I got these cuttings from a fellow DGer at our RU last Saturday.
I came home, put them in this jar with water and this is what they look like this morning.
This is roots...right? Thaey look like very tiny little clusters of roots to me.
Should I go ahead and pot them up now or wait a little longer?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Dee
Well you are going to have some nice brugs next year and yes those are the start of roots...since they are nice fat cuttings I would keep them in water all winter and a cool place...change the water at least once a week and if you want to go a step farther there are threads on here about a bubbler to use but I would just keep them in water...also get a bigger container to put them in..glass is the best but I put mine in pails in about 50 degree temps....good luck and you will be so excited next spring...Judy
LOL Judy, when I saw those nubbies, me coming from a higher zone than you, I thought pot them up in dirt. LOL.
Those are such great cuttings, nice and fat.
It depends on what you want and how you overwinter them, Dee. If you just want to keep them small for winter do as Judy says, great advice. But if you want them to grow over winter and have a warm place for them, you can pot them up. Some even pot them up and winter them in a sunny window in their house over winter.
Just do not pot them up in too big a pot for you do not want a lot of wet dirt around them in winter till their roots grow big enough. You can get root rot. They usually slow down over winter too, it is their dormant period but they will grow some if warm with good light.
How warm and how much light?
In case you can't tell, I don't have a clue what I'm doing!
Dee
Dee, the only reason I say to keep them in water is because in our heated homes in the winter we get bugs but since I see you are zone 8 you may be able to next year let them die down to the ground and have them grow back again...not sure though since Im zone 5/6....The only way we can keep brugs from getting infested with bugs is to keep them cool and dormant....This year though I have some cutting outside that have to come in the house...I can see the Raid coming out..lolol...Judy
I use Raid also, Judy. So easy for a lot of bugs.
I hold my breath and spray and then run. LOL
I didn't know if your brugs are dormant they are bugless. I guess all the leaves fall so no place for the bugs. Duh to me. LOL
Oh Dee, neither did any of us. And sometimes I think I still do not. LOL. One winter I had 4 to 6 inch pots at my southern windowsills, and the temp was normal to cooler house temps for my DH does not believe in putting on the heat unless we are in a deep freeze.
Well I dont have problems until about the end of Jan/Feb..then the days are getting longer and the brugs just know to start to push out leaves..this is when the problems start..I start picking off leaves and squishing the aphids...no spider mite trouble until its almost time to put them out...when I finally do get them outside the plants look aweful and I always feel like they wont ever spring back but they sure do..the lady bugs start to take care of the aphids and my spraying with water does in the spider mites...I hardly ever have to go to chemicals...I think its time though to start since I had about 5 brugs that just didnt do much this year...they are going to brug heaven......judy
Well Judy, not to wish you bad, but I was beginning to think that either you were an angel with the magic touch or I was just the opposite. Because I also have some that did not bloom this year and it was mainly because of fighting off the bugs. So, by they're going to brug heaven, is that the compose pile? I just hate to do that, but it might be best, huh?
Jeanette
Jeanette, we live in the city and I cant burn them but would if I could...I end up taking them to our landfill..my hubby works for the city so I can get in where others couldnt...I dont want the soil or any of the plant sitting around my gardens....
And Im like you..to put a brug in the compost pile is a day of mourning..I dont usually do it unless its a crispy critter...and then Ive found little stems pop up out of the top of the compost pile..I keep watch of it and hope it can get through the winter but I know it wont...Judy
