Just wanted to share my success....I started a couple of years ago with the one on the far left and traded for cuttings last fall. One thing I've learned since then......mark your burgs by name! I can only remember what two of them are and I have eleven!
Good tip Dan, I’m just starting with burgs and I will remember to mark them. Yours look great I love the pots.
thanks! I've really enjoyed taking care of them. It's turned into quite a hobby. My largest is about ready to bloom....should open up either tonight or tomorrow night....I'll post a picture
Great I'd love to see. You're miles away but your zone is the same as mine so it will be good to watch how they're doing.
Donna
Those are very nice looking plants Dan. I've been brugging for about 8 or 9 years and they still bring me such joy and excitement. Please do post your bloom pics and Donna, welcome to the addiction! Hang around here long enough and you'll have brug blooms of your own to show us!
Dan, waiting to see pic. post when you can
Aunt B I am so easily addicted, you’ll see me around. I’ve been checking out all the threads in this forum and drooling over the beautiful burgs. I just had to get me another one, did I buy 1, no I ordered 3.
Donna, some people will send you cuttings and rooted cuttings for postage. Don't be afraid to ask. I've found the best selection and the right price at DG. lol I would send you some now, but if I cut any more, I won't have blooms this year.. Most people do offer cuttings in Fall. I bring them inside, but do trim them if they are too tall for the 8ft ceiling or I have some side shoots I don't want. Most people trim in Fall or whack them off and they come back from the roots if their zone is warm enough. I've bought them before, too. I HAD to have an Alex and no one had any to share, and I'm not that patient. lol. Dan, it is a pain to try to keep them identified... sometimes I have to wait for the bloom.. or offer a mixture of "surprise" cuttings.. I know what I have, so I could identify once they bloomed. I'll offer some cuttings for postage this fall on the forum. I always say, you can't have just one brug. You must have enough to keep you occupied waiting for blooms!
Thanks AuntB, I’ll keep that in mind. I just love them all but am a little afraid to over winter them. Both of you are in the freeze zones, where do you keep them?
Donna, AuntB is right! I bought my first burg at the Biltmoore manison in North Carolina two years ago (the one that should bloom today!!) for six dollars and now I have eleven different burgs PLUS I've started and given away dozens. I just posted on this site that I had cuttings available and people just started trading. I finally had to quit trading cause I've run out of places to sit pots! And wintering a burg is much easier than you think. I just brought mine into the garage when it started getting cool and they drop all their leaves....then I cut em back to practically nothing (and start mailing out cuttings) and put em in a dark place that won't freeze for the winter. I gave each plant about a cup a water a month through out the winter and that was it. Then in late March, early April, I brought em all out....gave them a big drink and they took off again! Not sure if that is the proper way to winter a burg...but it's worked for me for two straight years....simple.
Thanks Dan, I had one last year and it didn't make the winter but that's a long story. I'm going to try again this winter my basement in not heated but never freezes so they should be okay. I'll be asking more questions when the weather gets colder so I do it right this time.
Please post pic when yours bloom, I can't wait to see.
Thanks again,
Donna
Donna and Dan, I've wintered them for 8 or 9 years here in Zone 5. I've tried several ways and they all worked, (except I rotted a couple from overwatering my first winter) I had them in total dark, cut to the soil level, only watered a couple times and growth still emerged in April. The wacked off tree will root in a bucket of water in the basement. I've used an aquarium air stone in the bucket and no airstone, and they still rooted. One thing I don't do is change the water out completely.. I just add to as I see it's evaporating. Since it takes so long to get blooms when you have to start from soil level each spring, I try to keep them in a semi growing state, by adding more lighting in the basement. I do water more than 1X a month, depending on how the plant is doing... if it's putting on leaves or blooming I offer more water, but once the "flush" is over, I cut back a bit. When it's time to haul in for Fall, I try not to cut any tops out, that's where the blooms come from, but with 8 ft ceilings some of the big guys have to have a shave before coming in. I don't get lots of cuttings in fall cause I'm trying to keep the growth tips green for more blooms sooner the following Spring. But if you want your brugs to go totally dormant, you don't have to fuss with them near as much over winter and a lot less chance of creepy crawly's. I try to keep them green and slowly growing down there, but they do have to be watched for mites, etc. I did attempt to winter a rootball over in the ground, with protection... but was unsuccessful, at least in the spot I tried. IF I had dirt and not so much clay and rock, I'd try it in different areas of the yard, but I'm too old to heave a pick axe, so I'm perfectly content to grow them in BIG pots and find helpers to do the hauling in and out (it's only 2X a yr).
I just started with brugs this spring. Got one as a trade and purchased another from the marketplace. I have had a hard time deciding where to place mine. I kept bringing it in and taking it back outside at first, 'cause this spring we were getting winds as high as 70 miles per hour. The wind has died down now, but I was told to put them in part shade for my area. So I did. Brought them back in again because some bug has been chewing on them. Was told to take them back outside 'cause even with the chewing they would do better out there. This time I put them where they get as much sun as possible. They do seem to be doing o.k., but the leaves are not as dark a green as I would like. They look o.k., but I just thought they should be a deeper green. I have fed them. So I guess the rest is up to them. I was going to bring them in the house for winter. Will that not work? Gee. I don't know if I can make myself cut them back. Seems cruel. Especially after working all summer to get them to grow. Help!
Thanks so much AuntB for the detailed over wintering directions, my Burgs arrived today from Seed Sprout and they look great. I don’t want to highjack Dan’s thread so I will post some pics tomorrow on a new one. Maybe you and the hottie sisters can take a look. I confess I’ve been eavesdropping on your “She’s about to tread” and everyone seems so helpful.
Hi Bubba, I’m new at this to so I can’t answer your questions. I just wanted to say hi and welcome to the burg addiction.
Well...it finally bloomed!! Second time this year! Still only getting about 6 to 8 blooms at a time but hopefully it will produce more later in the summer.
some more pics
one more....
Donna, you are welcome.. and everyone is welcome over on the "hottie" thread, we're having a great time. Dan, those are just lovely, I alway feel like the garden is magical when brugs are blooming...
Dan, those are just gorgeous. The big picture is fantastic; I love to see the whole plant. Your neighbors must be sooooooo jealous.
AuntB, thank you I'll come and visit, my pictures didn’t do them justice so I’ll try again when there is more light. I have them in a semi shaded area for now.
