Experimental Cutting Method That Worked! :)))

Some people have asked during the summer - if I bury my brugs in their pots directly into the ground. I don't. I cut mine each year & start with new cuttings - like most that don't have the necessary storage space for larger plants. I avoided the question because I was doing a little experiment on my own. Sorry folks for not answering you directly. I apologize. :) But now I can share the little experiment with all of you! Maybe, just maybe, it will work for others! Hope so! Especially in rooting the more harder 'doubles!' Yeah! You know what I'm talking about! The dreaded 'doubles!!' lol! Sorry - got carried away there! On with the experiment.

Many of you have a Home Depot! I do - but no Lowe's! Stinks too! I'd like a little competition between these two stores in our area. :) Anyway - at Home Depot they have a 2' long (green) hard plastic border. It's approximately 5 1/2" high. It interlocks to make your garden borders. You can keep connecting them for how much you might need as far as how many feet you want your border to be. I didn't purchase them for that reason. (they sell for $1.09 each) When wrapped around the base of your brug - it's about a 7 1/2" circle.

When the brug is planted - wrap one of these borders around the brug. Fill it to the top with Shredded Cypress Mulch! I put a little more! Make it a HEAPING pile! lol! I did this for two reasons. One - to help retain moisture during the hot summer! Less watering always helps! We all know how they LOVE to drink!! And two - coming soon! I've included pics & I'm sure some are a little blurry! (It was down right COLD this morning!!) Im sure you'll see what I'm talking about as you scroll down. Mind you - I only tried this method with the 'doubles!' They are ones I seriously have a problem with in rooting. Out of the double brugs I have - ALL worked with this method. If it had been a little warmer I would have taken pics all darn day of my progress! lol! But then - I couldn't have gone to work! I hate work - it's a dirty word!! I would imagine this method would work with the singles also! (Duh! Had to throw this in!) lol! I've also added a little information with each picture. Before & after shots! :)

Green garden border around 'Adeline!'

Green garden border removed - exposing Shredded Cypress Mulch!

Pull away Shredded Cypress Mulch - very gently! And look what we have here!! Roots!!

ALOT of roots!

Next we have 'Golden Lady!' Same method!

Pic #2 - 'Golden Lady!'

Pic #3 - 'Golden Lady!'

And then we have 'Double Peach!'

And now for 'Pink Perfektion!'

Pic #2 - 'Pink Perfektion!'

Pic #3 - 'Pink Perfektion!'

Pic #4 - 'Pink Perfektion!'

And now - just a few of the finished, rooted & potted products!

#2 - Potted!

#3 - Potted!

Now was that hard or what?? lol! If this method were to work each year - wouldn't it be GREAT????

Most of you know I purchased the new house in August! These babies didn't have alot of growing time to get established - but they did WAY better than I thought they would. They probably would have had larger root systems if they had not been moved! But - it had to be done! The nice thing about this method - just thought I'd mention this. The original root system is still IN the ground - covered & mulched for the winter! If they come back next Spring - Great! If not?? Isn't that why we have BACK-UP cuttings?? :))))

This is a list of what I ended up with - already rooted:

'Adeline' - two rooted cuttings.

'Creamsickle' - five rooted suttings.

'Day Dreams' - three rooted cuttings.

'Divinity!' - (Brenda's baby - the triple white) - one rooted cutting.

'Double Delight' - to rooted cuttings.

'Double Peach' - one rooted cutting.

'Enchanted Double White' - two rooted cuttings.

'Golden Lady' - two rooted cuttings.

'Hawaian Double White' - three rooted cuttings.

'New Orleans Lady' - three rooted cuttings.

'Pink Perfektion' - two rooted cuttings.

'Sweetheart' - two cuttings.

'Tiara' - two rooted cuttings.

I'm happy the way this little experiment turned out! And if anyone else decides to try it - good luck to you! I honestly think it can work! But does this stop me from getting MORE cuttings to cause me winter stress?? NO!! lol! I love cuttings!! The more - the better! :)

Mike

HI Mike, Congratulations! I just started with Brugs and will be getting quite a few cuttings in the next week or two from the co-op so this is great advice at the right time. I have a couple of questions though if you don't mind me asking.
1. do you dig a hole or is the border placed just ontop of existing soil/lawn?
2. do you just put mulch in there or soil aswell?
To me it looks like (correct me if I'm wrong) you find some flat ground, make the circle using the plastic border put it ontop of the flat ground, put in your unrooted brug cutting and fill with cypress mulch....is that it?
3. Do you water it with anything special?
4. Would it be too late to try this now, I'm in Florida 9b so even though it gets a little chilly at nights, it heats up during the day and I don't think we are getting a freeze for another month or two...usually January is when they come.

Sorry for so many questions....there are so many ways to root the brugs, yours looks so simple.
Thank you
Samantha (astcgirl)

Mike,
Thanks for posting, this is wonderful and very informative.

Mike, at what point during the year do you do this?

about how long were they in the moss/ring to get that root system

Mike, I am wishing best of luck that it works for you, if it does, it will work for me. DH is complaining to much already, lol, all for the love of brugs!

That is a great idea, Mike. Your newly rooted cuttings, look super strong.

Samantha

I'll try to answer your questions for you. Brugs were already planted in the ground - border & Cypress Mulch were placed afterwards ontop of the existing soil/lawn. The Shredded Cypress Mulch was the only thing added - no soil, leaves, etc. I'm correcting you - sorry. The brugs were already planted in the ground. :) I just wrapped the border around them & filled with mulch. The root ball is still in the ground. I just cut off what was rooted above the soil line (which was covered by the mulch) I hope I'm explaining this a little better. :) I use Scott's 20-20-20 water soluble fertilizer two times a week & Epsom Salt once a week. I'm not sure if you should try this at this time of year or not. That's something maybe you may want to try when you have a full growing period. :) Hope this info helped a little!

Donna - thanks! :)

bettydee - I purchased the new home on August 4th. Brugs & other plants, shrubs, etc. - were transplanted in that time frame. I'd have to say (guessing here) about two months. I think they did pretty well! A longer growing period may have made a BIGGER difference in the root size I'd think.

HUMMINGIRD1212 - approximately 2 months.

Awwww Clemen! :) lol! He'll get over it - you know he will! I think this method may work out pretty well for people who would like to 'take a chance!' I don't regret trying it! :) And less cuttings to worry about too! But then I love cuttings! lol! That's a good thing! BTW - Passies are doing great!! Some are already in their winter pots! Yay! I'll send pics when I can.

Brugie - thank you!! I've not heard from you in a LONG time! Hope your summer was filled with bruggie love!! :)))) Also hope things are going well for you in the brug department! Any new surprises up your sleeves?? :))

I hope if anyone tries this next year - they let me know how well (or not) it worked for them. Have a great night everyone! :)

Mike

Wonderfull Mike so they rooted well, so glad, I owe you another one, maybe I'll cut today!

I have a friend who wraps the trunks in newspaper as high as she can for winter. Great insulation. And if they were to sweat the newspaper would absorb. She is in 8A zone.