Hi,
I am a newbie with brugs - I bought three little Equadorian Pinks last summer from Wayside. They were fabulous! Anyway, I brought them inside and put them in the basement - which is unheated. I have been spraying for spider mites and giving them some water every once in a while - but some of the branches are now brown and hollow. The main stocks and branches are still green and firm, and I believe they are still alive - though leafless.
Should I be concerned? What is causing this? Is the basement too cold? (It is quite cool - probably around 40 -45 degrees). Should I cut off the dead branches or wait until spring?
I really love these plants and would hate to lose them.
The white brug which is too big to lug in the basement is on the stair landing to the second floor. It has also lost leaves, but it is in much warmer temperatures and except for spider mites seems to be okay.
Please, please help.
Cheers,
Seandor
Brug Dieback????? please take pity and help a newbie :-)
Seandor,
Welcome to the wonderful world of brugmansias. Being a whole zone difference, I too overwintered brugs indoor for the first time this winter -- and I've learnt a great deal from fellow DGers....
I'm not sure how helpful I can be though, I can however, share some of my observation. Brugs need cool, but good light source to overwinter indoor. I've lost many a young cuttings to low-light condition. First I thought the soil was to wet, but the culprit was actually light for photosenthesis.
Hang tough, others that have successfully overwinter them in your similiar zones will chime in...
Hi Seandor, Welcome to Brugmansia! I have kept them in the basement for 7 or 8 years, now. I try to keep them barely growing to save the die back at the tips, that way they bloom sooner in spring. I used to force them into dormancy in fall, and some would have total die back to the soil level and needed to begin anew in spring... some would finally bloom about the time I was bringing them in for winter... I added a couple hanging lights in the basement and try to keep it above 60 degrees down there with a space heater for single digit nights and I have blooms much earlier in the growing season. I even have blooms right now down there. I do battle the bugs, but it's worth it for the blooms. I would probably wait till spring to cut off the dead limbs, but if it bothers you, it won't hurt it trim now. Leaf loss is common, when you switch environments on them, I usually strip a lot of leaves before bringing in in the fall, saves sweeping them up after they fall. Don't water too much since they aren't actively growing, I've lost more to root rot than anything.. they will bounce back quickly once you get them acclimated to being back out in the fresh air and sunshine.
Thanks, AuntB and Lily_Love! The brugs are in a very dark room. I assumed they were like amaryllis - and being dormant, wouldn't require light. But maybe if I introduce them into another part of the basement - a bit warmer - maybe 50 degrees, and throw some light on them, I can help start preparing them for spring :-)
What do you advise I do (if anything) to break dormancy? When would I start?
Thanks,
Seandor
Bringing them into light and warmer temps will definately break dormancy... once the weather is stable in spring, I move mine to shade, then part shade and ease in on feeding (mix half strength at first)... of course they'll require more water... then move to their happy spot... They will usually lose whatever leaves they have, yet again, once moved outside, but quickly start producing more. When I kept them dormant, I'd notice in early spring while still inside they would start producing new growth, in effect telling me,, Hey, B..... we need more water and light, it's SPRING!
How cool is that! They let you know what they want! I think your brugs like you, AuntB!
If I remember it right, B has some Out-Of-This World brugs' blossoms in the past. Thanks B for sharing your knowledge with us.
Kim
The key for me (when I let them go dormant) was checking on them often to look for new growth, now that I'm keeping them alert, I check on them all the time! No problem sharing what I know, I do baby them quite a bit, and I try to "listen" to them. lol I grow purely for enjoyment. Best wishes for years of blooms!
Same here B growing for pure pleasures, I love them for what they're & the thrills those blooms rewarded us. :-)
Kim
Thanks! :-)
My Brugs go into a greenhouse located on the south side of the house. They don't go dormant because the temperature in there bounces all over the place — from 47º( The thermostat is set at 50ºF, but there is always a bit of a lag until the heater comes on.) to as high as the low 90s. They get plenty of light. Many even bloom once or twice while in the greenhouse. I get die back of some Brug branches and have not been able to figure out why, but have lost only two to it. I had two tall standards, both the same variety — Citrine. The die back continued all the way to the soil and never re-sprouted. I sure would like to know how to avoid it. I don't prune until spring unless I had to sever some roots to take the pot into the greenhouse. Some of my Brugs send roots out the drain holes and into the ground beneath the pot.
wow! your brugs must be huge!
Well.... they were! This past summer I was really ill for two months, couldn't go out and water and lost most of my collection of Brugs. I lost some really expensive ones. I went wild the first year. I'm slowly rebuilding it. ZZ was kind enough to send me some cuttings.
Isn't it so nice to have these experienced growers here. I am learning something every time I come into this forum.
