Another in bush shape.
The Genetic 'Y'
I'm not sure how to ask this question. I have a brug that wintered outside and was cut back almost to the ground. Now there are about 11 new limbs, growing almost straight up, although some are curved. Some have Ys, some don't. I'm looking at a nice straight one that has just started a Y at the tippy top, it's about 5 1/2 feet high. Would it be okay to cut it at the base and root it??? If I did that, shouldn't I keep the leaves off the trunk??? Should I wait until it's taller to root it??? TIA!!!!!!! SherryLike
I have wireless cable and my first pink blossom - oh, what a wonderful day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My question is ... why do you want to cut it now? Most folks would probably tell you not to try to root such a big piece, but I've done it a lot, even had them bloom while rooting. However, that was either because a storm broke it off or I was cutting back before a freeze. Why now? Why not let it go on and bloom as part of this root system? However, if you decide to do it, I would take off about three quarters of the leaves and I wouldn't wait for it to get taller as long as the base of it is woody, not green. If it's green, wait til it looks woody brown.
Well, gingerlily, thank you very much! The reason I want to do it now is because the leaves on the brug were damaged by a crop duster and the plant is bald, except for small top knots that have grown out. It is a huge plant, almost 6 feet tall now, and it was frozen to the ground last winter. It is also not a favorite plant and one that I wouldn't mind risking a limb, to learn on this plant, so that I will know exactly what to do with plants I do want to keep. I'm really glad you mentioned about the base needing to be woody - I will check on that, but I think it's still green, and, if it is, I will let it continue to grow for now. I really appreciate your post, I love hearing what others in zone 8a do...
Good attitude Sherry,that is why I started this thread,so people would not be afraid to work on their plants,check for the woody growth,it will increase your odds of rooting.
I made a correction on my previous post. The growth region is the vegetative region, the flowering region is the generative region.
Ruffles decided to Y for me.
Bump
2PugDogs sent me this thread to help answer some questions on my brugs. This thread led me to ask more. I hope yall are still watching this.
Last May I received 2 brugs in 2 or 3 gal pots. They stayed in the pots for a while, then were transplanted twice, now they are in their permanent place. They didn't seem to mind and have done very well. They both have blooms starting and/or peeking out right now.
They were both the same size when I got them, now, one is almost 5 feet tall and the other is about 3 feet. They are both quite bushy. I planted them on each side of my coleus garden to help give them some relief from the sun come summertime.
Now, that being said, any recommendations on trimming them up? How to, when to? This first one is the taller one:
This is the shorter one. The tags are long gone as I had to move my entire garden in August. I will check with Nat to get the names again.
Thanks for any help.
Molly
:^)))
P.S. Not new to Dave's, but definately new to Brugs.
Also, If I do any trimming on these, looking at the stems, will I be able to propagate the clippings?
This message was edited Jan 11, 2005 5:21 PM
Molly, why do you want to trim them back? Do you have to expect cold weather?
Hi Monica,
No, we don't have a "winter" here, but I was looking at Rootdoctors pictures and thought about the possiblity of making at lease one of them look like a tree instead of a bush. Especially the biggest one, it looks like it will take over the coleus bed if it widens out anymore.
But...on the other hand, if I make it like a tree, it will grow tall and skinny and not shade the coleus. Oh what's a girl to do?
Just on the right side (north) of the smaller tree, is my shade garden. It needs more shade still, and come summer, it will cook if I don't remedy it now. (I have a huge mango tree in the yard, it shades my neighbors yard)
MollyMc, your brugs are beautiful, can't wait to see some of there blooms, they have y'ed very nicely. I'm hoping mind will when I get them planted this spring. I have a coleus garden on the north side of my husbands garage and I was thinking about planting a couple in it as well. My only problem is my zone, they will have to be dug up come fall, so maybe I should think about just putting them in pots. But from what I have read they would grow bigger if they were in the ground. Decisions, decisions, guess I better cross that path when I get to it.
Thanks 2,
These things seem to grow pretty fast, so I guess you have to consider that when deciding to put them in the ground or not. If they grow too big, do you have winter storage?
Thanks for looking 2.
