|
| I purchased a 4" grower pot of the Black Knight butterfly bush this season and am planting it in the front of my new home. I know they are praised as being "quick" growers but curious how many seasons it will take to reach the 6-8ft mark and fill out nicely. Also, what kind of growth can I expect in one year?
I have purchased numerous plants online and have always been happy with how well and big they grew in one year but never anything that was supposed to reach such a large size so have nothing to compare it to. Maybe I should plant something around it until it fills in and then move those plants to a different area? Thanks for the help! |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by gardenweed_z6a 6a CT (My Page) on Tue, Apr 24, 12 at 13:29
| My B. Black Knight grows to 5-6 ft. each year. I cut it down to about 10" in spring and it regrows taller than I am every year. |
|
- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Tue, Apr 24, 12 at 15:27
| a new transplant.. is not going to grow like weeds established plant does ... plant things around it ... for the season ... as to how fast FOR YOU.. depends on soil.. weather.. sun.. water.. etc ... and no.. fertilizer.. will not speed maturity ... ken |
|
| Thank you both. Gets full morning sun, sunrise till around 1 and soil has been amended pretty well in the bed. I will just have to wait it out and plant something I can easily move around it in the mean time. Thanks for the input. |
|
| I have a mature Black Knight also that I bought in 2005. Usually it gets to about 7 feet, and I deadhead regularly to prolong blooming. The vole ate half of its roots this winter, although the half that's left will still be big (thank goodness it didn't eat all of it!). IIRC it was originally in a 2 gallon pot and it hit about 4-5 feet the first year. I remember Monarch butterflies visited it that year. 4 inches is pretty small. I would pamper the plant and keep it watered if it doesn't rain. Top dressing with compost works wonders. It may not do much this year because it will probably spend more of its resources establishing a good root system. Be sure to deadhead so it doesn't put any energy into producing seed. Some people even remove flowers so it puts all its energy into foliage and roots, but it's hard to sacrifice blooms! Yours might 2 feet this year, 4 feet next year, and maybe 6 the next? But that's just a guess. |
|
| I wouldn't be surprised if it puts on a fair amount of growth this year and hits at least 4 or 5 feet next year. Mine was purchased in a pot of less than a gallon and it achieved its full size in 3 years. I'd suggest planting annuals nearby so you don't have to move things so soon. |
|
| Since I love the way the bush looks I am considering looking around at local nursery's for a 3-5 gallon plant to use for the front yard so that it fills in quicker and use my small plant in the backyard since I will be the only one witnessing its growth back there (and enjoy that). I appreciate everyone's input! |
|
- Posted by gardenweed_z6a 6a CT (My Page) on Wed, Apr 25, 12 at 10:39
| They are super-easy to grow from seed via winter sowing. I grew lots of them in 2010 and planted at least one in every bed in my garden. They all grew to full size and bloomed the second year. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Perennials Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.