Thanks All
Marie
This message was edited Feb 6, 2008 8:59 AM
Betty, was it root rot? I've lost some that way. They don't mind having their roots trimmed, as long as the top growth is trimmed to match..but I wouldn't think you need to trim the top with snipping a few roots escaping the drain holes. I try to keep my pots elevated on bricks or something, but that is mostly an attempt to keep ants out of the pot. So sorry you lost so many last summer. Are you trying to replace any certain kinds? I could probably send something this spring. My daughter didn''t have a job last summer, she was good to run the "water wagon" or I would have had wilt everyday. I worry about watering too much during winter. I learn something new when I visit here, too. It's so nice to try different things and find what works for you. My final pots are those big 25 gallon corded handle tubs you can get at Dollar General or Lowes/HD. When it's time to repot and trim roots, it's a 2-person job, for me anyway, I just snag one of my kids or their friends to help me accomplish my task.
AuntB, last summer the plants died due to lack of water. I had surgery and developed complications. I was very ill for about 2 months and couldn't go out and water my Brugs.
The die-back is another issue. I haven't been able to connect that to anything else. I've had die-back in plants of all sizes, pruned and unpruned. The only certainty is once it starts, it dies back to where it branched. If the plant is unbranched, it dies all the way to the ground. I don't believe it's root rot. I've taken plants out of the pots to examine the rootball and they seem fine. When I first started growing Brugs, I went to a local organic nursery and bought their best potting mix. Unfortunately, the mix used the small styrofoam balls instead of perlite. It didn't take long before the styrofoam worked it way to the surface. Fine silt settled at the bottom, clogged the drainholes and killed a few of my first Brugs. I had to repot the plants that survived into MG potting mix and haven't had a problem with root rot since.
I allowed the roots to grow out the bottom of the pots to help anchor the plant against the high winds we get. This spring I have to try something else. The roots did keep the pots upright, but contact with the ground allowed Bermuda grass to grow up the drain holes. This fall, I had to repot a number of Brugs because the grass roots were crowding out the Brug roots and it would continue to grow in the greenhouse even if the Brug stopped growing. That is one very nasty grass. It's everywhere around here because it's our pasture grass. I've used RoundUp several times around the house and yard and it comes back. In a pot, it takes over in very short order. I use 25 gallon pots as my final pots also and use a large dolly to move them around. My DH gripes when I enlist his help, but our two boys live on the west coast, too far to come help.:-)
Among others lost, I especially mourned the loss of Miner's Claim, Painted Lady, Peanut, Pink Smitty, Terri-Schindler Shivo, Tiara, Vixen, Christmas and Gemini. But things happen so I'll rebuild my collection slowly and see what happens. I lost scores of plants too. Thank you for your offer. I would be happy to pay postage, just let me know what it will be.
I've wintered brugs in the basement (60 dregrees) and now in my barn (50 - 45 degrees), for several years now. As long as the main stem isn't hollow you should be ok. Remember not to over water while in dormancy, you can rot the plant.
I have lights on the ones in the basement and have even started rootings and only water every two weeks and my home is quite dry. The ones in the barn have light from a east widow and have a few leaves, and are watered every two to three weeks.
I Add light ( 8 to 12 hours in late Feb or March) to give me a head start toward the summer blooming, and start using a weak fertilizer every two weeks when I see new leaves appear. Hope this helps!
Hi everyone this is all so interesting :)
May I show you something ...I planted all of these seeds at the same time 21st Dec and the first picture is of the seedlings planted into washed river sand (with just a little cow poo mixed in) once they were up ...only used seaweed tonic on them ...until potting on into 4" pots ...then fish fertilizer once they got going ...just potted on again and they are really small plants now.
In the second pic are the ones planted into a good potting mix ...as you can see they struggled and I have just planted them into the sand mix. This is a huge difference. I offer this to people who get heavy rain ...it seems that so long as the water can drain away they won't give trouble, here in our Summer it has been constant rain and the little seedlings in the water holding medium have suffered.
OK here are the sand grown ones
chrissy, those sand grown seedlings look great!
I am sure my Angels would have struggled or even died if planted directly into the clay soil. All my Brugs are in built up beds of sandy mix ...I just throw lots of manure and stuff on top of the sugar cane mulch .
Now may I ask a question? I see time and time again the word NOID what is that? could someone please tell me ?
chrissy :)
No ID is no name..(no identification)
That sandy mix is amazing! I noticed that in another thread... Amazing!
Ha ha ha silly me:) thanks so much ...I know you are experienced may I ask another silly question? I have a seedling that came up with three definate leaves instead of the two ...does that mean anything?
I have had a busy afternoon ...only 58 more pods to go ...whew!
chrissy :) ps I guess I/we are going to have a whole lot of NOIDS now ha ha ha.
