Hi Eskota, Pruning sealer is something that Gator and I disagree on. As has been mentioned, Linda Chalker-Scott is not the end-all authority for horticulture, but at least her conclusions are scientifically based. Below is a link of what she has to say regarding pruning sealer. I do think Bug Juice could have a small slight residual benefit if you are concerned about borers colonizing a pruning wound. Not that there is anything particularly special about Bug Juice (i.e. Deltamethrin) vs. other pyrethroids, but any broad spectrum insecticide will tend to slow borers down. I think there could be some advantage to treating large wounds with a strong copper solution. The reason is that large wounds can take many years to heal over. If the wound is large enough the wood in the center of wound can rot before the wound calluses over completely. If that happens, it will leave a hole that could trap water in the hole and slow callusing even more. Copper is decidedly different than asphalt or caulk type products that are routinely sold for wound dressings. Copper will not seal in moisture. I will also point out that my comments regarding copper are not based upon scientific testing. They are based only on deduction and some experience. Deductively, copper has fairly good broad spectrum fungicide activity. Copper is also one of the preservatives of treated lumber. And again copper will not seal in moisture as other wound dressings can. I first learned of this idea from an arborist who posted on a different forum. He claimed to have used this treatment with good success. My experience is also anecdotal. I've tried it on one very large wound. I treated the wound a couple times in the last three years and haven't seen any rotting of the core wood yet. The wound continues to close up. It was probably the largest wound I've made (about 6"). I've made several smaller wounds 4" or less and haven't put any copper on them and they've healed up themselves. I do try to spray big wounds when I spray the fruit for insects and disease. Generally I have an insecticide and fungicide in the tank mix, so the wounds get attention of a sort. I try not to let unwanted limbs get so far ahead of me that I have to use a chain saw. I'm getting better and for the last few years I've only made large wounds where I let central leader trees (like pears) get too tall and am bringing them down slowly. Here is a link that might be useful: Linda Scott - Wound dressings

Hello, Donnas. Yes, sudden cold weather, after spring temperatures have been around for a while, can cause the bark to split if it freezes. You can look around to see if you notice this bark split, although some people report that it may not be visible sometimes until June or so. Some form of winter protection is needed when the weather does this. Can you also make sure that it is getting adequate moisture? Insert a finger to a depth of 3-4" inches and see if it feels dry, moist or wet. If it is dry, it needs more water. If it feels moist, it is doing fine. If it feels wet, it is getting too much water amd this can cause root rot so tweak your sprinkler system. Also, check for borer damage. If a borer got into the plant, parts of the plant above the entry point will die so ck in areas where the dead branches meet live branches. Luis

Butterfly bushes should only be "drastically" pruned to within about 12" from the base, in early spring. You can judiciously prune errant branches, etc., throughout the growing season. Cuttings are easy to grow. Choose reasonably new (not the woody ones) stems about 6" or larger, removing the foliage except for the tip leaves. Rooting hormone helps, but is not necessary. Put the cutting in potting soil, sand, whatever, they are not picky. Enclose the cutting in a plastic bag. I test the cutting by tugging on the top of the stems, and if the stem seems resistant, it has roots. Harden them off from the baggy by opening the top for a few days, and then removing it entirely. So easy to do! Heavy fall or winter pruning is not advised - mine died one year after pruning it heavily in late fall. Now I leave all the dead stems over winter and prune it in early spring. Someone said that they successfully pruned theirs in late fall, but I wouldn't risk it. As Bob says, there are many new dwarf hybrids out there now. Another pretty one is Silver Anniversary. MissSherry has a beautiful Ellen's Blue that I covet...lol. I planted a Nanho purple one time, though, which is a dwarf, and it did not attract any butterflies at all in my garden. Others have said it has for them. The old standbys like Pink Delight, White Profusion, and the yellow flowering buddleias are good nectar sources for sure. Susan

I'm not sure what you were expecting them to look like---but that is pretty much what they do-----only bigger and fuller over time. They don't often have a great form but most people tolerate them for the blooms and fragrance that attract the butterflies and bees. If you cut them now, you would be cutting much of the future bloom, though that could be done as long as it is not a severe pruning and is not very hot and dry. You might wait until they start blooming and thin out a limb at a time so you can bring a few inside in a vase with any other flowers you might have blooming at the time. I have tried to limb them up to make them look standard or tree like but it is a never ending battle to keep the new grow pinched back. I have given up and just let them do their thing.I kind of clip out the dead stuff, thin out a few branches at the trunk and keep the tops at a reasonable height. The wind seems to catch them and knock them over if they get too tall.