Soil & potting mix

Best soil for Buddleja 'Lo and Behold Blue Chip' (Buddleja davidii 'Tobudchip' (Blue Chip))

Also called Blue Chip butterfly bush, Lo & Behold Blue Chip.

More about buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip'

Buddleja 'Lo and Behold Blue Chip' soil at a glance

Best mix	Well-drained, moderately fertile soil
Light	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)
Ideal temperature	-23 to 32°C (-9 to 90°F)
Watering	Weekly while establishing, then only in dry spells

About Buddleja 'Lo and Behold Blue Chip'

Buddleja davidii 'Tobudchip' (Blue Chip) · also called Blue Chip butterfly bush, Lo & Behold Blue Chip · flowering

'Lo and Behold Blue Chip' is a dwarf, mounding butterfly bush smothered in blue-purple flowers from summer to frost. Bred to be near-sterile and non-invasive, it suits containers and small gardens and rebllooms without deadheading. Give it full sun and free-draining soil, and tidy it with a hard spring cut for the tidiest, most floriferous habit.

Preferred mix: Well-drained, moderately fertile soil

Watch for — Crown rot in wet or winter-wet soil: Dwarf buddlejas are prone to crown rot in heavy, soggy ground, especially over winter. Plant in sharply drained soil or a free-draining pot.

Why buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip' needs this mix

Buddleja 'Lo and Behold Blue Chip' flowers hardest in a rich but free-draining loam — fed enough to fuel the display, open enough that the roots never waterlog.

Flowering is expensive for buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip': producing buds, blooms and seed draws heavily on nutrients and steady moisture, so the soil has to keep delivering all season.
A loam-based mix holds nutrients and water far more evenly than a light peat mix, which means a longer, more reliable flowering period.
It still needs sharp drainage — most flowering plants resent cold, wet feet far more than they resent being a little lean.

For the full picture on what makes up a good mix, see our guide to the main types of soil and potting media — it explains why each ingredient above behaves the way it does.

What goes wrong with the wrong mix

The wrong soil is one of the most common reasons buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip' struggles, and the damage often shows up weeks later as a watering problem. For this species specifically:

A thin, hungry or sandy mix gives buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip' weak growth and few, short-lived flowers — it simply runs out of fuel.
A heavy, badly drained soil rots the roots or crown, often over a wet winter, and you lose the plant before it ever flowers again.
Over-rich, high-nitrogen mixes can push lush leaf at the expense of flowers — balance, not excess, is the aim.

Either starving buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip' in a thin mix or drowning it in a heavy, badly drained one. It wants the rich-but-free-draining middle, plus a flowering (higher-potassium) feed in season.

pH — does it matter for buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip'?

Most flowering plants, including buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip', do well around pH 6.0-7.0. A cheap soil test is worth it outdoors; one notable exception is any acid-lover (such as some hydrangeas), where pH directly changes flower colour.

If you want to check or adjust it, the soil pH guide walks through testing and the safe ways to nudge a mix more acidic or more alkaline.

DIY mix vs a bagged one

A quality bagged compost works for buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip' in pots if you add grit and a flowering feed. In beds, improving the existing soil with compost and ensuring drainage beats any bag.

Drainage and the pot

Free drainage protects the roots and especially the crown over winter — raised beds, grit in the planting hole and never a waterlogged spot. Containers must have a clear drainage hole.

For perennials, refresh the top layer and feed each spring rather than disturbing the roots; for container displays, start with fresh rich mix each season. When the time comes, our repotting guide for buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip' covers the timing and technique step by step.

Buddleja 'Lo and Behold Blue Chip' soil — frequently asked questions

What is the best soil mix for buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip'?

3 parts good loam or quality peat-free compost : 1 part well-rotted compost or leaf mould : 1 part grit or perlite. Flowering is expensive for buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip': producing buds, blooms and seed draws heavily on nutrients and steady moisture, so the soil has to keep delivering all season.

Can I use normal potting soil for buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip'?

A thin, hungry or sandy mix gives buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip' weak growth and few, short-lived flowers — it simply runs out of fuel. A quality bagged compost works for buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip' in pots if you add grit and a flowering feed. In beds, improving the existing soil with compost and ensuring drainage beats any bag.

Does buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip' need a special pH?

Should I buy a bagged mix or make my own for buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip'?

How often should I refresh the soil for buddleja 'lo and behold blue chip'?

For perennials, refresh the top layer and feed each spring rather than disturbing the roots; for container displays, start with fresh rich mix each season. Free drainage protects the roots and especially the crown over winter — raised beds, grit in the planting hole and never a waterlogged spot. Containers must have a clear drainage hole.