Frost has bitten, Plus a question

This was not a pretty sight this morning.

I couldn't get this plant inside lastnight because of the size. Hubby had to work late so I drug in what I could but unfortunately this Sunray didn't make it in. Not to worry though, I did make sure to bring in another sunray so it is not lost.


Now for the Question. I have another large brug that is about 8 feet tall and 4-5 ft wide at the top with multiple tall trunks. Is it possible to cut the trunk near the base of the plant and root this type of cutting? In otherwards, the cutting will be 7 ft tall with the Y at the top to get an automatic standard once rooted.

Thanks
Dott


Frost Bitten Sunray

Dott,
Yes it is possible. I did a large one this spring in just a simple bucket of water no bubbler. Come spring when you plant it use some rebar to stake it good. I guess you can use wood but I had some rebar and it works Really well.
Edit- Sorry I forgot to mention I did a heavy trim on it also.

This message was edited Oct 27, 2005 8:02 PM

Hey Dott, Your sunray might still make it, just cut those wilted leavs back and the wilted parts of the tree, it should come back for you, If not, both those cuttings you gave me are rooted, I can send one back to you, We've had frost here 3 nights in a row, your lucky if this is your first frost .

kathy

I know the other night when it got down to 31* and all my leaves and flowers were frozen, I went ahead a cut back all my brugs. I did notice the trunks were still in good shape. So yours still may be okay like Kathy said.

I bet it is OK also. Even when my leaves turned black from frost, my trunks were fine.

I get the majority of my standards by cutting a huge sucker off at the base just like Kin does. Though I pot mine right up instead of rooting it in water like Kin does. I put mine directly into a 5 gallon pot of dirt. It takes about a month to put out new growth.

I would think you would have to have it in your house in warmth and some light. I cut off all the leaves except a few very small ones at the growth tips. I also only water when the soil is very dry. Even if the sucker gets limp. I do not water unless the soil is almost all dry.

I find after a couple of weeks, it stands up again. If it gets really, really limp, I fill a big clear garbage bag with water, drain it well and then tent the top of the cutting with the damp plastic bag. I close it securely around the stalk so it forms a humid mini GH over the top. It rehydrates the limp top.

Hope this helps. Good luck Dott!!

A lot of mine look just like that right now. We were going to have two cool nights, then back to 40's again. I brought in the most tender plants, but the brugs are still outside. The first night, our low was 33, no damage. The second night, it got down to 30, lots of frosted leaves. Not all of the plants, there are some that got frosted right next to ones that didn't lose a leaf! It's only leaf damage on mine (and some buds, boo hoo), and will make sure that I clean off all of the yucky old leaves before they come inside.

Thanks for the staking ideal GGK. I have used rebarb on occasion for staking and it's really not that expensive and last forever. I do have 2 large cuttings that broke off the plant I brought in, that are sitting in a bucket of water at the moment. They are fairly green 3 ft pieces. I haven't even taken the buds off of them yet.

Thanks for the offer Kathy. I do have back ups for this one. When I took everyone elses cuttings, I took a couple for myself. This one soes take a while to bloom since it seems to get so tall first. I only had a couple of flowers last fall before it had to come in and as you can see, the plant in the picture hasn't bloomed yet. I struggled with root rot on this one but it finally took off but a little late.

I do have to keep them inside Kell. I have a spare bedroom that I have been putting plants in for the winter along with a porch that has been plastic'd in and an inside back porch but I am filling up fast. I remembered my daughter has a hugh basement and I will be taking a few of my plants there once they have finished blooming. I just don't want to miss the last bloom cycle that was unexpected. Also, all of my pots have been outside and are soaked from the rains we have been getting and I am really afraid of root rot again. I am trying to get them to dry out a little first. I lost most of my brugs last year to root rot and have been trying to avoid it this year.

I have a long property line here and want to line it with brug standards and underplant it with possible ground cover roses and other annuals and tropicals.

I will be going out to trim it back in over the weekend and will try to dry it out also aver the next week inside my plastic'd porch. The pot is just so heavy for me alone to carry.

Here is a pic of the one I struggle to get in but the pot isn't as heavy or big. This is why my back was felling it. I want to take cuttings from the base where it is really woody. Will they root as easily as the more greener ones?

Sunray ( 8 ft tall and a with of almost 7 ft)