I have 2 12' clay pots, each with 6 brug cuttings which are all actively growing. Two or three in each pot are maybe a foot high, leaves 6 or 7 inches long. The others in the pots have shoots from 3 to 6 inches . One lost all of its leaves, but the others are fine. Should I take up the leafless cutting and put back in water? When will they each be ready for a pot of their own? I've never grown these before, I only know what they look like from pictures!I don't want to lose any, so any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, Doris
When to repot.
I'm not the expert here, but when my brugs (in the house) get large leaves, I pluck them off. Helps keep them from getting buggy. Also allows better air circulation and the energy can go to the top and not just the leaves. I start mine in 6-8 inch pots with 6-8 cuttings in a pot. They were all getting to be around 10 inches or so this week, so I did pot mine individually. I don't think it hurts to leave them together, but you will get better growth if they have their own root space. Probably the reason for the different heights is amount of light the taller ones get and they are probably doing some shading of the smaller cuttings and maybe they are taking in more of the nutrients due to their size now. As for the one without leaves, it is probably rooted. Just dig in there and do what makes you feel best.
Oh, thank you! It won't hurt the plant if I take off the large leaves then? How big a pot would you say when I do begin to pot them? The bigger ones ARE hogging all the light. I guess I should turn the pots around, I was afraid to for fear of upsetting the bigger ones if they were deprived of most the light. (I am so proud of them) Thanks again for the help,, Doris
Doris,
I generally just put mine into 6-8 inch pots until I'm ready to pot them into the 8-10 gallon size for outside living. Be sure to add some Osmocote to the soil and Cala always uses some tea tree oil/water to hers. I forgot to do that when I repotted, but will soak them using that the next time they need water. Helps here keeping the fungus knats away. I don't know what everyone else does with their plants once outside, but I fertilize almost every time I water unless it is really hot and I water frequently. Then every two weeks I always double strength the fertilizer for one watering. I have used a systemic purchased at Home Depot and it certainly helped with the spider mites during the summer months. Last year I didn't have to spray one time, but the year before I was spraying weekly. Weather conditions must have been better this last year for keeping the mites away. It was very warm (hot) and humid. The year before it was very dry and hot. I know they (mites) don't like humidity, but I couldn't spray the plants all day, every day with water. Hope this helps. I don't think that whatever you choose to do will hurt your plants. They are pretty strong.
Shirley
Thanks Shirley, I feel better about this now. I'll start collecting pots. I've copied your post so I can refer to it, and I will go to the nursery and get some Osmocote. Thanks so much for the help, Doris
You are welcome Doris and don't be afraid to try anything with them. If you need more help, I'm sure that one of us on here will jump to answer your questions. Guess I must have been online more than anyone else today.
S.
Brugie, you are just so sweet. I sure do wish I could meet you. Your explanation to Doris was heeded by me, too. I have learned so much in such a short time since I have been here at Dave's that I sometimes am worried that I did not absorb it all right. I do have a question, too. I sprayed last summer because something was chewing away on my brug leaves, used Sevin and it took care of it; probably the illusive pollinating moth, too, huh?
It might have been a cabbage worm. They can be deadly. I have only found one in three years on mine, but they can do a lot of damage and quick. The tomato worm might nail them toward evening and through the night, but I'm not sure of that. He is the guy that makes the sphinx moth that pollinates the brugs. Come to think about your brug eater, it probably wasn't the tomato hornworm because I don't believe that Sevin will kill them. I use a lot of Sevin and I still have lots of Sphinx months around here.
Roz, I know so little about brugs. I know enough to raise them but when it comes to pollinating them and all the other technical stuff....I'm at a loss. I don't want them to become work for me because then I would cease to enjoy them. If I'm lucky enough to get a seed pod, I'll just consider it luck, period. I'm glad to help anyone if I can and hope I don't ever steer anyone in the wrong direction with a wrong comment.
Shirley
Thanks. Info helps. You mean that moth is made from a tomato worm? The same one that gets on tomatoes? Is that like we call a cut worm?
I have to jump in here - using a Q-tip on a bloom- takes 1 second. You have a bloom - scuff a Q-tip on the pollen, put it in the fridge in a baggie. Then when you have something else blooming you take the Q-tip out, let it come to room temperature and add to the stigma - voila! You may have created something only you have. It's magical. If it was high science I'd be lost too.
Roz, a tomato hornworm isn't the same thing as a cut worm. That tomato hornworm can get as big around as your ring finger and it has little horns coming from one end or the other, can't remember. They are a bright lime green and hard to kill without a hoe or your foot, but I prefer using a tool as they squish lots of tomato juice when killed.
Liz is right about the pollinating with a Q-tip. I've read where a lot of people are doing it and I'm going to try this year again. My one attempt this fall, late, didn't work but that won't stop me.
Shirley