[tenderness]

I have a greenhouse  I have a buddleia in the way. Do I have to butcher it to move it? Will I damage the roots? Tree transplantation techniques welcomed.

It's a nice shape. I know the new growth sprouts afresh each year, but I don't want to hack it to bits. It's tall though, about 15 feet, which is why it has to be moved. Shading greenhouse. Could I get away with lopping the top growth off and digging it out?  Thanks.

[Beetroot queen]

We lived in the US for two years and my dad (bless him) said he would look after the garden. :roll: he didnt when I drove down the hill opposite on our return I could see our tree over the top of the house  :shock:  :shock:

The garden was something out of jurassic park and the only thing to do was hack and it took forever.

The neighbours cheered when the last bit fell. shame the butterflies loved it  :roll:

No other ideas just wanted to share LOL  :oops:

[fletch]

Buddleia are as tough as old boots and I chop mine down to about 6 inches every Spring and they always end up over 9 feet tall by the end of the summer.

The problem you may have is with the rootball as I imagine it will be quite large and not transplant well.

I hate to say it but I would just have a go and if it dies get rid and buy a new one, I bought a really dark purple one last Autumn for £2 and it has been fabulous this year.

[tenderness]

Thanks fletch and beetroot queen, I'll enlist some help from someone who is more adept with treeloppers than I am....

[mrs bouquet]

Buddleia are as tough as old boots and I chop mine down to about 6 inches every Spring and they always end up over 9 feet tall by the end of the summer.

The problem you may have is with the rootball as I imagine it will be quite large and not transplant well.

I hate to say it but I would just have a go and if it dies get rid and buy a new one, I bought a really dark purple one last Autumn for £2 and it has been fabulous this year.

I agree with fletch, in all that he/she says.  Have a look round though because they do self-seed fairly freely and you may spot a baby that you could start afresh with.  Good Luck, Mrs Bouquet

[muntjac]

take a dozen cuttings now and then dig out the stump .dump it wait for new cuttings to rooot and pot upo till spring plant out then.,wait 2 yrs and you have not one but 6 trees for the butterflies to feed on

[GrannieAnnie]

My friend worked at a nursery that was closing down, and in the garden there they had a buddleia globosa.  It was about 10 foot tall.  They used to teach people with learning difficulties, and my friend said we could have the buddleia.  So on the day we went to dig it up, one of the old boys had already dug it up, minus its main taproot!!!  But we planted it anyway, took some cuttings just in case and just kept chucking buckets of water on it every day.  

It took and has lots of babies that I've either planted or given away, and you should see the amount of butterflies on it today!!!

So dig it up, and have a go and like Munty says, takes cuttings too!!!!  They take really well.

[fletch]

[/QUOTE]and has lots of babies that I've either planted or given away

And they all took very nicely Annie!.

[GrannieAnnie]

Oh of course Fletch!!!!!   I'd forgotten!!!!!!  Oh good, pleased they have taken okay for you!!!!    

[tenderness]

Well thanks all! This is a very optimistic response. I was sort of starting to accept that the 'tree' has to go, but quite upset about it. It really doesn't make sense to have something towering right over the greenhouse.

So, I'll do what I can with cuttings and plant out in the Spring. Thanks again everyone  

[Johndeb]

You can grow a buddleia from a root cutting.  So don't take too much trouble.  Cut off the top, dig up the stump, replant it and sit back and watch it grow.