Those seedlings look great Chrissy. I am so thankful for your thread. Velcro gave a warning I needed as I have a tendency to over water. My Brugs are all in the basement at 60 to 66 F with west sunlight through a small basement window. They are doing very well right now but I see I am keeping them too wet and they are under attack right now from some kind of bugs too small to see with the naked eye. The spiders must have eaten the ones they liked and have moved to another plant☺ I am going to try a diluted solution of Fels Napa Soap which is supposed to be very effective for bug prevention. I am on my way down there now. I do worry so about those Brugs, they are such♥ lovable pets♥.
Wow! Chrissy! That is amazing... cow patties and sand..... great! I have clay too, so almost everything I grow is contained. I am able to have hosta around the perimeter in back..still some good dirt there... I amend a little when I plant new ones. 58 pods??? How many seedlings do you have thus far?
I forgot to mention this, it is interesting. Although I don't get die back in the stems in the summer months outside, I did encounter rotted stems in the greenhouse. Unfortunately a bacteria infection set in and before I could rely on a systemic to help the plant, I lost a large branch and it looked like it was working it's way to the main stem. I was worried sick it was a virus. I was told to cut the hollow branches and apply ground cinnamon to the cuts and to the branches seemingly affected. Although you could still see the wound the branch survived and now a year later you can't even tell.
I have also had brugs come back from what appeared to be the dead. If I let the soil dry (remove from the pot for a day or so) and replant with a sand mixture as recommended by many of you. The main stems looked dead but new beautiful shoots came up from the ground and they turned out beautiful.
I agree with posyblossom, it seems some brugs are much more affected by bugs and over watering, while some are hardly affected.
Ok, from my mere dozen or so seedpod, it tallied to be roughly thousands more/less seeds....so work out our math for Chrissy! Go Girl!!!
Kim
What's she gonna do with em all? She could maybe sell the seed... I mean I'm addicted, but 1,000 plants is about 950-975 more than I could provide for... Wow! Velcro, they can and do dieback clear to the ground in warmer zones and still emerge once the weather warms.. I'm in agreement with Lu, too, some aren't as tolerant towards bugs, over-watering and heat, so I tend to only keep ones that are tolerant. I give them at least a couple growing seasons, and if they don't get with my program (grow, not too finicky and bloom), they're outta here. So, with just her 58 pods to go..say 100 seeds/pod, that's over 5000 plants!
Ha ha ha I will be sharing the love around ...I think I was pretty shocked at how easy it was to make the pods in the first place.Come on everyone ...you can all do it . Never in a million years did I think anyone could do this.:)
Cow patties? no, I buy old aged ,milled cow manure ,you know that lovely old rotted stuff ...I think it may be called Cow Gold over there ...you could gather your own to rot down ... then seive it. I think good compost would be the same thing in terms of putting a little gentle soil conditioning in there. I highly recommend river sand for almost everything if you are on clay or overwintering ...line the pots with serviettes or paper towels so the sand is contained but the water will run straight through.Again , I have no experience with overwintering indoors ,but if I had to do that I would choose the sandy mix ...anyone who has a few seeds should try an experiment with it now Spring is coming ...I am sure you will be pleased.
chrissy
Raising my hand, I've bought builder sands, I hope that's about the same thing? Go Chrissy, I shared most of mine seeds already, and a few more to mail out. And my Dr. D's seed is getting so biggggggggg! I can't believe my eyes, gotta look at it several a day. lol.lol.
Kim
Don't know about the builder"s sand Kim I think that is very fine sand while washed river sand is course. See if you can find washed river sand ...give it a try this coming Summer ...just experiment with it ...I think you will be delighted, only drawback is the weight ...very heavy stuff when wet.Builders sand may be a little alkaline but I am not sure about that ...while washed river sand is neautral.
About pod gazing yes me too when I was growing mine ...even after every storm ...last thing at night with a torch, every time there was some wind ...going out to make sure the bats weren't eating them , I am a little calmer now that I am harvesting them.Whew!
Keep up the joy!
chrissy
:) Chrissy, I'm imagining you out in the brug patch in your nightgown and rubber boots hailing a torch, yelling frantically at those bats.. are they really bats? I get those huge moths in summer, but I haven't seen bats wanting a bite.
Chrissy, are they fruit bats? I don't think we have fruit bats here in the US. What is the size of the grains of the sand you use. Our builder's sand is very course and river sand varies in size. Our ranch butts up to Colorado River. So I have deposits of sand on our property, but which ones to harvest?
I don't know what to tell you about that because our river sand may be different to yours ...but I can tell you that it is coarse and fairly largish particles ...if you have a natural river sand (fresh water?) I am sure that would be great unless very fine ...if salty it would need to be thoroughly cleaned I think to rinse the salt away ...I wouldn't like to give you the wrong advise. Here in australia it is used for the children's sandpits in the playgrounds.
The bats are fruitbats here, cheeky rascals! in Queensland they have the vampire bats.I like living here :)
chrissy