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Bare root butterfly bush

5 years ago

Friends called a little bit ago, anxious to find new homes for some perennials they were digging up, as well as this (photo), a butterfly bush. How do I handle a bare root shrub like this? Should it be in water overnight? I don't know what I'm doing here!

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Comments (3)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
5 years ago
No picture. But just keep the roots damp until you can plant it. Then water well.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
any plant.. but for bog plants.. should not sit in water for very long ...

i used to put an inch or two of water in a bucket ... insert plant .. and then some rags into the water.. so the rags or newsprint.. soaked up the water.. and kept the roots moist.. but not underwater ... plant within a few days ... hold in shade ...

if you cant get to them fast.. just roughly pot with some damp media .. until you can plant them ...

the plants .... especially if leafed out.. will be very stressed ... and you will need to protect the leaves from direct sun.. for a week or so.. while the roots start pumping water to help the leafs survive ...

or .. pot them up ... struggling without a pic ... and plant them in the net proper planting season.. even if it is fall ...

use the camera/photo icon.. under the box you type a reply in ... to add pix to the reply ...

it helps to tell us where you are.. in each post ... the level of transplant stress will be different as you move north or south ... re: current weather ... etc ...

ken
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I have lots of cuttings if anyone want a box of cuttings, all colors black knight, white frost, white profusion, red royal, pink delight, pink charming, adonis blue, purple affection, summer beauty, and a noid med. lavender. will also trade for hybrid daylilies I have enough common lilys would like some doubles and spiders or?
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with such ... though i have no specific experience .. i would put them in very damp potted media.. and bag them in a baggie ... with the top open.. in bright shade ... [no direct sun with the baggie] whats to lose??? ken ps: common names bring problems.. i presume you are talking about the shrub.. not the perennial ..?????
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You'd probably get a lot better results from traditional cutting propagation methods than from water. The subject has been covered numerous times in the Plant Propagation Forum, so instead of rehashing, I'll just provide the link from the search results below. BTW, non-sterile types of Buddleja/Buddleia are an environmentally-damaging pest-plant in many areas, so check with your appropriate local agency to determine if this plant is an invasive in your area. If it is, there are sterile cultivars that you could safely use without harming your area's ecosystem. The sterile cultivars have been mentioned in this forum at least a few times and should be easily found with a search of this forum or from a quick Google search. Here is a link that might be useful: Search of Plant Propagation Forum for Butterfly Bush
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Oh, that's nice! You want a piece that is woody, 8-10" is a good size. Strip all of the foliage from the lower half, and most of the foliage from the top, especially the larger leaves and any flower buds. Bury the lower end at least halfway. If you make the cut at a severe angle, there will be more surface area of exposed inner layer, allowing for easier uptake of water, especially in the critical first few days. When I trim for cuttings, I carry a jar or bucket of water to put them in until I get to the spot where I'm going to "plant" them. If it's in full sun, setting a lawn chair over it for a few days for temporary shade can help. Water well and often until it starts growing. What is going wrong with yours?
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years ago
You just do not want to let the roots dry out, so if you can't plant right away, wrap in damp newspaper, heel into damp mulch or pot up temporarily. And it never hurts the roots to rehydrate in a bucket of water while you dig the planting hole....soaking overnight is excessive.

These are tough plants, fully capable of growing well from cracks in disused parking lots or in the gravel along the edge of roadways. They don't need much coddllig!

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