When you bring the Brugs in for winter is it best to leave the leaf on, or strip them all off, stripping sure would get rid of all mites.
What is the best way
I've taken Monika's advise not to remove the leaves so I haven't stripped them. I do remove yellowing and damaged leaves. I'm so isolated that I don't have much too trouble with insects (other than grasshoppers) and mites. I do remove leaves if there is a problem with mites. The main reason I don't remove the leaves is that my Brugs don't go dormant. They slow down quite a bit, but continue to grow during winter.
Doris,
Are you going to have to over-winter your brugs in a basement, garage or a room in the house? The reason I ask is, unless that you have a green house or a room that is VERY well lit to keep them growing, they will more than likely go dormant. And if they go into any state of dormancy the plants will drop their leaves, because of the dormancy factor and also because of the change of environmental growing conditions.
I am in zone 6 also, and I over-winter mine in an up-stairs bedroom. If I do not remove the leaves before I bring them in I will just have to clean them up in the house after they drop. So I go ahead and strip all the leaves before I bring them in the house. It is much easier to strip the leaves off before they come in, than to pick them up in the house. Plus, before I bring them in the house, I give all of my brugs a good spraying AFTER they are stripped to help control any insects that may want to hitch a ride on them and have a cozy place for the winter. It is easier to spray them after they are stripped.
Hope this helps you.
Bettydee, you bring yours inside? I'm leaving mine outside and will cover/protect only if the temps drop to the 30's. I could probably stand some die back. They are in very heavy glazed pots and I'm not up to the struggle to attempt to move them.
I have to move mine either to the house or garage, there is no window in the garage that is why I wondered about the leaves, the double I have will be in my plant room
Kareoke, I'm curious. What size pots? I had really large pots [plastic from Wal Mart I think] and my brugs got pot bound within a month. The new pots [and I had to cut roots from under the current pots] are larger but again growth and I'm getting a little concerned. I'm not up to pulling them out again and trimming roots nor do I want to continue to upsize in pots, once a year is enough for me.
Mine are in the LARGE PLASTIC POTS also from Wal-Mart and they have never gotten pot bound they do not seem to grow that fast three of them have been in the same pot for 3 years
DiamondD
Mine are in plastic and fiberglass pots of all sizes up to 31" in diameter. Not heavy enough to provide root protection. Because the temperatures can be in the 80s one day and in the low 20s the next, my plants are more vulnerable to frost damage. I have a large landscape dolly and that makes it easier to get the plants into the greenhouse.
Thanks. I was concerned about my pot sizes but they are fine then. Over on another brug forum there is talk about mites and wilt proof. Several of us have ordered, you might be interested too. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/770336/
This message was edited Sep 16, 2007 4:51 PM
kareoke, I received my brugs (2) at Christmas time and they were oh maybe 6 - 12 inches, they are maybe 2 feet apart and one is probably an easy 8 ft. and the other about 4 and a half. The smaller one bloomed first and is on it's third flush, the taller one just bloomed for the first time. I was certain the pots I had them in originally were more than adequate but I was oh so wrong. They were drying out before the day was out so I decided to invest on the really nice large pots. When I moved them away I had to yank and tug, the roots had already dug into the ground.
Plastic pots they were in and root bound.
And the new pots, if you look closely you can see the height of the two. [the green pots in the front]
And last but definitley not least, the smaller one in the 2nd flush of blooms.
Pretty plants and yard, DiamondD! Lovely pots, too! I just pot mine up to a 25 gal tub with plastic cord handles... if I don't like the color, I just spray paint with Fusion paint for plastic. They come out every 3 or 4 years to be trimmed and freshened up. To keep the roots from growing into the ground, I make sure they are elevated on bricks or patio blocks. You can make big holes in black nursery pots and plant it pot and all then dig in fall, but I can't dig any more (bad knees) so I just use those 25 gal tubs for around $6 or $7. I'm thankful to have people around to help me with digging and lifting. Mine aren't stripped bare when I bring them in, I leave some leaves on the tops. I try to keep them green and alive but not really growing, kind of a semi dormant state I guess, they seem to bloom sooner in spring for me that way. I was reading that post earlier today about the wilt proof, I'm still thinking about it. I use worm castings in the soil or on top of the pot, and I think that really works.
Thank you AuntB. I have ordered the wilt proof but it hasn't arrived yet. While at Louisiana Nursery yesterday, I saw where Safers has a wilt proof and I purchased it. The weather was perfect yesterday to use it but I couldn't bring myself to do it [fear of the unknown]. I wasn't sure being that the smaller brug is full of blooms again and the taller one has blooms also how it would affect the flowers. I chatted with Heavenscent and she received and has used her wiltproof and said she has noticed a difference.
