more blooms until frost.
I let the one go to seed just to collect the seeds. Now I trim all of them.
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StillPinkie
Panama City, Fl
Posts: 44
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| Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:59 am Post subject: |
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Actually, I had 3 butterfly bushes and tried one cutting away the dead flowers and one keeping the dead flowers.
The one that I cut the dead ones away, had way more new blooms then the other one.
I cut the dead ones away on the new I just got. And its sprouting off new flowers everyday.
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kuntrygal
Texas ~ Zone 8
Posts: 3436
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| Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 3:31 am Post subject: |
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I am going to cut mine off and see what happens. I may be disappointed. 
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Gaylyn ~ 2277 ~
"I'm so far behind, I thought I was first"
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, It's about learning to dance in the rain"
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