Canadian Gardening: Brugs, 1 by MG99

MG99 wrote:
Hi Shannon, if you're not going to get anymore frost... you can leave them outside. I leave mine in pots all year round, but if I had the garden room, I'd plant them, pot and all in the dirt. That will give them better stability when there's a wind. If you plant them in the pot in the ground, have some holes in the pot, so that the roots can grow out of hte pot. Holes on the sides of the pot, about 1-2" big. When you dig them up in the fall, (because in your zone they won't last in the ground) you will most likely have to cut back the branches, leaving about 6 leaf nodes above each Y in the branches. You can (should) also trim the roots that are growing out of the potm through the holes I mentioned above. This will keep your brug from getting too big, and needing re potting every spring or more often. A good rule of thumb, is cut back the root ball the same percentage as you cut back the branches. That's what I've been told.

These plants also like a lot of feeding. I feed mine 2-3x weekly, 20-20-20, and water them everyday, so long as they are not sitting water. They don't like having constantly wet feet or else they will get root rot.

Most of hte brugs I know, but not all... like some sun, but not hot sun, and some shade. Mine face south, but get afternoon shade from other trees, and they seem to thrive with that.

In a nut shell, that's what I know about brugs. This should at least get you and your new baby well on the road to comfort.

How's the new job going? When are ya coming back out west?

Linda