Molly
:^)))
That's my BIG problem, no I just have my spare bedroom and the computer room. I keep on hinting to my DH about how I would love to have a GH, but so far my hints aren't getting through.
Molly, I would let them grow until all of the trunks have a Y. Then I would choose the trunk, which suits best to shade the coleus bed and cut the other trunks off. After forming a Y, the trunk will grow appr.not more than 12" (30cm) and will stop growing then. You have to take this in consideration before cutting off.
Thank you Monika, I appreciate the advice.
Molly
:^)))
What a great thread. I've learned a lot about Brugs tonight. Great photos. Thank you all for sharing.
Doesn't Rootdoctor's photos give you chills. He has a marvelous garden, he is my idol. When I grow up I want a garden just like his. Why wait until I grow up I WANT IT NOW.
Kidding a side, his brugs are something to talk about, lets thank MollyMc for bumping it back up.
Thanks
I was just reading this thread, and I have a seedling that is divided, is this one considered a Y, it was a cutting and it went into two directions right away.
kareoke, it is not a natural Y. One of them is a side shoot.
2nd picture, yep DG in the background
Thanks Monika, I rather thought that was it, but they both sprouted at once :)
That is unusual for a seedling to put out a sideshoot so fast Doris. Perhaps the top was damaged and caused it to branch out right away.
When you finally get a real Y, you will know it! It is very different then side shoots. .
I thought it was funny, it was just a small cutting, didn't show anything, I stuck it in dirt with Vermacite, and they sprouted, one branch is a little longer than the other
Well if it is a cutting and not a seedling, it makes more sense. They also put out suckers from under the soil line. The Y wiill come from the growth tip.
This is a great thread for us Brug Newbies. Thanks for sharing.
I bet you guys get tired of us asking all these questions, but how else can we learn, :)
This is the first cutting I bought on ebay, it is now 41/2 ' tall Jamaca yellow X Versie Orange
Have you seen a picture of the flower?
no I haven't Monica, is there one in your book, I haven't looked for it yet.
it is not in the book Kareoke. I asked you because this plant looks like a seedling to me. Do you know if it is a cutting?
This message was edited Jan 13, 2005 11:25 PM
Monica it was a small seedling when I got it, I just checked my book, I got this seedling and two cuttings one of Equdor Pink, and one of Sunray.
Doris
I hope, that he will bloom for you this year.
My 'Banana Split' seedling must've been damaged very young, because she grew two identical trunks (from a "V" about an inch above the soil line) and was perfectly symetrical. I love that look, and I called her a "double standard". Hope she's that pretty next summer :)
I hope so too Monica.
I bet she will be pretty.
It's been raining for the past 3 days, and I've been working way too much. But I went out to look at how those blooms were doing today after work, and this is what I found.
Those trumpets are so pretty I just had to make it the background on my desktop.
Molly
:^))))))
Molly, lovely flowers for this time of year, thanks for posting them
Very pretty. I've always wanted to ask someone from a warm climate.....do you ever get tired of having to garden? I would love to move south, but I don't know if I could handle it 12 months out of the year. I like having a break. However, I don't like the mess that a frost and then freeze creates. I also don't care to sit in the house so many months. I've been in here long enough now and I'm ready to garden, but have about two months before I can even do anything outside and can't plant until after the first of May.
MG, you are quite welcome. I found out just now that this one is Pink Frosty. My other brug is Charles Grimaldi. I should see the blooms on them in a few days.
Brugie, 3 days of rain is enough winter for me. I was born and raised in Michigan, so I know what you are going through. I don't care for the cold and if I need to see the fall colors, I go visit my siblings who still live there. As far are gardening? the only thing I have to do right now is pull the clover from the beds that seem to be cropping up all over. I clip a few dead leaves and stalks to neaten things up, but its mostly just "busy" tasks. The gardens pretty much take care of themselves right now and if they decide to bloom, I just enjoy it.
The real work begins when I discover the things I planted this winter that are doing so well, won't like their position when the sun is higher in the sky come summer. I hope the brugs will be okay where they are.
Molly
So, during our winter, your plants also slow down? That would be nice. I'm getting too old to work all the time. LOL!