Hi all. Well we had our first freeze last night and another hard freeze is forcast for tonight. My brug looks like the pic. I know I have to bring it in, but wondering what to do now. Do I remove all the leaves or wait for it to go dormant and the leaves fall off? I didn't get any blooms this year and didn't really expect to, but I was hoping. Oh well, I will pot it up this spring and keep my fingers crossed.
TIA,
Bonnie
just bring it in the leaves will dry out and any damaged branches will get either mushy ot shriveled up. either way if it is dead wood it will be brown. just take that off and keep it dry and let go dormant. we kept them in the ground near Columbia,SC and they came back the following springs always, so dont think it's a gonner.
Don't mean to sidestep your question (I don't know the answer) but why no blooms? I grew my first brug this year and it has bloomed four times. Got it via mail order on June 11th. It put out 2 single blooms, 1 triple and right now there are 2 more (the plant has formed 2 "Y"s and there are single blooms on each). Do I have an unusual plant? Wasn't a big plant when I got it---little over two feet.
This message was edited Sep 23, 2007 5:29 PM
it depends. if yours was a cutting from abotve the Y, then that may be the reason for the early blooming. if it was a seedling or a cuttin from below the Y, then that would be pretty early for it to bloom. i had a plant in the ground that died back for the winter, then came up and didnt flower, then the same happened the next year, but this time i took a cutting. it had not Yed. this year i planted it, and it finally bloomed after almost 3 yrs now! also the variety can make that vary too. it just depends
Diehrd, thanks for the advice. Sounds like a good plan.
David, I don't know why no blooms. This is my first brug and it didn't get planted until mid June. It's a versipeach. Don't know if that has anything to do with it. Maybe they're slow? Maybe I should have potted it up again? I watered every day and used MG fert. at least everyother day. It has put on very good growth and has at least 2 y's, so I have hi hopes for next year. How can a plant be so intimidating??? lol
Bonnie
diehrdsouthrnr....thanks. That explains it perfectly. I received the part below the "Y" and the stem which formed one half of the "Y". The side above the "Y" which was just a stub, has grown and formed it's own "Y". Think I paid $29 for it postage included. Others from that vendor were $18. Getting a plant which bloomed so fast explains the price differential I assume.
that is a peach versicolor????!!!!!????
wow we gotta trade cuttings. i love versicolor ones, because the are so long and pendulous!
y'all are both very welcome!
diehrd, I love the color too. I would be happy to trade cuttings. First I have to find out if I can even grow these, and then do some research on when, where, and how to do the cuttings. We moved from a z9 to z6 a few years ago and I'm still learning what I can grow and how to grow it in the high desert area.
Bonnie
Hi Bonnie, I'm Bonnie, too! How hot does it get in Klamath Falls in summer? Some brugs take longer than others, but it bloomed for me the first year I had it........ the easiest way (IMHO) to root cuttings is in a bucket of water w/aquarium pump & airstone. Let them be all winter, checking to add more water, if necessary. Don't completely change the water, just add to it if enough evaporates...You can get some pretty tall ones that way. I doesn't look like it was a harsh freeze, I bet the "limbs" are still good.......Usually, I make a couple cuttings on the stem end of the "limb" for trading/mailing and then the length that remains goes in my bucket. Also laying then down in potting mix works, but requires more observing and fussing over by you. The only one (so far) I've found that WON'T root in water is Maya.... I have rooted small 4-5 inch cuttings in promix and up to a 6-7 ft cuttings in the bucket. But I'm wondering if it doesn't get hot enough there, that would slow down bloom production... (NO worry, people are growing and have blooms OR, just wondering with all the care you gave it, seems you should have at least saw little buds before the freeze...) -B
Many brugs require a long growing season to develope flower's buds. This pink one on my zone where 1st freeze doesn't set in until Nov. usually. And for the past few years, that's the exact time when it bloomed. :(
This year I've cuttings from it taken during early summer to overwinter indoor, hoping for better blooms in the future.
