I got my first brug this year. Nothing special, just a plain white one. I want to overwinter it in my little greenhouse and take cuttings just in case. I read on here somewhere about using 'bubblers' in a bucket to keep the water fresh all winter. Will someone tell me more about the bubblers and give me pointers on keeping my brug over winter. My greenhouse is kept cool, around fifty degrees and I'm afraid that's not warm enough for the brug. Right? So, should I be thinking more along the 'inside the house' line?
Thank you for any information you can share with me.
new to brugs... need help with cuttings....
I used the bubbler system last year and found that they actually do better in cooler temps than in warmer. I had 1 system in the house and 1 in the greenhouse. I ended up taking the inside one to the gh. There's lots of information on the system and I'm sure someone will post links.
I don't know about the temps, I haven't overwintered brugs yet. I'm sure someone will post about that.
I have used a bubbler tho. It's so simple, but so incredible! Get an airstone and a pump from the fish dept. of your local store (or get them on eBay, whatever). Run tubing from the pump to the airstone. Put the airstone in the bottom of your bucket or whatever you are keeping your brugs in. Cover w/ water (put little rocks on the airstone if it won't stay in place). Plug in pump. Add brugs. Add water as it evaporates. That's really all there is to it...other than watch the roots form, which is so cool.
I had to tape my tubing at the top of my bucket because it made the airstone keep wanting to flip over. I just used clear packing tape.
The whole idea is to get more oxygen to the plants, which then make more roots. Works wonderfully. You can also take plastic cups and fill them w/ pebbles and put holes or slits in them. The stones will hold them down and the holes let the air bubbles in. You can then put smaller cuttings in the cups. I've used the cups to root petunia, dianthus, impatiens, anything I get my hands on goes in the bubbler. I haven't shut it off yet.
Here's a pic of my bubbler in a bucker. They are all brugs except for the one in the 5:00 spot. All rooted great. The one that turned yellow did that before it was in the bubbler, I cut the yellow off and it has grown very nicely.
Hope all this helps.
That was the bubbler in July. Here it is today, I never got the biggest brug planted...I'm so bad. Here's the roots from all that time in the bubbler. Every now and then I turn the brug in a circle to wind it's roots so they don't get tangled (maybe that's not the best idea, but I do it anyway).
I'd say that baby is ready to pot up. I would try to unwind the roots when you do.
Here's some of the other things I rooted in the bubbler. The dianthus and impatiens have only been in there a short time. The other is a Frosty Pink brug that I potted up out of the bubbler. It needs a bigger pot now.
Good job.
Thank you! I'm not trying to take over the thread here! LOL I just wanted to show how great and easy a bubbler could be. I plan on having a couple set up in an extra bedroom this winter. I will untangle those roots before it goes into a pot. I don't know if it's cuz they are grown in water but they seem to just float apart easily...maybe it's just dumb luck on my part. I've also heard that you can cut back the roots before planting them...that it "tricks" them into thinking they are put into a larger pot. I don't know if I have the nerve to try that tho.
You won't go wrong w/ a bubbler. You'll get back any money you invest in it. More than likely, if you ask your friends and relatives someone will have old aquarium supplies in storage somewhere that they'll gladly lend you for the winter...or for good. Check out your local freecycle too.
If anyone has any questions about setting up a bubbler they can d-mail me and most likely I'll get back to you the same day.
Good luck!
Heather
thank you Heather and all.... I'd like to ask your permission to share this bubbler idea with another gardening forum.... and may I leave them your email link to ask you more?..... there are a lot of folks there that are taking cuttings of things now that they'd like to save from their gardens, and this is a new idea to us there..... I'll watch for your reply...... I would link them here, but this is in the 'paid' area and wont' link for everyone, right?.... I'd love for them to see your pictures.... may I save them to my files and share them that way?.... thanks for your help with this great idea..... if there are any links on this website that are open to the public, I'd appreciate a link there, also..... you've been a great help with this!!.....
and if the answer is no, that's ok, too... I'll try to share what I've learned here somehow!!... I do understand about restrictions and copyrights and such.... and that you may not want too many emails in your inbox!!!!!.. LOL!.... just let me know here, please?...
I don't mind, if you want to you can link here to the other forum and I can go there. That may be easier. Let me know.
oh, Heather, that would be such a boon to us!.... we're at the General Gardening Forum on HGTV.... this post, about taking cuttings, is the most recent one.... there are others about Angel Trumpet, scattered around... but this one is where I said I'd talk to you guys about this bubbler idea....
http://boards.hgtv.com/groupee/forums?a=tpc&s=1084078532&f=7184011632&m=5361032042&r=3571094042#3571094042
pictures there can be uploaded straight from your computer, if resized to under 150k and about 600x400.....
use the blue reply button and then the 'add attachment'., browse, etc....
thanks so much for your help on this!!...
How long should each cutting be? I'm going to put many in the bubbler and also send a lot out for others. Is 8" long enough?
emily, maybe someone w/ more experience can answer, but I've gotten cuttings from friends that were only 4-5 inches and they rooted just fine. It'll take a while for them to bloom I guess. Hopefully someone w/ more knowledge will answer soon!
length doesn't matter in as much as you should have 2 or more nodes as this is where the growth will start.
It only takes one node to start but you lower your chances.