they take so long to bloom!!

I have been growing Brugs for a few years now. I take cuttings in the fall, root them and grow them on under some lights until spring (late spring because they like it hot). They root easily so I just stick them in some dirt in a 5 gal. bucket, and park them next to my light table. So the growing season for them in Michigan is short. I have four plants growing this year, two in pots and two in the ground. The two in the ground, on the east side of my house, are in full bloom, with since about 8/25. I realize that they will not bloom until a fork develops. Why is that?

Last fall I cut out three of the forks and rooted them and thought I would get a jump on its ability to bloom, but no, they waited until new forks developed.

When they fork they have reached puberty , sometimes what looks like a fork is just a branch .
Best to wait till they flower , then label and cut when they go dormant .

The fork is called a Y. Above the Y is where they bloom. these beauties take a lot of water and need lots of nutrients to grow and bloom. But they are so worth the effort... Good luck...

thanks for the comments folks. still not sure I understand. if I take a cutting above the fork will that likely produce a plant the next year that would bloom earlier? While I hate to have to wait until cool weather is starting before they bloom, it is rewarding in a way to have the plant up to 5 or 6 feet and then the flowers hang down very impressively. Does the growth slow a bit once they start to bloom?

Do you grow your plants in the ground or containers??? I grow some of mine in Containers and you can bring them into cool room in winter to let them go ahead and bloom for you...

I grew a couple in large containers this year, just starting to bloom, but too big to bring indoors. And I grew two in the ground, which always does better for me, half day morning sun.

I have 3 in the ground. This is their third year. They seems stronger but I live in an area where we do get some winter weather. I leave some in pots as insurance to be sure I have not lost them.... Always pays to have backup. I wore my old handtruck out, so will be wanting another before time to start dragging and pruning them....here is some pictures of some of my brugs...

Ridesredmule, I am envious because all I have is a yellow Brugs, that I take cuttings from each fall. I will enclose a picture, since you were so nice as to include some pics. This pic is taken from inside the house looking out of a picture window. Mine grow in somewhat of a tree form, but yours look different from what I can see in the pictures. If you google images of brugs you will see many many pictures of different colors all of which look like they were grown somewhere in the south and have a hundred blooms.

Joni, I will be glad to share some of my pink brugs, all you need do is let me know.... But your Brug is beautiful. i love yellows...
Thank you....

Ridesredmule, thanks for the offer, I would be happy to get a couple of cuttings. Do you routinely prune your Brugs? I have no idea how you would be managing such a plant where you live.

Rhapsody, I have not forgotten your Serendipity or angel's moonlight either....

I did not think you had my dear!!
Rhapsody

The weather has gotten cooler, I love this time of the year. so exciting!!! But I do not like to think of the cold of winter.
I will Prune my plants soon and be worrying about how they will be. Joni, I trim mine back in the fall, but occasionally will take cutting for folks that are swapping. I love to swap, it is how I have gotten so many plants. Rhapsody and I swapped earlier in the year and the ones I got from her only one died. the rest have little leaves and showing the little roots. I am terrible They are still in paper towels she sent them in and doing great. Have them in a jar of water.. i will get pictures. sign is right to Transplant today and tomorrow so i better be planting today too.
You all have a great day.
Charleen

Charleen, I would love to get some cuttings from you. I have found that the cuttings will likely keep their vigor for quite a while if wrapped in damp paper or something as you mentioned. I looked at your want list and noticed Silver MOund. I have grown this for some time, usually but subdividing the plant as I recall. NOt sure how well it would keep its vigor if uprooted and mailed. But this is likely a subject for a separate thread. Jack

If you make a link, just post it here or write a note...

I have been told that if you take cuttings above the "Y" that they will bloom sooner. But they don't get as tall as the ones that are taken from below the "Y". All of mine are tall and I have only used cuttings from below the "Y" but this year I am going to experiment with a few cuttings from above the "Y"

I have both , a few below Y that are 5 - 6 years old and have not bloomed .
A nephew and niece decided to organize and moved the tags to alphabetical order . The non bloomers have one more year and then get tossed if they don't bloom .

As mentioned above, I have about 4 plants this year from cuttings. The ones I planted in the ground finally bloomed quite well. The ones in pots were slower to bloom, and then not so much to be worth the effort. The pots take a lot of regular water, and with vacation trips and the like it could be somewhat erratic and I think that is part of the problem with containers. Anyway, with somewhat cooler weather and shorter days, the plants just stopped blooming two or three weeks ago, even the unopened blooms on the plants just stopped developing. So before we get hit with a freeze I am going to take my cuttings for the year. Seems early, what with mums all in bloom, but I have already moved all tender plants into the house or taken some cuttings.

I know it is getting cold in your homeland. Brrrr. I have another month, maybe then I'll be cutting and bring them in...