Help with my buddleia!!

My buddleia is quite wonky, it's been like this since we moved in. It grows upright but at the roots it's almost at 30°. Today, because of the winds, it's gone from this;
To this!!

I can't get it to stand up, the wind keeps blowing it over. I've not got anything sturdy enough to use as a splint. Any advice? I've been thinking of cutting it back short anyway, but I don't know what to do! I don't want the wind to snap it

 

It seems to just be bending...

 

Just cut it right down to about 1ft from the ground. It will be back by next summer, all nice and straight. The trouble is right now, its too tall and bushy for the roots to cope with the wind, so its going over, damaging the roots in the process, and those damaged roots still have to sustain all that top growth. If you cut it down to about 1ft, the damaged roots will have less top growth to support, allowing them to heal and develop stronger, and buddleja being what it is, it will be glad of it and will put on loads of healthy new growth in spring.

 

Thank you it's VERY woody at the roots, it's just been left by the previous owners. I've managed to tie it to the gate, hopefully it'll last overnight and I can get the saw to it tomorrow when there's some light!

 

If the wind manages to uproot it completely overnight, don't be put off, just cut it down anyway and then replant it. It will spend all winter settling back in and still be away next year. Its as tough as old boots.

If you wanted to propagate it, this would be an ideal opportunity. Take the healthest looking bits off what you chop off and just shove them into the ground. It roots fairly easily, so probably 50% of any cuttings done this way will take root without any help.

 

That sounds good, I've got a couple of bare patches that I think could handle having a buddleia there I'll give that a go, as there are some nice smaller shoots and you've allayed my fears of it being uprooted, thank you

 

Dagnabbit those dang squizzels!!

 

Haha, yes, all that dancing around it could cause some issues! :D

 

Well, it's all cut down to about 1' as advised I can't straighten it up as the roots are large and wonky themselves, so it'll be a slightly wonky-at-the-bottom buddleia

 

Just keep heeling it in every few weeks and add some top soil or compost around the base. It will soon root itself in nice and firmly . I cut my Buddleia back every year to around 1 foot .

 

Thanks @HarryS can I be really dumb here and ask what heeling is??

 

Its a good question because probably heeling in is not the right term ! What I was trying to say is just press around the base of your plant with your foot to firm it up.
"Heeling in" is digging a temporary trench for plants.