I have 2 brugs that I drag in and out every spring and fall. I have let them go dormant but next winter I would like to see if I can keep them blooming indoors thru the winter, What kind of lights will I need?
The room I keep them in averages about 65 to 75 degrees.
I keep most of mine in my plant room, so far none of them have bloomed in the winter, it's almost as if they know they are supposed to be dormant, they have nice green leaves but that is as far as they go, the ones I keep in my basement and let go dormant only takes about three weeks to catch up to the ones upstairs. I just brought the ones upstairs, looking forward to spring even though we just got 4" of snow.
Doris
mstish,
With temperatures that high, your Brugs wil certainly continue to grow. You could buy plant lights and fixtures, but they are expensive. You can use florescent lights. The plants should be directly under and about an inch or two from the lights. Use a two light 48" fixture, one that has a reflector to direct as much of the light down toward the plants as possible. Get a cool and a warm bulb for the fixture. Leave the lights on for about 16 hours every day. If the plants are very large, you may need a second fixture. You may want to increase the humidity in the room since spider mites love dry air. Spider mites will be your greatest enemy indoors.
Thanks guys.
If they are not going to bloom, I might as well let them go dormant. I was just hoping I could get blooms year around. Last year I brought them out in April and they didn't bloom untill Oct-Nov. I assumed they are fall blooming plants. But then I read about people here that have them blooming most the year. I don't know what I am doing wrong.
Brugs bloom in flushes. The time between flushes can be as short as 4 weeks or as long as 8 depending on its genetic make-up. If you can keep them healthy and growing, they should produce at least 1 flush, maybe 2. The flushes may not be as lush as they will be outside in natural sunlight, but it would still be worth it.
If you received rooted cuttings from below the "Y", then they had to produce a certain amount of growth before they produced a "Y" and started to bloom. That may take until fall or longer on some. If you retain the "Y", then in subsequent years, they should bloom earlier assuming you fertilize regularly and keep them healthy. They appear to bloom and grow better in milder climates. Here in central Texas, summers are so hot that some Brugs don't bloom much then and become spring and fall bloomers.
All of the plants I over winter have already bloomed, the ones in my plant room have a temp of 75 all winter but I have never had a winter flush, it is like they automaticaly know it's time for a rest, and yes these plants I still give MG every other week, they do stay nice and healthy, and no matter how much I spray I still find those pesky gnats.
Doris
Mine bloomed in winter when I lived iin North Dakota zone 3b. I just kept it in a room that had a sliding door with full sun. I kept my house between 72-78 and a little on the humid side and the plant was well watered. There was also a lamp that was there although not specifically for the brug. Good luck Tina
To kareoke: I use mosquito dunks for gnats. It has cut down on those pesky gnats. They can be bought at hardware stores. I found mine at tractor supply. FYI. It has helped tremendously. It doesn't hurt the plants either!! You can give'em a try. :) Julie
I have kept several plants under lights this winter. I have had no flushes of blooms, but these are young plants. I have however had some in bloom all winter. I use florescent lights, but they are T5, skinny little bulbs with a lot of impact. Very low elecric use also. I am hooked on these lights because for the first time I have been able to keep seedlings growing all winter. No matte what I have done for years I have lost about half of my seedlings through winter. This year I have lost none.
I have mine in the solar room, so they get lots of sunshine, but mine won't bloom during the winter unless I feed them. If I keep them fed they will bloom, at least Versi Peach will bloom its little heart out during the winter. I have Versi and another blooming but it is a NOID.
I also use to have a big white one that bloomed during the winter. Can't remember the name right now. I didn't kill it someone ran over it.....strange story....LOL
Well I do use a good powder for the gnats, and aphids but I had run out and just now found some again,it is Systemic Houseplant Insect Control, when you are planting add the powder around the roots, when done water well, for seeds add the powder to the dirt, water well. the plant absorbes the powder and in turn it kills the bugs.
I just noticed I have 3 buds on my Autum Treasure
I also have used the systemic and it helps keep the spider mites down to minimum....my problem is keeping it up. Especially fighting the spider mites I can't stop .
Hope it works for you.