Did I just get an unusual brug? This is my first and I'm wondering what to expect if I buy more next spring. Photo is of "Jerald's Joy" ten minutes ago. It has three blossoms on it. This is the 4th time it's bloomed since I got it in the mail on June 12th. It is in dappled sun where I grow impatiens.That is a 15 gallon grow bag I loaded with a combination of decomposed cow manure and potting mix (not potting soil) plus a small about of regular dirt. Been feeding it 10-60-10 bloom boost along with fish emulsion. Could that be why it was so fast to blossom? Wasn't a big plant when I got it. Only negative to this brug is it has absolutly no fragrance at any time of the day or night and was adverstised as having a nice one.
I'm no expert, David. I've been growing brugs for 6 or 7 years.... If it were mine, I'd move it into more sun and give it a bigger pot. It is not unusual to get multiple bloom flushes in one season... but usually not the plants 1st season, how big was the plant when you received it? It may have had a year's growth when you adopted it. Were there more than a couple blooms on the earlier flushes? I've never heard of Jerald's Joy, it's pretty! All brugs are not the same. Some like more sun, some like less, some bloom sooner in spring than others. But I think you should have many many more, so you can find your favorite! ;) Hey, Bonnie, did your stem get destroyed in the freeze, too?
Send all your brugs to me LOL
AuntB, most of the summer here was in the hi 80's to hi 90's. We might have had a day or two over 100 but I don't remember. And of course it's very dry here. I brought the plant in after the first night of freezing temps. I don't think the stem is ruined. The leaves are falling off now, so when they're all off I'll try to get a picture to see what you think. I'm almost positive she needs a bigger pot, but when would I transplant it?
Lily, David, those are beautiful blooms. Mine was barely a stick when I got it in June. I just figured it has taken this time to grow roots and leaves. And now we're getting freezes the end of Sept. :(
I have had cuttings come very fast and bloom in such a short time, others take a year or more. Variety has a lot to do with it. David your Jerods Joy is a fast grower. Mine went from a 6 inch cutting last year to 4 feet and had many blooms. If it came from Seed Sprout she usually sends above the Y plants not cutting which would have made a big difference.
seabreezy, that plant took quite a hit, watch it closely and trim away any parts that get mushy. I always get mine in before they get hit by frost. I strip off the larger leaves, give them a spray with a systemic and bring them in. I have been doing this for 4 years and so far have only never lost one. If the top dies back it will come back from the roots.
versi peach is a tough one. That was my first and now she is about 8 feet tall and must have 60 big blossoms. She is a very fragrant brug.
I also think if it dies back too far I would try to keep it under lights or in a very sunny window to keep it growing through the winter. Otherwise you may well spend another summer with no blooms.
I keep all of mine that have never bloomed under lights all winter. I may be wrong, but I just want to keep them growing to encourage growth for earlier blooms next year.
these are just things that I have found that work for me. I think we will be bringing in about 140 plants from seedlings to 10 foot trees this year.
