New Brug-er in New England - overwinter ?

Hi - I bought my first ever Brug this year from a local nursery - this is the 3rd flush of flowers - only 3 this time, but it's beautiful! I have a few questions though...(oh, and I'm in Massachusetts - near the Cape - so we are a Zone 6/7 depending on who you believe!). This Brug is under an overhang, in a courtyard protected from the wind - in a pot.

How often do you fertilize?
If it gets cold where you are, when do you stop?
What should I do with this over the winter? I read about people "cutting" them back and bringing them in - but what does that mean exactly?
Exactly how do you start one from a cutting? Where do you put it? Is it too late in the season for that?

Thanks in advance - I'm amazed and humbled by the photographs that all you experienced Brug-raisers have!

These photos are from May when I first bought it - the plant is looking more battle worn now, but still blooming - will try and get out there and take a few pics today.

Kara

This message was edited Sep 14, 2006 7:28 AM

here's another pic

one more...

Kara she is beautiful, I am in zone 6 and it gets pretty cold here, most of mine ar in pots, those in the ground I must dig up and pot over winter, if they are not too big.
I bring my pots in, in fall and put in my plant room, or in my spare bedroom, you can also keep them in the gararge if it doesn't freeze, I do not cut mine back unless they are realy BIG as it takes longer to bloom next year.
Now on care, if you want them to keep growing all winter water a couple of times a week and I fertalize once a week, if you want them to go dormant only lightly water about once a month and no fertalizer, in early spring when you get ready to bring them out they will need lots of fertalizing to get them going, and back to water every two days,
Understand this is how I do it, someone may come and give you different options, and know more than I do .
Enjoy your Brug, you will become addicted like the rest of us.


Doris

Kara, Pretty blooms, does she smell nice?
Isn't it exciting when your first one blooms? I'm at about my 30- 1sts! LOL!
Even after 30 first times I still get excited about the blooms.
I'm in Z 7A & I pretty much do what Karoke does. I don't cut mine down unless I have to to get them in their greenhouse. I bring them in before the first frost.
(last year it was all in one night, we got a frost warning on the 5PM news & boy were we every flying around getting them up!)
Last fall I did leave 4 in the ground, cut back & covered & mulched really good, to see if they would come back, they did not. Not one of them made it. So I wouldn't leave it outside in your zone. You can even put it in a closet in the dark. Just someplace it doesn't freeze.

I didn't even know that Brugs existed when I lived in Rhode Island. Out here they're everywhere and can grow quite tall.

Don't have much to contribute on over wintering for you since we don't have to do too much of that here, but just wanted to welcome you to the Brug Forum.

Mary

(Formerly from Rhode Island - but now thinks 50 is cold.)