I know nothing about them, but I'm intrigued by everyones passion for them. How would I get started in growing them here? Mind you, my (reliable) growing season is end of May till early to mid September. I would have no where to overwinter them.
Wisdom please!
Thanks,
Sandy
How would I grow Brugs in Wisconsin?
Sandy, it sounds like you're between a rock and a hard place. LOL Do you have anywhere you can keep the cuttings you'd need to take each Fall?
Ahelms....do they need to be exposed to light like a regular houseplant...or stored like dahlia tubers (thrown in a box in the basement)?! Can you tell I know NOTHING!
Thx
Sandy
Sandy, if you have a basement that doesn't freeze and have the room, you can put potted Brugs there and let them go dormant and just give them a little water every month. You can use shop lights for them when you want them to wake up and start growing. Cutting can be kept in water or rooted in soil for the winter. If kept in water, the water would have to be changed regularly.
That's what I do.
I didn't believe it when someone told me I could do it, but you wouldn't believe the neglect the 'hardier/toughter' varieties can take during the winter when dormant...... some of the hybrids don't take too kindly to it, though.
I have one room in the basement (furnace room) where I overwinter Brugs. It's nice and cool in that room and I never have any pest problems, whatsoever.
I only water once every couple of weeks.
I have forgotten to water for extended periods of time, and the larger plants, although they lose leaves, do fine when I do remember to water.
You should give it a try....start by overwintering one, and see how it goes.
Seedsower, IMO, you are in the magic zone 5a - some of the best brug growers on this forum are in your zone. I'd check them out and do whatever they do because their brugs are super nice!! If that doesn't work, maybe you could move to 'zone' CA, lol, their brugs are right up there with the zone 5a growers, each one prettier than the other....
Sandy I have several brugs in the garage rooting in water. The temp stays about 45F in there. They are very easy to over winter in a dormant state. When I try to keep them going in the house over the winter I get BUGS-BUGS-BUGS.... If you want I can send you some cuttings that I have rooting. I'm not sure what is out there or if they even have their tags anymore. But I'll check. :) Do keep in mind I'm SLOW-SLOW-SLOW when it comes to mailing stuff out. However I always do. In another two weeks or so the weather should be warm enough to safely mail.
Hello Seedsower! I can't answer the question but I just wanted to tell you that you and I will both be learning this year. We have the best people to teach us right here though so I hope you have fun learning and succeeding like I'm sure I will.
Happy Brug Growing!
And Scooterbug.....where are you when we need you? LOL
Come on, give up all that knowledge you have! And any other Wisconsin Growers. Brugie in Iowa can help too. (smile and a wink) Iowa and Wsiconsin are only seperated by the Mississippi so come on, help us out.
Renee in Mukwonago has brugs up the wazoo as well.
I'm right on the IL/WI border in Zion. (May not move now either since it was just announced a Walmart Supercenter is going up a couple of blocks from me!!)
Anywho, I was just brug-bitten in Nov in time to get a few cuttings via mailorder before it was too cold. Also got cuttings from Renee and Brugie and have been growing under shoplights in the basement which expanded to the guest room and has also taken a table in front of the picture window in the living room. So you can be dormant and patient for the great outdoors OR you can water and fertilize them badboys and watch them start taking over. I figure I'm getting in gardening shape for the spring.