Some of my enthusiastic Brugs that have grown straight new shoots that are 6' tall and 2" in diameter, are flopping down and breaking off at the base. They aren't growing straight UP but at an angle so the weight of t he water on the foliage makes them heavy. Aside from taking the straight stem and making a large cutting for a TREE effect....how can I keep them from breaking?
Stakes seem to be the solution.... right?
In the meantime....?
Carol
Branches breaking off....
Thats a good question, I will be watching to see what ideas come along.
Monika posted a way to tie them up last year using more than one stake. It's here somewhere..........
I had one that did that last year and thought if I saw others that might react the same.....here it is to winds....I would take a cotton rope and go up about half way and loosely tie it around the whole grouping of stalks. Enough to hold them upright. My big disaster was with Becca Lynn. Only one stalk remained upright after the winds.
Sounds good Brugie...I have some old worn out ace bandages I saved from our sailing days...those ought to work, right?
Off to find stakes.... TTFN
Carol
If you bought a spool of airline tubing for the bubblers, try that. It's clear and lets light through, is soft and flexes just a bit and won't break... and is reusable.
tomato cages. i saw some in a yard that she had around hers. not the ones that are round but these form a trangle. you open the thing put it aroound them and latch them shut.
she said she got hers at home depot. got spots for leaves to go through.
i think she called it tomato towers or trellises.
may work.
That sounds like an attractive solution.
Judy
Great Ideas. I think I'll use up the Ace bandages first...then branch out into something more creative!
Carol
Carol, even on multi-stemmed brugs I keep most of the lower leaves off because the plant become unstable in the wind and the leaves keep the pot from getting water.
How true! Good point! After .50" of rain I have gone out and found the mulch under the big leafed Brugs dry....Perhaps thats where they need their nourishment, at the drip line.?