If you're pushing the envelope .. it's still stationary

Well.. overwintering my brugs has been fun this year... the cool room worked wonderfully.. and it's now become a pond and planters...
I'd overwintered three brugs in the ground here in Zone 7a.. I'd mulched them with leaves.. and threw on a thin sheet of bubble wrap.. more leaves maybe 6" and another bubble wrap.. more leaves and a tarp..covering it all.. no sprouting yet.. but I went out to dig around.. in preperation for bringing new ones to be planted.. and on the first two,,, no signs of deep sprouting as I dug them up.. all the roots even the deepest and biggest.. were all brown inside when they were scraped... then the last one.. Kell's Aborea.. as soon as I knicked the top lump of the old junction of the stalk with the root mass.. I found a brillant green just under a dry firm bark,,,
Now it hasn't officially sprouted back.. as it has been cool and a bit dry perhaps.. but dollars to doughnuts the Aborea will come back from the roots this year.. here in NYC...

This message was edited Apr 24, 2010 2:46 PM

Isn't funny where one right next to the other one will die but not the other weird I think it depends on the moisture level too. That happened here with the plumeria some were hit hard and others right next to it didn't. Glad you saved at least one all your labor was wasn't in vain.

Gordon, I hope she returns.

Remember B. arborea is from the Andes region of Ecuador, Peru, northern Chile and Bolivia, from an altitude of 6500 to 9750 ' where frost is not unheard of. So it has a better chance of surviving colder regions.

Yes..Veronica..I'm sure she will if she's green that high up... it was my hope that the arboreas native memory would give it a better chance at survival.. But I'd thought perhaps I could ease the others through also... maybe with a deeper mulch next time..I was happy to have the arborea showing Kellys Green though... many more types of them survive at mothers in north AL.. without hardly any mulch.... same zone.. but fewer days at the ultimate low temps the zone numbers reflect ..
I was just trying to extend the thought of return in this higher latatude.. it's not only the low of the low that does them in..like on the slopes of the Andies.. but how long it lasts.
I'm sure moisture and winds and other items come into play also.. and these were only in the ground here since early summer... they didn't even have a full season outside.. before the try... I'd never heard reports of anyone this far north.. even trying..... or unsuccessfully trying... so I thought I'd just see..
as for the weather this year ....most of the comments around here...was it was a long cold winter..this year. with late warmth... that had everything blooming together .. when it finally came.. maybe some arborea crosses will extend the return ability some...

Wow Gordon, that is great news, now I wonder if mine that I left on the ground will come back from the roots too..This is exciting. Congrats!

Clemen, Was yours an arborea, too?

Veronica, I do not know what mine was, it was a no id peach baby. I need to go and look, she is planted at another house where I only go during Summer months, I was supposed to get there this week end, but Gordon can tell you that weather is not NICE to us....