raglady, what kind of systemic spray do you use? So, I'm overwintering her (and other plants) in a south facing window in my sewing room and I should use a grow light also? What about watering and feeding if I'm going to keep her growing thru the winter? Good thing this is my only intensive care patient ;)
Bonnie
Gotta love the ones in the IC unit, don't we? Bonnie, I'm not sure about your repotting... I'm sorry I was telling David_Paul I would pot his brug up (in a bigger pot). If the stem isn't mushy by now, the freeze didn't get it. Be careful on watering Bonnie, they won't drink as much as during summer and I would cut the feeding by at least half or more, once it starts showing growth, but for now, don't feed it, it's concentrating on getting over it's "trauma" from the freeze and watch for bugs.... WOW raglady! That's a lot of brugs to winter over! I determine how I overwinter by the size of the root ball. If they are in a 2 gal pot, I figure they have a good size, healthy root ball and if there is total die-back, the rootball is big enough for growth to come back from that. Bonnie, I would try a couple more different kinds next spring, it'll give you something else to anticipate and it may make the one you have bloom from envy! lol (threatening with the compost pile initiates blooming sometimes, too ;)
Good morning to all;
A lot of helpful info. are provided here, thank you for posting. All the suggestions are all very helpful. I'm glad I've joined the thread. It's informative. Thanks again for sharing. I've an unknown white brug that opened last evening. I thought y'all would enjoy the bloom. As far as overwintering our brugs, I agreed with having light source for photosenthesis, whatever little amount helps. For the past few years we've used ordinary florescent lights (instead of expensive grow-lights) in our basement. I worked well. Even some of my tropical plants went right on blooming such as trop. Hibs. hybrid Allamanda, even my rootings of vines and such. :-)
This is however, it's going to be my first year overwintering brugs. For I learned they would do better, bloom better from 'old woods' instead of young ones that sprouted back from the ground. (For those of us growing them outdoor where we've to cut back to the ground - take notes).
I use Ortho Systemic, it is a good product. I water very lightly, if left to go dormat then about 1 cup a month. If growing under lights, only as needed, I let them dry out.
I I switched this year to LED lights for my seedlings, regular shop lights with one grow light one regular in each one.
In march I start waking them up by adding a little fertilizer and a bit more water. Usually by the first of April I bring them out to the greenhouse and repot in my own soil mix. Then we joke that we stand back and watch them take off. it always shocks me how quickly they respond. I have seen 18" of growth in one week.
They do have a very strong will to live. I agree with Lily love about the old wood, new green stems, I try to keep mine semi-dormant, alive and green but not actively growing in my basement. If I achieve that they are much sooner to bloom the next season. I love watching them wake up, too. Wow, you repot every year? Mine are lucky to get it every 2 or 3 years.... and it's a 2-people job!
I re pot every spring. We live very neat a huge worm farm. I get worm castings by the ton and repot in a mix of 50% worm soil, about 40% peat moss, then add bone meal, Perllite, I check each batch of worm castings, some drain better then others, I adjust the perlite accordingly. Almost every average 7 inch cuttings I started in the spring have grown to 5 feet this summer. Oh, I do check PH and adjust as needed. I use very little fetilizer compared to many. Epsom salt two or three times a summer, a slow release twice during summer, some Miracle Grow when I have time. It is a two person job here too, we have at least 40 brugs that are well over 8 feet tall.
Hey everyone seems to have their special way. I use a lot of the old soil to make the layers in my compost bins. The compost gets used to fill all of the planters we fill with annuals every year.
I do like the way you "pamper" your brugs theraglady. It does make good sense. Those that 'advertised' heavily fertilizing program on brugs, and not knowing the pH of the soil, does sound like they're working/selling the products to ineperienced gardeners.
Seabreezy; how are you doing with your brugs? Is still in a pot, and being kept indoor?
Thank you all for all your expertise and advice. My versipeach is still in her pot and indoors minus all her leaves. The good thing is the stems are still green and not mushy. Our forcast low temp tonight is 40 and low for tomorrow night is 27! Crazy. So, my plan is to keep her inside, provide light during the day, back off on the watering and feeding, and, if she survives my bumbling efforts, pot up in the spring and pray. LOL how's that sound?
Bonnie
That's THE plan! lol, I've some young small cuttings of Versipeach this year. If you'd like we can compare notes on how they progress.
Best of lucks. Happy gardening.
Kim
I predict - survival. Sometimes, I think I baby mine too much. If there isn't much actual growth, I'll let it go dry before adding more water and then don't saturate... what do you think Kim?
B;
Sounds like you're doing everything just right. When overwinter indoor, most plants don't require as much water or fertilizer because they're not actively growing (dormant). Thus over watering, fertilizing only harm them rather benefiting them. It's JMHO. :-)
This is only my 3rd years in growing brugs. I've learned a few pointers regarding on how to better care for them, still lot more to learn. I'm surfing, taking names, and jogging down notes. lol.
