Cuttings

How does one take cuttings? Do you use a limb pruner? A hand pruner.. a sharp knife? what?

I use a hand pruner. Cindy

I had to use a tree trimmer on some, and a hand pruner on the smaller ones, just make sure you sterilize them for each Brug, I stuck mine in boilung water each time I cut.

I now just snap them off, even the huge suckers. I got sick of boiling my cuttters in water for 5 minutes so often. Just do it fast and hard so it goes all the way thru. I only touch the outside piece that I am taking off.

Hi everybody! I have been using PVC cutters that can be bought at home depot they work great with a nice clean cut, and they are cheap! around ten bucks, and will cut up to around 1 1/4 or so, hope this helps, I will be having some cuttings available soon,
Dr. Suess
Yellow/unknown - looks just like Dr. Suess
Adora pink/ unknown med pink
Golden Lady
Herren Garten
I will root them, then send them off for SASE, thats how I got started

I'm the same way Kell, it would be impossible for me to sterilize each time I cut. I do put like cuttings in containers and add a drop or two of H202. However, when I start cutting before the first hard freeze, it is going to be tough. Rosamond and PB are both over 12 feet tall and they aren't my only big ones. Some of your seedlings, Kell, are giants, one is almost 11 feet tall, straight up with a huge trunk. So, I'll chop the extending branches my first time round, then get the huge trunks maybe the next day, according to how 'hard' the freeze really is...the more I use it, the more I like the food grade H202...

I use tree pruners as some of my stalks can be pretty thick--several inches and I never have sterilized them at all. I normally cut the entire stalk down , remove the leaves all but the ones on the very tips then cut into individual cuttings, mark them on the spot as to which end is which and what kind and right into the water. Haven't had any problems yet.

Bonnie

I leave maybe 6 inches on the stalks, I will paint the wound this year. One started greening up on the wood that had been out all winter, so I leave some, just in case. With cuttings from other people, I'm separating them, by brug, into individual bubblers. With my own, and when it starts getting hectic, I'll just throw my own all into a bubbler in the GH...

Hello diamond123 ,
could you PLEASE :-) put me on your list for SASE ?

Is Herren Garten the same as Herrenhauser Garten ? if it is I have that one coming already.

Thank You for offering,
Brigitte

diamond 123 ,
is the picture you posted of Adora pink x unk.pink ?
It sure is beautiful,
Brigitte

I'd love to be on your list, too if I'm not being too premature.

That doesn't cause it to tear the bark down the rest of the trunk, Kell? I tried to get a few leaves off that way & they made strings down the trunk, ack! I have a few that need to come off that are at least 2", would that work with that size? I may try that, I hate the sterlizing process too.
Bj

It can Bj. But if I do it hard and fast it usually is OK. Same with the leaves. Though last night I was taking a 3 ft sucker and it was rubbery and would not snap. LOL. I ended up taking my foot and landing on it hard.

I wonder if it is true that bleach won't kill SB. I used to carry a little hand sprayer of bleach and just spritz it in between cuttings. So much easier on me an my clippers. LOL

The trouble with not sterilizing Bonnie, is that SB can take months to show its ugly self and meanwhile you are unknowingly going along spreading it all over and sending the infected cuttings out. SB is so prevalent now, I believe that it is a matter of when you will get it not if.

If you use good technique, hopefully it will just kill off your yellow multi hybrids and your suavs and leave the rest alone.

I am covering my wounds too, Sherry. Another step in good technique that I am trying to make a habit.

I used to treat wounds and have started back, and like you, Kell, I plan to continue, just makes sense. My master gardener pal told me to use latex paint, any latex paint, so I'm using my Bronze Patina, which is almost a perfect match, except when the sun catches it just right and they appear gilded, with a little twinkle....

LOL Sherry. How clever. Maybe I should get some paint. Can you use a spray can?? That would be easy!!

I use white glue when I seal my roses.I imagine it would be ok to use them on Brug's as well ?
Brigitte

So interesting. Like Elmers??

I have been using Lac Balsam but it is expensive though it lasts a long time.

We paint the trunks of our fruit trees with latex paint so last year instead of white paint I painted pink, blue, purple. Heck the white shows up, why not make it look purdy & much more playful!
I also use the elmers glue for roses, Maybe I'll paint my Brug cuts with the color of the flowers, that will end the questions when I'm wandering about looking at the name tags, trying to remember who's who!
The "blending in" thing is a good idea, but I'm more of a "stick out" kinda gal! Sounds like a fun project!
Bj

I saw an article a few years ago, I think in Sunset Magazine. They had a bamboo grove that the owner had painted all the stalks in bright colors. It was so fun looking looking. I just loved it.

Can you take a picture for us Bj? I would love to see yours.

Thanks, Kell. What a SUPER idea Bj, I have soooooooooo much paint, I'm going to do that, if I can remember what color they are, sometimes even a tag doesn't help. I'd love a photo too BJ. Also, now why are the fruit trees painted?? I've always known sometimes they were painted, but i never knew why, i don't think, whatever, I need refreshing, okay??

