Thank you Monica. Now I understand. :-)
The first havest
One more question :o) Do you soak your fresh seeds? I've been planting mine straight out of the pod.
I dont soak fresh seeds but wash them thoroughly to get the gel off. Drying them in between with a papertowel helps much to rub the gel off.
Good information here. I've never washed the gel off, but I'm going to start.
I was wondering what a vegitable was doing in the brug forum. LOL now I know, looks can be decieving.
Hi! I'm new, need help. I brought in two pods yesterday. What do I do now??? Mine aren't nearly as fat as Monika's and they are about 6 inches long. What do I do now??? Also my tree was damaged by the cold and it's MUCH too large to bring inside. What to do??? Cut it back?? It's 10 feet tall. I'm having a difficult time getting the swing of this list, and I'm not sure where to find your replies. If I don't respond, I can be reached at:
bigmama@cei.net
Thanks!!!! SherryLikeTheWine
Sherry, I would cut the tree back leaving several of the Y's on it, at least cutting it short enough to bring inside. Sounds like a beautiful tree. You might even be able to root some the the stuff you cut off of it. What kind is it? Do you have pictures? If your pods were mature, remove the seeds and let them dry. Mature seeds will be brown to dark brown. If they are white, go ahead and plant them now. Different kinds of brugs have different sizes and shapes of seed pods. Hope you get back here to read this. If not, I guess I'll copy this and write to you. Would hate to see you leave a nice tree outside if you can bring it in with good results. I'm sure it would be a goner if left outside. If it is in the ground, you could cut it clear back, root the top and mulch the roots well and it might come back from the roots. I don't believe that it would come back on the top if it were left outside.
How can you tell if a pod is ripe without opening it?
Generally the pod will be soft and feel lumpy and most times it will have a yellow peduncle (stem) or it (pod) might even start decaying or turning brown and dried looking. Most of the time if they are ripe, they will come off the plant very easy. If not, they aren't going to budge unless they were not going to mature to begin with. This is my experience. Maybe there are other ways to tell also.
And beware Padre, they can turn in a day or 2!! Some of mine even split open. I have to catch them fast when they turn or they disappear. Just keep checking every day or 2 and you will notice them change color to more yellowish or brownish. I notice lots of mine did it exactly 4 months later. From 7/23/ to 11/23.
Not sure who to address, Brugie?, but thanks!! I have no idea what variety it is, it was a tiny baby in very late spring 2002 when I planted it, it grew big and tall but didn't seem to really thrive in the area, so I moved it this spring 2003. Forgot about it and about 2 months ago, I looked across the yard and thought 'what the heck is that', sure 'nuff, there it was 8 or 9 feet tall, NICE sized trunks, no blossoms. About a month ago, I was in the same area and nearly swooned, the fragrance was wonderful and when I looked up it was in full bloom. Mostly yellow blossoms, with some that were apricot (pic attached) and they turned a darker 'red'. The only others I've seen have been bushes, mine must be a different variety, huh?? It's entirely too large to bring inside, the part in the ground is, I'd say 3 or 4 feet, maybe just 3 feet, large trunks. And, after all, it was fine last year with no special care and this year, I'll mulch it well and put a light on it, if it gets really cold for any length of time. I opened one of the pods tonight and it looked like poached white fish, no seeds. Waddayathink?? Any use saving it?? Might you be able to tell me what variety I have via the photo?? I sincerely appreciate your interest!!! SherryLike
PS - I know my pods weren't ready because I had to use a knife to remove it from the tree. I feared it would freeze if I left it but, boy, do I wish I had, it was 70 degrees today, whew!!
Sherry, thanks for the email. You will have more seeds next year and now that I know you had nothing else to pollinate your brug with, and that the pods didn't have viable seeds in it, you didn't lose anything. Your pink brug picture was pretty. Maybe you could post it on here so everyone could see it. We all love to see each other's brugs. Have a good day!