Mine are in a greenhouse and get plenty of sunshine. That is when the sun isn't being hidden by rain clouds. LOL. I have 2 blooms on Jacayna and some buds on Seminole Moon. I've had some blooms throughout winter, but I do fertilize. Something in the greenhouse has been busy because I have pods on a many of the plants that bloomed. No idea who the father was. I need a day or two of good weather so I can turn the propane off and spray for spider mite. Hitting them with sprays of water and removing the leaves has not helped. So it's time to take out the neem.
It is amazing how to spider mites explode. If I could just get a semi nice day, I would sure drag them out and rip off leaves and spray like crazy. I can't spray in the solar room it is part of the house.
Bayer sure worked well when they were outside, wish we had something like that for inside.....
I could use it in the greenhouse. The problem is that there are pots I can't reach. In order to get everything in, I was left with 3 narrow alleyways to water. If it doesn't warm up soon, I will have to move all sorts of pots to get to all my Brugs.
It is amazing to me how how many plants I have crowded into my garden room which is kind of like a cross between an out building and a greenhouse, I have to insulate and heat. My big problem is I don't have running water and can't use the hose cause everything is frozen so, I end up hauling water. YUCK.
Would love to have a true greenhouse for spring. What brand do you have? or did you make your own?
We bought a pop up greenhouse. I am not sure of the brand any more. We get tons of snow where we are in Northern NY and I have little room so this is perfect for us. We put it up as soon as we can see the ground, I have large plastic drums pinted black, we fill them with water and they help a lot with holding heat in the spring. I do have to heat is a night sometimes, we have a thermometer with an alarm so we know when to turn it on.
I get at least a one monrh jump start with my plants by putting them in there. The only problem is that it is now too small. I fill the shelves with smaller brugs and drag the big ones in and out from the walkway morning and night. I do cover with a shade cloth when they first go out on sunny days so they don't get burned. We found this pop up on sale at a garden center for $99.00 (less then half price).
I have a 20 x 20 from FarmTek. The up side is that ends roll up so I can use it during the summer. The downside is that the zippers degrade every 2 or 3 years and I have to replace the entire panel. Because the polyurethane cover comes in 3 pieces, you are left with corners that need to be taped or covered with something or there is too much heat loss during winter. I have a huge roll of heavy plastic that I can use for the corners and I finally found some tape that sticks for a few weeks at temperatures below freezing. I keep the thermostat set at 50ºF. That setting seems to keep the few tropicals, citrus trees and Brugs I have in there happy. I have a wireless temperature and humidity sensor at the far end. That way I know how warm the coldest spot in the greenhouse is. I have the sensor alarm set at 40ºF so I'll have enough time to through on some clothes, run out and exchange propane tanks.
Here is a brug bloom in zone 5 in March. It has several blooms but like this shot the best. It has lots of buds coming on. We have had a miserable winter no sunshine, lots of snow and now rain and constant cloud cover and fog.
Bettydee, Which Bayer did you use in the greenhouse?? Most are harsh. I would like to know so I can try it. Thanks!!! Julie
Julie,
Lately, I've used Bayer's Tree and Shrub 12 Month systemic It is available as either a liquid or in pelleted form. I prefer the pelleted form because it is easier to use and easier to insure the plants get the recommended amount. It is safe enough to use on smaller plants in gallon cans. In the past I used Bayer's 2 in 1 Rose Systemic, but it couldn't be used on small plants. If you weren't careful, the fertilizer could burn the roots.
If I do have pests such as spidermites, I use a milder pesticide, such as Neem Oil, Pests don't build up any resistance to it and is much safer to use. However, leaves do tend to burn in hot weather so neem needs to be applied early in the morning or late in the evening. If that doesn't work, them I work my way up to a systemic.
My favorite insecticide is Malathion. It kills just about every bug. Comes in a can as a concentrate that you mix with water and spray on plants.
I can't grow Brug in my climate but have my share of houseplants and bugs. Mostly the bugs are spidermites. They are difficult to kill since new ones hatches and it is important to do followup spraying no less than 3 times /week for 2 weeks.
I first use water to spray many of the bugs off. Be sure to spray under the leaves. Let the plant dry, then spray with Malathion and quickly insert the plant in a plastic bag. Just before I close the bag (located on top) I give another spraying with Malathion and quickly close the bag with a tie or rubber band. This way the Malathion will not dry so quickly and will kill more spider mites. I leave the bag on overnight. Out of the sun, ofcourse.
