I'm sorry but I need to talk about the Y again...

:)
Looking at one limb on my pink frosty that got 36" tall before it Y'd. Then it will continue to Y (without having to grow another 36").

When frost approaches and I cut this stalk down and cut it into pieces. Does that mean that:

1) the piece at the bottom of the stalk would grow the tallest before y'ing !
2) each piece closer to the Y would be shorter when it Y'd.
3) the piece after the first Y would be short- but Y sooner !
so which cuttings are the best to keep.

Y or Y cant I get this straight ! :)

Generally....all cuttings taken below the Y will make taller plants. I say generally, because sometimes that isn't true. Some do what they want. The cuttings from above the Y should be shorter in the main stalk and should Y quicker and also bloom quicker. I've found that I should never count on what I think will happen because if I do, it WON'T.

Is this like grammar rules,
"you should always do this....except when....."
:)

Charlotteda, I'm also a newbie. Brugie has and will answer any question, like she did yours, but, there are some questions, that are answered, that we (newbies) don't get. I had similar questions to yours. I think what helped me most, in addition to ***Shirley*** and DG, in general, is that when I first inquired, I was greener than green - so what I did was to make it through that first winter on my own. Then, I geared back up in the spring. I continued to ask in-depth questions and the group sincerely tried to help me, but, basically, it came down to me having to just grow a brug, on my own. What I learned is that it is SOOOOO easy to grow/transplant/root,
a brug, so, IMO, you should just take a flying leap!!! I'm so glad you are here and interested - if I can help, please advise...

Oh, yes I understand that Brugie did answer my question.

My only problem is that I will have to cut this booger down and may not have room to store all my cuttings. Therefore which cuttings are more desirable. In my zone, I dont need a plant that needs to be 5 ft tall before blooming, and I dont want one that blooms heavily at 12 ".

My frosty pink has bloomed, Dr. Seuss has, Ollie and a white suavelons (I hope -these two are new cuttings from traders this year) both these have a bud !

I have a versicolor peach and Isabella in pots that are also from cuttings this year.

I cant save all my cuttings overwinter. So I wonder what is BEST.
thanks
Bruggy and Sherry

In my zone, I think I prefer the cuttings from above the Y. If I had an allee and needed tree shape brugs, I would go below the Y or just hold over the original plant. I have, right now, at least four brugs that are so tall, I can't reach the blooms to pollinate them and I'm 5'9" tall. Something else I will tell you....from my own experiences with versicolor brugs, I've found that they will flower a lot better if you can hold over the whole plant. I know it isn't always easy to find the room, and this year I'll cut back and only keep Versi. orange and Ecuador Pink as whole versi. plants. I'll have about 14 brugs that I'll be holding the whole plant over and plant to cut back to about twenty from cuttings. I will also have seedlings that didn't bloom to hold over. I've come to the conclusion that once started with brugs it is almost impossible to cut back. If you do, you still end up receiving cuttings from friends and you are off to the races again. Have to say.....I love every minute of it and my friends for being enablers. LOL!

Gosh, Shirley, I had no idea you are tall, whew, I LOVE it, I'm 5'8"!!!! Lots of tall girls these days, but when I was in school, I was next to the tallest girl in my class...my daughter, nieces, etc are all taller than I am and it looks like at least two granddaughters will be taller than I am too...

This message was edited Aug 25, 2004 9:56 AM

Dang, dang, and DANG!!! I wish I was 5'8" or 5'9"! I'm only 5'2" and if I could just be 3 or 4 inches taller the extra 30 pounds wouldn't matter! LOL!!!

Hi Charlotte! You're in the best place to get the best answers!

LOL Brinda, they made us too low to the ground..

LOL You got dat right!

Could some of you more experienced tell me when and how I should go about mailing cuttings this fall?? Do my cuttings have to be rooted?? I know how to send them out so they will get to their destination as soon a possible. And, I know to the the triangle mailing tubes. If I send a cutting that has not been rooted, what do I do to the cutting??? Just wrap it as if it had been rooted??? Any info any of you might have will be sincerely appreciated. I have never shipped a brug...

Sherry, I take a cutting and mark it first so they don't get mixed up. I then wrap the cut end with some moist paper toweling and then cover it with plastic wrap. That new stuff, Press N Seal works great because you don't have to tape it. Then I will wrap the cuttings in some newspapers so they don't rub each other, pack them in whatever size Priority Box they will fit into, and ship that afternoon or next morning. Cuttings aren't as hard to pack and mail as plants are and it isn't going to kill them if they are dry for a while. The main thing is to send cuttings that are NOT green wood. Those don't root as easily. I don't use the triangle tubes for cuttings, I use the smaller boxes like the square ones or the shirt size boxes. If anyone is going to be sending a lot of cuttings out this fall, I'd like to suggest that you get your order in to the USPO for the sizes of Priority boxes, tape, labels, etc. that you will need. They are free. Another thing....on some of the boxes, they serve a double purpose for the PO and one side is Express Mail. Make sure you get your label on the Priority Mail side or you will be paying a ton of postage.

This message was edited Aug 25, 2004 3:48 PM

Sherry: I received some that were rooted, and some that were not. On one set that I received, they were just dry "sticks" wrapped in dry newspaper. There was no green on them at all. When I received them, I cut off the end of each one and stuck it in a pot of soil. They rooted really fast! The rooted ones I received were wrapped in moist paper towels, then a baggy secured around the rooted section. They were wrapped individually in newspaper to protect them. I don't think a lot of people have the time or room to root everything that they send out for trades. Anything I send out will probably be un-rooted. Gretchen

Shirley: sorry, I posted over you...

That's okay Gretchen. I think we should have her brain washed really good now. Right Sherry? LOL!

Tanks, Gretchen and Shirley!!! Great replies, I really appreciate you washing my brain, I just hope it takes, ha. Now that I know I don't have to root them, I will have tons of cuttings to send out, tho some of my really large ones are 'unknown', but most are pretty and grow well in hot/humid. I wish someone would start an 'address' thread of people who want cutting, with what they want, if they are looking for a particular brug. I would do that but my daddy is with me now and it's about all I can do to read and reply...