I have some brugs rooting in water in my greenhouse. Everything went fine for awhile and they put on leaves. Some have very long roots now, while others are still just nubbies. The ones with just nubbies are mostly Charles Grimaldi and now they are wilting and rotting. What's causing this and what can I do? I change the water often and put a couple of drops of Clorox in the water to prevent algae growth.
Also, should I go ahead and pot the ones that have long roots?
a huge problem
Great questions. I'll be looking forward to the answers. I, too, put a lot effort into keeping the water in my cutting tray clean and oxygenated, e.g. I installed a simple bubbler, do regular water changes, keep the setup in moderately bright light, etc. And yet I just lost Tiara and L'Amour, and am in a last-ditch effort to save Adeline (my last double!) and Pink Velvet - I potted both up in starter mix, are keeping them evenly moist, and have the above-ground cutting enclosed in plastic to maintain high humidity. Any tips on what I could be doing better here would be great. It shouldn't be this hard!
Again, great questions woodspirit1!
Erick
Chlorox???? I don't know about that. Clorine is not good for plants... H2O2 will help with the rooting due to increased oxygen and I guess it prevents algae cause I dont think I have any algae. A bubbler system is a great help also. Some cuttings are harder to root than others, but I have found that cuttings that don't root easy in water will sometimes root in potting soil. The main thing here is to not over water and to put a plastic tent over just the plant part and not the whole pot...Making sure the plastic does not touch the cutting. Another thing to try with some of the harder to root ones is the log style. I had success with that method very quickly. If you are not familiar with that, it is where you lay the cutting lengthwise in the pot letting the soil come up on the sides of it about halfway. You need to make sure that you have some nodes in the soil and some also on the top of the "log." The nodes on the bottom will root and the nodes on the top side will be where the new growth will sprout. If you have several nodes both in the soil and on top, you can get several plants that can be divided after they get going good.
Wow, a treasure trove of great and very helpful advice! Thank you very much yardqueen1948.
Erick
Erick,
Wow...so cool of you to say so!!! And just think...6 mo ago I didn't know what a brug was...LOL!!! I will have to give credit to all "my" advice to all the DG-er's who taught me!!!! I feel I do need to add that rooting in water is still my preferred method unless it seems to not be working. I have potted many that just had nubbies when I planted them and they did fine. If the cuttings start to rot, sometimes there is no way to save them... I have had sucess with the ways I have described in the previous post, but I also lost a few in the bubbler before I ever learned to try the other methods. And sometimes they rot anyway. But I now have very close to 100 happy brugs in my greenhouse... I am going to take a count one day this week.
Carol
By the way... are either of you addicts yet?
a few more
This picture was taken right after potting up some that were starting to rot in the bubbler. All of them now have rooted and are growing...in the lower right you can see one that was done "logstyle" and you can see the leaves that had sprouted on it. I did only get one plant from that one.
Here is a better shot of the log... the other plants behind it are cannas and gingers
yes yardqueen, I am addicted. I got the info about using a tiny amount of chlorine from other brug growers here at DG. I don't have a bubbler and I'm not sure how to use one, so I just change the water frequently and use a few drops of the chlorine. If I don't, I get an awful lot of algae awfully fast.
Growing the brugs here is a challenge because it is cool here and they get about 1/2 shade. I am forever looking for the best cool-weather brug.
I will pot up my Charles Grimaldis and hope for the best.
Erick, likewise, thanks for the compliment. I am a part-time journalist, so I guess I learn how to ask questions.
Woodspirit,
Here is a link to my bubbler system
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/658552/
Wood dont put bleach in your water some times its used in a weaked state to rince of roots or plants but then you rince iff the plant with fresh water Paul
Carol,
The pictures really help. Thank you for taking the time to share them. It's always nice to get some new ideas and approaches to gardening challenges, and you generously shared many.
And, yes, I am now definitely a Brugmansia addict, if only a small-time one. I don't think there is effective treatment for how advanced by condition is. I have about a dozen large potted Brugs existing semi-dormantly in the basement (so far, so good) an another dozen or so cuttings that I am trying to root (with mixed results so far). I my limited experience, Brugmansias are a LOT of work for a LOT of reasons. But seeming them bloom in the garden somehow makes it all worth it!
Happy New Year to you and yours.
Erick
phicks, I must have been told wrong about the bleach. I will follow your recommendations.
yardqueen, I don't think I can do the bubbler thing right now. In fact, there were some things I didn't understand at all, like, why are the cutting in individual bottles?
Erick, your brugs look great on the steps. But tell me about that building. Is that where you live? or work? I'd love to see an overall shot of it. I work in historic preservation and architecture interests me.
Woodspirit, if your water is getting too much sun, that will cause the algae to grow. I use a dark container for cuttings that are getting natural sun and that helps with the algae problem. I don't think algae will hurt the brugs anyway. Someone correct me if I'm wrong..
In my case, the cuttings all being separate are to keep them from all getting "sick" if one has cootiez. LOL It's a pain, but worth it if one of your cuttings gets sick, it won't spread to the others.
Too bad, Betty! I hope your CG take to soil. I have much better luck rooting in soil myself.
Carol, your set up is just great. I have all the parts so one of these days I am going to get it together to try it again.
woodspirit1,
Thank you for the compliment. The building is a six-unit condominium building that was built in 1906. There are three units on each side (mine is the middle one on the left side). They all have unique features, but all are ~2,300 square feet, have ten-foot ceilings and hardwood floors. I live in the Crocus Hill neighboorhood, an upscale area near downtown St. Paul. The street behind the building is Grand Avenue, which is know for its wonderful mix of shop and restaurants (and very few chains). I absolutely love living here.