Just joined today . What is H202 ?
I use stay - stuck to seal my cuts . I have /had a 100 roses in the front yard - some have died . When I prune the front yard , I spray with stay-stuck . To many cuts to seal each one .
I only Have 4 brugs - a single yellow , a frosted pink single , a single white and a double white . I had the double white /purple [ datra ] but the seeds didn't sprot 2nd year . I live in SF bay area CA .

Tonyjr,
WELCOME to DG's .

You are going to like it here :-)) ..it's like a big family.No matter what questions you might have someone is always there to answer.Gardeners are very special giving and sharing people.

H202 is Hydrogen peroxide.
I also grow alot of roses,used to have over 100 at one time,gave alot of them away.
Now I am more into DL and my new addiction is definately Brugmansia's,
Brigitte

thanks for asking this Q & A. can't wait for my brugs to grow so i can spread love around. lol.

(bj, haven't forgotten about your EEs. they got so big so fast to ship, and now waiting for the foliage to die back).

Diamond please put me on list for SASE.. This is my second post. Wonderful place here. I have one white brug this year and am anxious to add to it. I loved it.

Peggy

welcome tonyjr. and Peggy you both will want lots more , more.. nice picture of yours peggy to..

Twyla

Thanks hope-I think I am becoming a brug addict already.

In the spring I had never heard of brug now I want a start of everyone I see.

Peggy

oh yeah.. you've got it bad.. welcome welcome..

Thanks , Never new there were so many . I like any plants that are big , smell good , are pretty or different . I found 2 books I didn't have on plant propagation on this site and ordered them .
Seems like everytime I find a store that has someone that knows what they are talking about , they quit and it's time to look again . About thirty miles from me is Halfmoon bay Nursery . They had a double metal [ white /purple ] and had the address of someplace in England . They sent me a catalog , ordered seeds , none came up .
I go to Mexico every year on vacation and walk the fields and roads looking for Datura's and Brugs . Only fine single whites . In spanish the plant is called Tapaite . They are also called the mexican wedding flower , loco weed , jerusalam apples and thron apples [ a couple other names I can't remember right now .

Bjsbloomers-
My grandmother used to paint the bottom four feet of all her trees white. As a curious little kid, I asked "why". She only just told me "for the bugs", but never explained it.

I still don't know how it helps. Can you please explain it for me?
thank you
-Taylor

A few years ago a friend told me to use my old bottles of nail polish to seal the cuts on my brugs. I did do it that year and it worked fine, however it takes alot of nail polish. The paint sounds like a much better idea.

I use latex craft paint, cheap and lotz of colors. I understand, from other threads, any kind of latex paint is okay...

I use craft glue like I seal my roses,
Brigitte

bjs,

Young trees in cold climates have the trunks painted WHITE to reflect the suns heat.

In the winter when temps are below freezing the bark could split

when the morning sun hits the frozen trunk splitting it all the way through the cambium layer ,

allowing insects and disease to enter or just killing it outright.

My grandmother's trees were in Florida. It never got cold, and certainly did't freeze...
Seemed a lot of people did it...
Still does't explain why she'd do that...(I'd ask her now, but can't)
-T

They do it for lots of reasons it seems. Taylor, I bet she did do it for bugs and maybe even sunscald in Florida.

REASONS FOR USING TRUNK PROTECTIVE MATERIALS

Trunk protective materials are applied at planting for many reasons. These reasons fall into two categories:

Physical protection- protection from equipment, animals, insects, people, herbicides; reduction of suckering.

Environmental modification- temperature modification for protection from sunscald or sun scorch, and frost cracks; bark moisture conservation- especially for thin-barked trees- ash, birch, basswood or linden and maple


http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/factsheets2/tree/aug94pr5.html

http://www.floridaplants.com/trees/tech.htm

I know nothing. LOL But I sure think Bj's grove must look like lots of fun!

I stopped using tree wraps because they harbor insects. JMO

Thanks Kell-
maybe it was the sunscald and bugs...seemed like everyone in that neighborhood had half white trees...
-T

Pecan trees (I suspect some oak trees too) make 'tree drip', awful black gunk that gets on everything. Forever, it was thought that it was just the nature of the pecan trees, but someone came along and said insects caused it and suggested white washing trees, to keep the insects off (I cannot remember what insect, maybe aphids, but not certain). Well, the idea took off like hot cakes and before long, every pecan tree in the US of A was white washed about five feet up, or so. I'm not how sure how long it took them to figure out that white washing didn't work, but before long, it was back to business as usual - of course it did not work or every pecan tree I have would be white washed, and I have have them in three states. I called LSU, MS State, UofA, and asked what I could use to stop the horrid tree drip and I was told that if I could come up with something that I would work, I'd be rich and famous...

Great info..I have not gotten to the point where I can cut yet. Diamond 123 would like to be added to your list..

The best thing to use for sterilizing your pruners is Alcohol.


Ken Piercy
Von Russell Farm

Web site: www.vonrussellfarm.com
http://www.goliathboards.com/users5/vonrussellfarm/index.cgi?board=Peafowl