Getting Rid Of Buddleia

[Daffy6543]

Can anyone give me any tips on completely eradicating buddleia please? We have 4 very large and invasive bushes of it in the back yard. Although I love the fact that it attracts butterflies and bees it is taking over our tiny yard and suffocating/blocking out light to all other plants. It has even started growing in the wall between our house and next door.

[tonyav]

A few tips here, Daffy.
http://www.ehow.com/way_5634971_do-kill-roots-butterfly-bush_.html

[Daffy6543]

Crikey, those all sound like bloody hard work. I wonder if the copper spike would do it properly, that seems the easiest listed there.

[tonyav]

Worth a try, Daffy.

[Chipchopper]

Left un-pruned they can become space invaders.
What I would suggest is, remove the top growth, except maybe for one or two strong branches, left about 2ft high (I'll explain later).

Now you should be able to get in close to where the stems radiate from.
Start digging all around the base with a spade and put the soil to one side, cut/chop through roots as you go. You may find loppers or a mattock also handy at this stage.

You should find now that the stems that you left longer will be useful for pulling and twisting plus laying the bulk to various directions as you undermine the bulk.

Buddleia put out a lot of roots, but I've never known them to sucker, so I don't think it would be necessary to trace all the roots back and remove them (just the main bulk).

[Daffy6543]

I couldn't do that myself chipchopper but I can ask the other half if he is willing to have a go at it, it sounds like back-breaking work!

[Chipchopper]

Not an easy one daffy, but not impossible!

A good pruning saw will be invaluable.

Keep an eye out for seedlings, in the coming years, on the cleared areas.

[jomifl]

Just cut it back to ground level then every and every time it regrows, no need to make hard work of it unless you want to plant something else in it's place.

[Daffy6543]

Thanks chipchopper, looks like it's a trip to B&Q later to buy a mattock, we have a good pruning saw and some secateurs for the above soil bits already.

[Daffy6543]

jomifl, the stumps take up at least 3ft of space each in the border and we have 4 of them, 2 on each side of our very small yard, we would like to get rid of them and plant something smaller and less invasive.

[Chipchopper]

I'm sure you can find a shrub/s that is less demanding on space duffy, there is plenty of alternatives that are also attractive to bees and butterflies.
I have an 'Abelia' whats always teaming with bees etc, also potentilla is good in a sunny spot and don't get to tall neither.

[Chipchopper]

Sorry I called you Duffy, Daffy

[Daffy6543]

I will keep those in mind chipchopper. We have decided that the larger two out of the four bushes are going to go and we will plant something else there next spring. My other half is planning to have a go at digging them up later this week.