Brug rooting

Stuck the ends of these large cuttings on top sand, which has heat cables set at 75 degrees. They rooted in only about 3 weeks.

I like the way you bundled them - were they easy to pry apart?

Those look great!!

Not hard if you don't wait to long. I also bundle them like that and put them in water. I take a plastic square/rectangle container and drill holes about an inch up and in a straight line around bottom of container. Stuff tons of these bundles in the water and add the water and excess seeps out holes. Only use this on older woody pieces.I don't know if you can tell by the photo but this is the container full of cuttings. It is also on a heated bed of sand.

Just straight sand? No perlite or anything else? Is the container clear--so you can see the roots? I think that's great! I'm not too patient with jigsaw puzzles and I'm afraid that's what my roots would look like after awhile.

straight sand--must water daily.

DRose,
Straight sand works great....just make sure you use sand that doesn't contain salt....like beach sand.

Gloria,
hope Ron is doing well.

Will the pink masonary sand work? I'll "cook" it first.

I use bagged sand from Lowe's for sand boxes. Cheap and clean.

Bward-Do you recommend rooting Brugs in clean sand vs. water? I have mine grouped as bundles in 1/2 in. of water that is changed daily. What are the advantages & disadvantages of rooting in sand rather than water?

I found some course all purpose sand at a nursery here - it doesn't contain salt or other disinfecants that play sand contains. If you mix some peat and water absorbing crystals with it, you don't have to water every day.

wow, so healthy looking cuttings barb. do you add fertilizer to your just sand?

Shirley, the disadvantage to water rooting in water is that if one cutting starts to go bad, the rest probably will too. i don't think there is a high chance of that but something to think about when rooting something special.
ms kell i would.

Azalea, good idea. So much good information here at Daves. Barb, I don't know how you do it. I'd never get anything else done if I had a big heated greenhouse.

What great ideas. We just keep learning something new each day here.

I better get some clean sand first before I take my Brug cuttings out of the water. Thanks so much Arlene!

Shirley1md,
I have used the same sand for 4 years now....when it turns green I just mix it up in the container and start all over again....my things are kinda like the EveryReady Bunny...They keep going and growing. LOL

Arlene, I don't root any of my rare or unsual brugs in the mass tubs. Only the ones I know are replacable.

Kell, I don't add fertalizer to the sand. I may add some peat next year so I don't have to water so often.

Shirley1md, I use many different methods in rooting. Trying to take notes on what works best for each variety. Also, the season makes a differnce if you don't have heat cables. For more rare or difficult cuttings in water, I take a plastic drinking cup and punch 3 holes in a straight line around cup 1-2" up from bottom. It allows me to write variety on side of cup and I water daily and the level of the water stays the same.

Yikes, I have several different varieties of brugs beginning to root in the same cup of water, which is changed daily. Is that a bad idea and I'm tempting fate? Please advise. I'm really new to rooting & growing Brugs. I'm learning as I go. Thanks for all your help.

Barb, I like the plastic drinking cup idea. I'm going to use it in the future.

I find that the plastic cups can tip more easily than glass if you have longer and heavier cuttings in there.

yeah-- especially for those of us that use the dread Electric B word.

Shirley, if they are getting roots it's probably time to pot them up.

Will do. Thanks again!

How soon & how often after potting up rooted cuttings do you start ferterlizing?

We probably all do it differently, but I let mine get settled in for a couple of weeks before fertilizing and then I don't do it often. Maybe once a month. That is only because I don't have a winter greenhouse and they are in the basement. Wouldn't want them to get skinny and tall. I'm basically just keeping them alive until early spring and then I'll start them growing faster.

I try not to fertilize until I KNOW they've formed roots. The extra nitrogen will increase the chances of rotting. I've done 10x better this year than last year with my cuttings. I've only lost a couple.... last year I think I lost a third of them. You guys are all good teachers!

Ok Fert. question--Does every one use the same kind--slow release etc? Does someone have a favorite soil mix? I'm preparing for spring. I should add--This preparing stuff maybe wishful thinking--I still have to get my "stubbs" to grow.

This message was edited Wednesday, Nov 27th 2:20 PM

I use dilute Miracle Grow on mine. Also, am using Sam's Choice potting soil this winter....does not seem to get mold on top as easily as Pro Mix does. I don't water very often....have them in my cool (60 deg.) basement under regular fluorescent shop lights.....same as I did last winter.

Owen

DR,
There is as many answers as there is question.

I use soil I get from the nursery up the street from me...it's called soil additive...I buy it by the yard...think it's 20.00 a yard....I add mulch to this mix.

Glory is it sandy or composty? PH? The fert. ratio has me puzzled--I just don't know.

Sams choice potting mix. Where do you get it? Went looking at Lowes for pro mix and could not find. I am like shirley and have mine all togather. Will change out to cups tomarrow.

I bought my Sam*s Choice potting mix at WalMart. They had one heck of a clearance sale on it here about 7 weeks ago. It has time release fertilizer in it too.

Owen

DR,
I have no idea about the PH of the soil I use...it kinda of barkey...for a lack of a better word....very small wood chips in it...Brugs just love it. I use Peters20-20-20, Osmocote and whatever else I can get my hot little hands on.
Brugs are kinda like banana trees the more food you give them the better they do.

probably more toward acid 6.0-6.5--I'm guessing because of the bark.

I could check it...I have one of those PH tester kits here somewhere. I'll LYK.

no DR, Monika recommends neutral to acidic ... 6.5 thru 7. as far as fertilizer 16-2-22 plus some minor elements.

in the harsh sandy soil here, i add tons of steer manure, some peatmoss on the ground i plant the brugs i grow. being on limited budget, i kinda look around for fertilizer that would work in my environment. i try a fertilizer nearly close to Monika's suggestion. i came across Vigoro AP time release plant food 12-5-7. it works on warmer temperature. it feeds up to 3 months. for foliar feeding i use Shultz 20-20-20. i use Vigoro once a month and foliar feed 2 x a week. both Vigoro & Shultz are acquired at HD for $4.97 per 5 lb bags just my 2 cents worth. as u can see, for a newbie, it worked for me basing on the postings i've done on this forum. just my 2 cents thoughts.

Thnaks MaVieRose! I like to try everything--native soil here is like having moon rocks.

u're welcome DR. i do the best i can under all circumstances i deal with. so far Mother Nature has been kind to help me attain the lovely brugs everyone here has been so kind to share with me.