Did a walkabout and checked out my brug that is still growing in the garden. Darn thing just grew all summer long and now, in 55-degree weather, has Y'd! Going to get nipped in the bud. Drat. Is there any way to protect it? I hate to cut off the top. I already have one brug rooted from another one that didn't grow enough this season to Y.
Aaack! My brug just Y'd! Too late in the year
Have you considered erecting a mini-greenhouse around your Brug. Christmas lights, a flood light or even a small heater of some sort may keep it warm enough. What zone are you in?
You can take most of the branch with the "Y" and root it. I tried bubble wrap last winter. Lost 2 out of the 3 Brugs in the ground. The 3rd one died down to about a 1' and had to produce a new "Y". I also had a big wind problem and that may have been partly responsible for the loss because the wind would blow some of the bubble wrap layers off. I've read some people have used the kind of foam insulation used on pipes. Since I don't know what the insulation quality of the foam is, you could be taking a chance of losing the "Y".
well... you can invest in a foam building.. if the plant is under 4' tall and 2' wide.. you could make an enclosure out of three foam pannels 2" thick.... which run 2' x 8'.. cut and glued together for a box.. a small heater inside.. or a big light.. on a thermostat.. .. it would likely run you about $70
+ heating/light costs.. for the bottom ground side of your cube.. cut a channel to the center of the square....and slip it around the trunk.. and then replace the channel removed.. - the diamenter of the trunk... have it glued into place and glue the sides to it..
in a freestanding single box you'll want to put some stakes or poles in the ground on the edges.. and rope across them to keep it in place over the plant.. yes..lots more than the cost of new brugs.. or at least ..most of them.. it's the same for my bigger unit also... but it's not plants you're buying... it's perhaps hunderds of flowers.. starting with an earlier growing season.. are they worth $1 a bloom..
40 MPH winds today here on the foam cool room..again... things still are looking great.. I'm a bit worried about windblown garden articles though.. I haven't tipped my glass table upside down yet.. and something large and airborne could surely damage it at over 40 MPH.. like an auto crash
Been out of town all weekend and will try to get an update on the brug's status tomorrow or Tues. If it looks salvagable, I'll cut off the Y'd top and try to root it. Otherwise, I'll just try to insulate it and overwinter it without killing it.
Gordon, your solution sounds great, but it's a lot more trouble and expense than I'm willing to invest. You're right. I think the cost of new brugs would be less than trying to save this one, which I haven't even seen in bloom yet!
Thanks, both of you. I'll post an update asap.
You will have better luck rooting the top if you include at least some of the woody stem. I cut mine off at the ground and root the whole thing. I have done this for several years now.