I guess I will try it, I just don't like to coat the leaves, like they can't breathe or something... but everyone seems so pleased and the visual proof has been posted. I have so many partial containers of stuff, I really should clean out my inventory. I don't think I would have sprayed yesterday either, we spend a lot of effort trying to get the blooms, I'd enjoy them and then spray, too! Hey, my boss owns a barge terminal there in Baton Rouge. He's down there off and on all the time. It's close to Georgia Pacific, he started it 3 or 4 years ago and is doing very well.
I'm very new to brugs. I only have one and it is just now getting ready to bloom. I know it will have to come in here in Virginia, but what are the safe temps?.
Thanks in advance,
Juanita
I want to find out it it is ok to spray the flowers and buds withe the wilt proof or anti stress 2000. DOes anyone know?
Juanita, in VA, I think if planted in the ground the roots will survive a freeze, but the foliage would be knocked down and useless. In spring it would start anew from the roots.... I hope I explained that okay.... if in a pot, (I think your's IS, right?) I put a 40 degree minimum on myself with mine.... they seem a little affected (but not harmed) by anything below 40 but ABOVE 32, but just so it isn't out in the elements in 32 degree temps or you will lose the top growth..... I will be moving mine directly in front of the garage door, then I can pull them in and out as temps allow to get as much bloom time as possible.....until I get tired of lugging or having someone lug for me, or we have constant freezing temps, then they come in for winter.
Yardqueen, she's in 7a, what do you think? I'm in 5b, and I am experimenting with one this winter... It is in the ground, I will whack it back to ground level cover the "stump" with 2-4 bags of mulch (unopened) then spread bags of leaves over the mulch to protect it from moisture and hope to see new growth next spring... AuntB- aka: zone pusher
Yardqueen, I think you found the link .....there is a discussion on this, but for anyone else....... very very interesting...
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/770336/
AuntB,
Wintering in the ground can be "iffy." Last year I had 2. I did them both the same and they were about 2 yds apart. One came back and one didn't. I might not have mulched enough, and the one that didn't come back was an unknown, so I don't know what zone it was hardy to. some are hardy to 9 or 10.... This year I have at least 40 or more in the ground. I plan to cut them back and mulch well. If it gets really cold I will try to put christmas lights on the ground over as many as I can. I will make cuttings from what I cut off for myself as back up and to share.
I guess up here in 5b, I think even 6 or 7 is tropical, lol. Maybe try laying a garbage bag full of leaves on top, too... in addition to the mulch... It helps keep out moisture that would cause root rot, when they aren't actively growing... Have you tried sticking the whole stem, I mean like a long 5 or 6 ft stem with a few leaves left at the top and rooting in a bucket of water over winter? I've done some long ones that way before and I will do some again. I use a small aquarium pump with airstone in the bucket to help keep them from rotting. Oh, yardqueen, you know all of this, you have a yard FULL of brugs, if I remember correctly.
You are correct ma'm! All 70 of my brugs were cuttings at one time! SO yes, I have done my share of rooting... You may find this amusing... This was only the begining ....LOL I had two of those bubblers full before it was done!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/658552/
That's okay for repeat yourselves AuntB and Yardqueen, I needed to hear your comments. I was wondering about taking a large cutting(s) because I plan to reduce one of mine's size. That's the ticket, thanks.
Thanks everyone. I was thinking maybe the range was 40 degrees. I'm just hoping for a big warm spell so I get to see this bloom for the first time. I think I haven't had it in enough sun and that is why is so far behind. I was told only morning sun when I got the cutting, but I don't get a ton of full sun here anyway, so I may move it tomorrow and try to encourage the blooms.
Thanks again,
Juanita
Juanita, I think different kinds like different environments.. some want more sun, some want less. I hope you get to see blooms this year... please post pics when you do.
Wow, YQ, that's quite a set up! How organized! I just used a 5 gal plastic bucket and a T connector for the tubing, 1 stone for each bucket.... Oh, but you said 70 brugs, so you'd have to have an organized way to keep them identified... very clever inexpensive set up! (I better not ever need to get that organized) lol I have 7 growing right now and I have a few on my want list, but I have other plant addictions.
You would think it would be organized, but I still tost tags. I did not think I would but I really did not know that I needed to mark the cuttings or tag them better. Oh, and I have other addictions too. And I had a lot of other things in those bubblers! Not all of the 70 cuttings I got were in at one time. They came to me from fall to spring and as they rooted I potted them and put them in the greenhouse. And I only have about 40 or so left as I gave duplicates to my DD's, SIL and others. And I lost about 4 in our floods this spring and early summer. They were the youngest and they fried after all the flooding when the sun came out with a vengeance! Or I should say they were steamed to death! All of mine suffered shen that happened, but the rest recovered and are blooming. I should have had the anti-stress 2000 then!!!