pruning & propagation questions

I have a standard which has branches nearly 3' long at this point. This is the first standard that I've ever made and I'm wondering if I should prune back these laterals or leave them. My concern is that they might become too heavy and break off from the main stem. Since I don't need it to be an attractive plant until it gets set outside in May, is it advisable to prune back the lateral branches now? Do these laterals ever become too heavy in a standard?

I've also started some seed and wonder if they should receive bottom heat?

Thanks!

I would remove some of the leaves . The more leaves , the heavier the branch and the roots have to send more food and water to them which makes trunk stronger and the more leaves the more photosysthisus [ sp ] to sent sugars etc back to roots .
Everyone says don't feed in winter but I give mine 5-10-10 .
The 5 makes leaves grow , 1st 10 is like Vitamins and 2nd 10 helps roots - I may have the 10's reversed as to what they do
If you prune , what you prune may be where flower form and you would have to wait longer for them .
Hopefully someone will explain it better for me too .

tonnyjr - Thank you for your answer. I got a little confused, though. I get the recommendation to remove leaves but everything after that seemed to support an argument for leaving them on. What did I miss?

Maybe you could cut it back to about six nodes on each of the main branches above the Y and let it bush up and grow strong, but not until you get ready to put it outside so the new growth will acclimate to your weather. For now, I would just cut the tips back and a little of the length to slow the growth of the branches some. Your trunk does look thin and it needs to take up some energy for strengthening it up, if possible. Strength is taken in through the leaves (light). I don't push for indoor flowers and mine will all get hair cuts when they go outside due to the growth they have put on in the house and garage. Hope she does well for you.

I don't think I could grow them in clay pots as hot as Iowa is getting in the summers now. One year I did grow one in a clay pot and it took lots of water. Most of mine are grown in 20 gallon pots. You might want to bump yours up a little in pot size when they go outside if you aren't putting them in the ground. This is just the way I would do it. Suggestions only.

This message was edited Jan 22, 2007 2:01 PM

Oh my Buckthorne! What a kick that brug is. So skinny for such a full head. I can see where Tony thought maybe you should cut off some heavy leaves. That trunk is so skinny and the top is so full but so healthy looking. Hard to think it could hold up much more. Make sure you have it staked with 2 stakes, one on each side.

I do not think I have ever had such a skinny one. How tall is this one? Do you just have 2 top shoots that form the Y? I try to always trim my top of the Y branches back to encourage dense lateral growth more towards the center of the canopy. It does make it stronger and gives you more flowering wood. I do try to save between 4 and 8 nodes, depending on the plant. Each node can shoot out a branch that I then tip when it gets out by about 4 or so, again depending on the space between the nodes. I go by the looks as I trim it back. It is nice to get a full circle for your canopy.

It would be nice to keep as many leaves as you can to make food for that trunk to fatten up. I bet it would fatten right up if you plant this in the ground. Or is it to stay in a small pot for inside use when it is in full flower? I have seen similar plants at Christmas in small pots with skinny trunks and a big canopy with poinsettia. They are so dramatic.

I hope you come back and post a picture when it is in flower. I bet it will be quite a looker. As far a heat with seeds, to tell you the truth I can't remember if it works well. I used it last year for a while till I had to root some plumeria I had bought on eBay and I took my mats back for my cutting rack. So I guess my answer is no, you do not need heat at all for the majority I have germinated I have not used it. Whether it would help I must abstain. I do find if you let light get to them, they germinate much better. I would think other people on here have more experience with heat and will let us both know.

Buckthorne:Nice Brug.

Looks like Kell agrees with what I said. Thanks.

really nice looking one .. great. brugie you told something there that made me tell myself ah thats it what i did wrong thanks so much..

You're welcome Twyla.

For this time of year you've got a nice looking plant there Buckthorne. It will make a nice tree this summer.
I agree with Brugie not to cut it back until you are ready to put it outside. New winter growth will be weak and need to be trimmed off in the spring.
I always leave at least 6 nodes when I trim in the springtime as any less will mean less flowers.
In our short growing season I also don't tip the new branches that grow from the nodes because that delays the flowering and we just don't have the warmth, sun and time that warmer zone people have to keep growing new Y's.
Do you plan on putting it in the ground this summer or will you keep it in a pot?
I've tried both ways and find it is much less work to plant them in the ground.
I start my seeds under lights. If they are in a warm area of the house they don't need bottom heat. If you have them on a window sill I would put them on a heat mat as the glass throws off cold air.
Very nice area you live in Buckthorne. We travel through there quite often in the summer.

Thank you EVERYONE:)!!! I am a head gardener up here and the propagator/greenhouse manager will be very happy to have such considered information! We have many more standards in the works.

What we will be doing with these standards is lining a pool with them. They'll be going in much larger pots so the increased pot size won't be a problem. Fortunately, someone will be tending to them at least once a day every day and they'll get lots of TLC.

Kell - To answer your question, the plant is 6' tall. My boss likes lots of things trained into standards: geraniums, myrtle, bay laurel, citrus, roses.......So, we needed to devise a support system that didn't rot out and could withstand the blasts of wind that we get here on the ocean. I went to the local metal fabricator and had these metal stakes made up that are welded to a disc that sits in the bottom of a pot. The base has drainage holes drilled in to it and the bottom of the base has bolt welded to it so that there's just enought space underneath to insure good drainage. Naturally, we paint them so that they don't heat up as much in the sun. I've found that a nice almond color looks good in almost every instance. In my neck of the woods, a support like this runs $30./ea but is well worth the investment if you intend to keep your standards going for many years. Nonetheless, I'll have to see about bulking up that stem. I don't want the other plants kicking sand in poor Bruggy's face.

Thanks again,

Karl

Karl, get a patent and market those babies!
I love standards!
Promise you'll post pics of the pool surrounded with all the standards when the time comes.

Sounds like you work at a huge and beautiful place! Standards are my favorite shape too so I may just have to move in. And its by the ocean. We all love pictures if you have any!

Your stake is great and not ugly like so many are. What kind of brugs are you growing there? A member here uses yellow brugs for around their pool and it is just gorgeous.

Kell - Brugs are new to me this year. Since I always need to do something different every year, I'm always working on something new. Last year, it was rose standards. The design for an extremely stabile stake, of course, was mandatory. The winds here whip of the ocean like a tidal wave. Even Miscanthus must be staked in order that it not be a sort of whipped pile of straw.

This year, I hope for B. 'Aztec Sun' on the sides of the pool and a double yellow (the name escapes me right now) at the head of the pool.

If you're out this way in May, look us up. We have a fantastic bulb display that's open to the public. Just pack plenty of warm clothes. In zone 9b, I fear you'd just snap in half up here from the cold. May'll be nicer, though, so come on over!