Lucky enough to receive 4 white brugs cuttings from the trade list. 3 took root, 2, I have potted but now I am concerned about the potting mix. I purchased it from a nursery but it seems to hold alot of water and feel heavy, the brugs have only been transplanted about 2 days, but so far so good. The third unless someone tells me it is a bad idea I am going to put in mg potting soil (can I say the name?).
I have a sun room that I plan on overwintering them in. It has glass on east, south, and west and is open to the house (semi-solar). I usually put a small water garden in there to try to keep the house humidity up. After reading about mites, would it be better to strip the leaves and let them go dormat? So far they have never been outside.
I am looking forward to trying to grow other brugs, the colors are just beautiful from the pictures that are posted.
I want to thank you for your help.
New brug addiction - questions on soil and overwintering
Happ.. I'm a bit confused .. you got roots... was that from them being in water... I usually pot mine up before they show roots... seeing the little white nubs forming on the stems is my clue to pot them on... water roots are tender ... so I let all of the real rooting be done in the soil they will live in...
You'll never get them to go dormant in that lovely room... [ too much heat and light ] if that's where they will winter over ... I'd keep them up and growing.. sounds like plenty of light for them.... Good luck wih the new plants... Gordon
The potting mix is okay, heavy with moisture is not okay for freshly potted cuttings. They need to be on the dry side, so watch out for that.
As for letting them go dormant, I wouldn't think a fresh cutting can go dormant without roots, so I'd let them grow if I could. I think the humidity will help with the mites. Sounds like your good to go!
Happ, the wisdom I have gleamed from the experts:
Use a small pot for cuttings so it will not retain moisture for long periods.
Cut your planting medium (I use Pro-Mix) by half with perilite for drainage.
Tussee
Joyce... are you coming to the RU? You should ;) . I have rooted (very rooted) cuttings from LAST winter, growing in a bucket outside my garage door. I forgot about them, and now I'm prepping for the "fall haul", they have grown without my assistance, can you imagine that?... I may or may not know what kind I have, they aren't white, I hope the tags are still on them. Probably Peach versii or Pink Beauty...They would be too big to send in a trade..... some are about 3ft tall. I will be bringing moderate to maximum swap material, so it'll be a lot of fun to meet you! I have a couple Charles G that are doing pretty much nothing.. I rooted them over winter and they are still in 6 in pots. I'm no expert, but I think you will need to let them get a dense, healthy root ball before you allow them to go dormant. That way IF they do lose all foliage, it will come back from the root ball. I use worm castings for spider mite deterant, mixed in or top dressed, I truely think it works. Also, I give them a dose of systemic before bringing in and that helps too. I really like Miracle Grow mix, too, but it can get expensive when you're potting brugs in a 25gal tubs! I'd cut in some perilite, like Tussee suggested.
AuntB, after potting up my seedlings, repotting older brugs., and using Pro-Mix for all of my other pots this spring, I called SH and told him to buy stock in PM. The garden center where I buy my PM the cheapest, cannot believe the quantity I use.
Tussee
I usually get a couple big bags in Spring thinking that will be enough, how foolish I am sometimes! It is good stuff, I tried a different mix from a nursery, but I think I still like the consistency and performance of my plants with the Miracle gro brand. I used to mix my own with dirt, peat, perilite, sand, but since my interest in plants has grown so tremendously, the "boughten" mix is just easier.. except those bags are just too heavy, so I get my kids, neighbors, whom ever I can snag to lug them around until I get it about half gone.
AuntB, I will be at the RU, I am so excited.
The cuttings I laid on their side in a plastic saucer used for pot drainage (you know the clear cheap ones) and filled the saucer with sterile mix for cuttings and sprouting seeds. (I didn't think of this the person who was so kind to share said to lay them on their side then you wouldn't have a cut stalk sticking straight up.)
They all sprouted but one.
Now they all have leaves and about a foot tall. I transplanted them into pots with ferti-loam potting mix. I got at the nursery (had a gift certificate).
I don't want the plants to go dormat so I will leave them in the solar room. I just wasn't sure about watering (a little or alot).
You'll have to watch them, don't let them get bone dry- (but if you do and they wilt a little, it's okay) I'd say if you can feel moisture about an inch below the surface, don't water.... you'll learn how much they need by just tending to them. I think my worst enemy for winter growing brugs is spidermite and over-watering. Oh, GREAT, I was just going over there to see if you'd seen EvaMae's invite........So, you want a pink one and an orange one? I need to go separate them and clean em up a little bit, give them fresh water.... not the murky, mossy slop they are in..... hope I don't kill em with clean!
Gosh AuntB, I would love any color. Just found these since I started on DG and have fallen in love with them.
Thank you so much.
That's how it ALL began for me. Searched the web for passionvine info, found a gardening forum and wondered what the heck is a brugmansia??? It's been true love/lust ever since! It will be fun for me to watch your "relationship" blossom! lol You're welcome Joyce. I'll bring some big babies to the RU for you.-Bonnie