I’ve let my buddliah get too big

[NigelPonsonbySmallpiece]

It’s as high as the roof. Branches are as thick as my lower leg and not sure a hedge trimmer would get through them. I know I’m supposed to cut it right back every year. Is it too late now or if I manage to saw through the branches will it be ok?

No it will be fine.

Its flowering now so i would wait until thats over then cut right back hard - leave the main branches about 3ft high. It wont flower again this year but should have loads on next year.

Leave it til winter/early spring and then cut it right back. They are impossible to kill (practically) and it will thrive on being cut back hard.

I hack mine down to knee high every winter and it’s fine. Buddleia grow out of walls and roofs, they’re not divas by any means.

Thank you

Yeah I've been trying to kill one for years, it just keeps poking its little head through!

Hack it to the ground. It’ll still grow back.

The branches are soft so good long handled heavy duty secateurs should handle it. I'd wait till its finished then take it down fairly low.

I have cut some back to about waist height after they've finished flowering then in about February cut them down to 12" or even ground level. One didn't survive the ground level thing but that was what I had intended and now regret

They flower on current year's growth, so the best time to cut them back is in early spring before they start growing.

You can be brutal with them, and cut back to around knee high, and although the trunks are large the wood is relatively soft, so a decent saw will get through ok.

Last year the wind partially uprooted one of mine, so I sawed it off to a little stump about 4 inches tall awaiting some help to get the last bit out. Well let me tell you that it is now 5 ft tall, and so thick and bushy, much better looking than another one I just gave a more traditional pruning to!

Wait until it finishes flowering and hack it back. It will grow again.

My DM cut mine back once to ground level. I was furious with her.

Had to apologise the following year when it was back and flourishing.

I'd wait until the flowers are over and cut the whole thing back to a small stump.

I honestly think I might need a chain saw. There’s no way my long handled secateurs are fitting round it and I had a little attempt at one branch with a hand saw and gave up. 😆🙈