Tropicals & Tender Perennials: What do they want?, 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
WOW!!! So many questions to answer.......
Mind you--this is all just from MY perspective and experience---I am NOT some kind of "expert"...

mstish----
YES! I only cut the Brugs back to bring them in. You are in zone 8--maybe your Brugs would survive
outside for the winter--just mulch them well??? Even if the tops freeze off--often the roots survive....
Of course--IF they have to re-grow--you will have to wait until they "Y" again to get any bloom.

Your yellow Brug looks like a Dr. Seuss to me. Why? The leaves have serrated edges....
Do the blooms turn "orangy" when they fade? Do they emanate the most amazing fragrance
in the evening/night? YUP! That would be the Dr.....

From my knowledge--not so all-encompassing--Feel free to correct me!
IF the leaf edges are serrated. it is a Dr. Seuss.
If they are smooth--it is a "Charles Grimaldi"....The blooms are very similar....

I DO NOT keep my Brugs "growing" during the winter months....You can--IF you have a sun-room
or very bright windows to keep them in. If you do--they will even bloom all thought the winter....
Water and fertilize them as usual.....

At my house--they reside in my small, cool, 90% dark basement
with extremely minimal light. I water them, sparsely, a few times during the winter. Just to keep
the root-balls (pots wrapped in plastic bags) from getting totally dry.
Of course--I have cut them all back to the "bones"...
.
I cut them back "severely" for a couple of reasons:

1--They don't care! They will be semi-asleep all the cold months and pop up green as soon
as you put them outside in the Spring...It is amazing!!!! They are indestructible!
2--They will drop all their leaves anyway--so why not cut them all off? Less to clean up.
3--Cutting them back to a "skeleton"--but NEVER below the first "Y"--they are more compact.
4--Also--cuttings taken from above the "Y" will bloom sooner the following season.
ALL my cuttings I share are from above the "Y"! IF they are stem-cuttings from below the 1st "Y"--
the plant will have to re-grow and "Y" before you will ever see a bloom!!!! Maybe not until Fall.

Crit---

Please put the cuttings in fresh Potting Mix asap----You can use MG or any other "MIX". NOT soil!!!!
"Pearlite"helps aerate the soil.. No harm adding some...It is totally inorganic.....
Dip the ends of the Brug cuttings in Rooting Hormone--it helps! Make the hole and put them all the
way down in the pot. Keep it barely moist until new growth appears...

As for how to save seeds-----everyone has their own way. Depends on WHAT you plan to do with them.
Here--in the Mid Atlantic--we have a "Seed Swap" as well as a "Plant Swap" every year...
So--I try to think ahead and be a bit organized.

I am the super-organized type---so--I have my seed-packets all in legal sized envelopes,
in the tiny zip-loc baggies (Wall Mart--100/99 cents in the area where they sell beads).
Most of us use these for seed saving. You got your seeds in these!

SO! I have ALL my seeds in mini-baggies in the envelopes--with the description of them in
typed mini-labels inside the baggies. Al ready to go!
On the outside of the BIG envelope, I have a small photo of what the plant looks like.
Also--minimal descriptions of the care, the color, "annual" or "perennial"...year collected, etc...

I just pass this box around and people can take what they want...
Hands-free trading......I'd rather eat and chat--than have to actively "push" any of my seeds on anyone.

Here is my "Seed Trading" box-----Makes it so easy!
Each mini-zip-baggie with seeds has a printed label in there describing the seed's needs,
the date harvested, and the name of the plant and who it came from.
They are all inside the big envelopes--in individual baggies for the taking...

You can do the same--whether you trade or not....Print out pictures for any future "takers".
IF someone asks you for seeds--just whip one out and send it off--for .44 cents.....ONE stamp.
Sometimes--I don't even bother asking back for postage IF I can send it to someone for ONE stamp!

Don't sweat the Latin names! I don't know them either.
People that just relate to the Botanical names--are WAYYYY above my head....
However--most people will know the common names....It works just as well......Even in PF.

Hope some of this helps you!
Gita