I will make a mental note to take a picture of the building this weekend (this time of year it is already dark by time I get home from work).
The real fun part? I bought my condo 18 years ago for $68,000, and they are now selling for over $300,000! However, I have NO plans to move anytime soon.
Regards,
Erick
the trend to move back into town is sweeping some parts of the country. I love it because it keeps the downtowns alive. What a funny reversal of the escape to the " 'burbs" beginning in the 50s. Can't wait to see the pictures.
Woodspirit,
They are in individual bottles to keep the cuttings standing upright. They have most of the sides cut away to let water flow through. There are other ways to do that...I just happened to have access to a lot of bottles and had been using some when rooting in water before I made the bubbler. some people use grates over the top of the bubbler or chicken wire or something like that. I did not have those things, I had bottles...LOL It will work with anything that will hold the cuttings upright, and still allow the water to circulate through. If the water doesn't circulate through then you defeat the purpose of the bubbler.
Carol
well, that explains it. with the sides cut out of course the water can circulate.Great idea. Thanks.
How do you get the cuttings out of the bottle when the roots and leaves have formed?
If the stems are large I cut the neck of the bottle to accomadate the stem before I put it in the bubbler. If the stems are not large I have never had a problem getting it out even when lots of roots are formed. I suppose it could though and in that case I would just cut the bottle. The bottles I use are very easy to cut. The same thing could occur when using a grate, however a person I knew that used one just cut out some of the plastic to make bigger holes...
Oh okay.. I thought it was harder to cut them off than that. It sure keeps them straight! Great idea.. and gotta love the price! LOL I'm always looking for ways to cut corners.
The bottles I have are easier to cut than most...I don't know what kind they are...DH gets them from work. these are only 10 oz bottles. But it should work with any bottles just use sharp scissors and be careful! I have some of one 16 oz water bottles that I am going to use for wintersowing. I will probably put 2 or 3 seeds in each and the select the best one. They will grow in them instead of the little pots they use in flats. I have a LOT more bottles than I do pots...LOL I will use them for the seeds I sow indoors as well. I will cut them like they do the 2 liter bottles. I like the idea of being able to see the roots.
I like that idea too. I think there are a lot extra water bottles in the kitchen at the library where I work. I will ask for them.
I like water/soda bottles for the bottoms more than the tops! LOL I like making drain holes in the sides of the bottom of the "legs" for drainage and use em for pots. I like that they don't tip over as fast as the cups.
I'm afraid if I had to cut one off a cutting, I'd mangle the cutting for sure.. I'm contstantly leaving scars just from my fingernails..
How do you change the water in these set-ups?
Can coke and spirite "can" be used for brugs? I have not read any where that they are used or not used. The top could be cut out and holes put in the sides for water flow.
woodspirit,
We use a shop vac...Dont really know how others do it but they can't be picked up when full.
Kamikid,
I don't know...lets see what others say. I have never heard anything about this...
I used a bubbler all winter last year and never changed the water. There was no need to. I had to "bail" the water out to get it light enough to lift to discard the water for spring/summer. This year I had cuttings I didn't want to mix, so I just put bubble stones in vases and had one small bubbler in the middle for the cuttings I wasn't worried about.
OK, OK, I give up! I'll get a bubbler. I'm sure my spousal unit can rig the thing up. Can I stick some koi in there?
I use a rooting hormone, a super fine powder. Cut, wet, dip in rooting powder, and plant in a peat pot. Poke a hole in the soil, and gently put the cuttings in. water lightly, but often. When the cuttings have leaves, and when wheather is warmer, you can plant them, pot and all, it adds organic material around the rootball. It has always worked for me.
If you prefer the water method, don't wait until the roots are too long and in knots. When you see the nubbies, about a millimeter long, they are ready to be planted.
Welcome to Dave's and to the Brug Forum mrs_colla! Sounds like you have a few brugs. Your yard looks great. I just love San Anselmo. I do a nursery/antique hop there a couple times a year. And I am in love with the San Rafael Civic Center Farmers Market on Sunday. You are so lucky to be so close.
An anitque hop? do we get to go there and dance? Haven't been to a sock hop in a long time, lol.
Well, I did pot up most of the brugs yesterday. But I ran out of potting mixture so have to buy some more today. I usually add some Black Kow to the mix; is this an ok idea?
I had to cut off the ends of some of them because they had started to rot. Some only formed nubbies and then started rotting, others formed true roots. I'm not sure what the difference is but some were warmer than others and I think they were the ones that rotted. It was a cold and blustery day and so nice to work awhile in the greenhouse.
The nubbies you see are the beginning of the long roots that follow.
However, they are not true roots; they are water roots. True roots would definately rot in water for longer than a day!
The nubbies, which become water roots adapt better to soil than a cutting with nothing growing. That is why people root in water first.
But if you have a lot of them rotting, I would suggest planting them in pottingsoil, length wise, burrying half the cutting, or standing up, after putting rooting hormone on the burried ends.
Succes!
LOL Betty! No dancing just looking at old stuff. There are not really any great nurseries there but a few small fun ones but they do have several fun antique stores.
Is Black Kow manure? I do add manure to my pots/ground but when rooting I try to keep the mix very very light.
Betty, I found this winter too that ones I kept warm had a bigger rot rate. But ones I put outside that I got late in fall actually have done ok! And it has been so cold out there! In the 30s at night.
Black Kow is very large, well-known composted manure company. They also make Black Hen composted chicken manure but I don't see it very often. I think Gaia Herb Company uses Black Hen.