I waited one day too long and the frost got to my two year old brug. The leaves and flower buds are wilted. Can I still get it into dormancy safely? We are in the basement now but what are my chances we will make it into next spring? is there anything I can do to improve the changes of it surviving? I am in Wisconsin z5.
frost
You didn't say how big the Brug was. The larger and more mature Brugs have a better chance of surviving, but younger one still have a chance as long as the roots system didn't freeze. Don't do any pruning right now, wait until new growth has emerged or what has been damaged to turn brown and dry. Are you going to keep the basement cold enough for it to go dormant?
Can't tell you what your chances are since so many factors influence its survival chances, but if you keep the roots healthy by keeping the soil barely moist it has a good chance of surviving. Before you add any water, probe into the soil at least 2" down. If it feels almost dry, water by the cupful and wait a short while, test the soil again before adding more water.
If your basement is warmer than 50ºF, your Brug will not go dormant. Its growth will slow down, but it will continue to grow. Provide a light source. One of the cheapest ways to do this is to set up a 2-light florescent fixture. Buy one warm and one cool for the fixture. The bulbs should be no more than 2" from the top of the Brug. Leave the lights on for about 16 hours. Add fertilizer at about 1/2 strength to the water you use.
Good luck with your baby.
Thank you so much for your advice! The brug is about 7.5 foot high and 8 foot wide. The trunk is about 2 inches or so in diameter. Unfortunatley we did have to prune it slightly to get it through the door. (she grew a lot from last year ) I kept her in the basement last year -it is a heated basement - 60 degrees or so- I had thought she was dormant!! she lost all of her leaves - i guess every once in a while there was a leaf or two that popped out. I watered her every so often and no fertilizer but the lights there are florescent so I guess I got lucky! I dont believe her roots were damaged in the frost so hopefully i remain lucky! She is my baby, and I am sick about this! Thanks again for advise...and hope!!
This is my 2 year old brug I will try to keep solvent till Spring in my Wisconsin basement. Wish me luck!
Wow, I can see why you had to prune it to get it into the basement. I had a close call 2 nights ago. I haven't gotten all my Brugs ready for winter, but it looks like it will still safe for the Brugs I have outside, at least for the next few days.