Kim
I wouldn't go that far, Kim! lol I have experimented with them for about 7 years, and I'm still learning. I do try to keep them between dormancy and actively growing. They seem to produce flowers sooner in spring. I have a small south window in the basement, but I'm putting up a couple 4-bulb fluorescent lights. Got em on clearance at lowe's for $10 ea! When I compared a grow-light bulb and a regular one, the reg. one had more units (or whatever they are called) of light than the grow bulb. I just want the stem and branches to stay green, not grow a jungle down there. That is such nice form on your white one, so pretty!
B;
Sounds like you've a "make-ship" greenhouse like I do. I use my spare basement for overwintering most of my tropicals. The tropicals did well, this winter, some of my prized brugs are going to be moved indoor for sure. Plumeria too, I'm new to them as well. By keeping them "idle" as how I would describe them b/w the active growing/dormant phases. They do resume growth and bloom much sooner than those that allow to go completely dormant.
I'm so glad I found you to confirm my hypothesis. Others may look at me and think my hypothesis doesn't have a replicate data. lol
At this point, and especially next year (because of all the enablers and the trading forum), it will be my basement greenhouse with little spare room for storage. I need to have a garage sale! lol That is a perfect way to describe it "idle"! Your welcome Kim, it's not scientific, but Lily_love & AuntB proven is good enough for me! I've been interested in growing things all my life and I notice things and try new things till I get stuff to "behave" the way I want. I've been called a zone pusher before, but just because I'm in Kansas, doesn't mean I can't have tropical plants....
Zone pushers!!! That's what I'm! lol, we've so much in common. Let chat. lol. I'm so glad I finally found a gardener that shares my 'visions' lol,lol.
Kim
It's a challenge, I guess or maybe I'm just a stubborn "swede". If it can't be done, I'll find a way. Now if I could just figure out a way to have a tiny little ocean with a white sand beach in my back yard..... hmmmmmm I've been thinking about digging an 8'X10' pond.......... I'd need to make it a little bigger but how would I get the sand to adhere to the liner and not "wash" back into the "ocean"? Wouldn't that look funny in Kansas? But there would be no waves.... I'll think on it some more.
B;
Last year we built a little Koi-pond on our back yard. I'll dig up some pics. to show you how we keep the sand from being washed off. Interested?
lol Aunt B! hahahahahahahahahaha. gotta love us zone pushers!
DHS; You've got the border of tropical/subtropical there. Lucky you! What we need to do is let ship you our Tender beloved beauties to you when the wheather gets cold. lol.
Kim
lol we are humid/subtropical ... actually classified as 8b, but the ocean marshes and swamps everywhere here can make zone 10 microclimates (i'm in onl a 9a :-( )! but yeah... mid 20's this year, oleanders dates washingtonias brugs... all gotten by frost. that never happens to those here except the brugs... they are perennials here. now everything s back to normal.
Were you able to save some cuttings of your brugs? The weather has been tempermental these past two years....
i just moved in this year, so my only brug was a cutting. last week i got my first brug blooms ever! they are perennial all the way to columbia, SC, where i used to live. that is where this plant came from. smetimes here they dont die back... or at leat not completely. last winter was hard... in my old town near columbia, Lexington, SC, the entire peach and strawberry crop was lost for all of our farmers. the peach festival had to be in with non-Lexingtonian peaches (GASP). they were done in by the freeze we had on easter sunday. our ficus ligustrum and crape myrtles tht had new growth got hurt purty bad... the brugs, however, didnt come out yet thank goodness!
This year I felt hard for the brugs. I had the basic Yellow/white/pink brugs. Now I'm venturing out to named varieties, then cross polination. I'm sure B, Lady and many DGers could help me in this area.
this one turned out o be a NOID pink
It has some orange tinge to it. Lovely once these open up and release its fragance. :-)
I saw B. has some awesome flushes on her brugs. Made me green with envy. :-)
Kim
