5 burgs not comming up yet

How long should I wait before worring. It has been real warm here since March and all my elephant ears are up already but none of my burgs.

Any ideas they were mulched good .

Lavina

Lavina,
I know there are a few DGers living in your zone who have successfully, in the past, overwintered Brugs in the ground, but most Brugs are root hardy only to zone 8. People living in other zones are really pushing it. Even there, overwintering some Brugs in the ground is iffy and it depends on the cultivar, the size of the plant when the first freeze hit, how protected the roots and the lower portion of the trunk were, but more importantly whether the ground froze. According to Preissel and Preissel, B. versicolor is limited to the tropical portions of Ecuador. That means B. versicolor or Brugs with lots of versicolor in them are not as tolerant of cold weather than non-versicolor Brugs.

Here in my zone (8b-9a), we had more freezing weather and for longer periods than we've had in the past 4 years. I overwintered 3 Brugs in the ground, actually going out as the temperatures were plunging to cover and wrap each Brug. I even took the precaution to cover the smaller wrapped Brug with large fiberglass pots. My Audrey Hepburn lost its "Y", but came back and is now a multi-trunked 3' shrub. My 2 smaller Jaimes are dead, dead, dead. You could try to dig carefully around where the trunk was. I didn't find anything, not even old roots.

Lavina

We are not too far from you, in North Georgia.
I did not mulch many of my brugs in the Fall, I barely got many dug up and into the basement ahead of a two-week-too-early frost. I did take cuttings and lost some of those too. Also, it was exceptionally cold this winter and was a cool May, so this can slow down the reappearance of brugs. I do have some just now showing shoots.

But, my DIL Sandy made a recent disgusting discovery when her inground winter-mulched brugs did not reappear this Spring. She dug around the roots and found the underground shoots and roots being eaten by banana slugs. She discover too late to save some of her brugs but did save some by poisoning the slugs. She said some were over 4". Yuck! Just a possibility- I have never heard of this happening to brugs before.

Betty is right about a knowing a particular variety's sucepceptibily to cold- I lost a Cypress Gardens to the cold two years ago. But Dr. Suess and Frosty Pink came thru with flying colors. Most brug lovers hedge their bets by taking cuttings from their favorite brugs and rooting them over the winter indoors, to compensate for any lost outdoors to winter's cold.

Slugs and snails love to eat Brugs. They are about the only two pest I don't have.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_slug
http://www.icogitate.com/~tree/bigBasinSlugSpotted.htm

They're kind of cute when not eating Brugs.

I agreed last winter was extra brutal for brugs in our zone 7ish. I've lost many. Only those that heavily mulched. And I meant heavily like over 12 inches of mulch, those came back since late March here. Some year those hardy one waited until May to return, but never as late as June.

I'd recommend take cuttings on all those that you loved most and root them over winter just in case they don't make it outdoor in our zone. Most of my neighbors' brugs. are back and are now 4-6 feet tall.

I lost all 3 of mine that were wraped, mulched and babied through the winter.. my mothers 2 did survive but they were in a protected courtyard. My three started coming back but did not make it.. it was just too harsh last winter for them.. time to replace all.

I'm having a hard time figuring how a brug can slog up thru 12" of mulch? Can't wrap my head around that. I wrapped mine with bubble wrap, wished them well, and went inside for the winter. All returned in spring. Maybe a little less mulch, and they could have pushed thru in the spring?

bigbubble,
Once freezing temperatures are gone for the year, the mulch is removed. Austin has so much concrete and asphalt that temperatures can be rather temperate. I wrapped three Brugs with bubble wrap, and burlap. The two smaller Brugs even got an extra cover in the form of a fiberglass pot, but all that doesn't matter if the temperatures dip down to 26ºF and stay there for a day or two at a time instead of the usual few hours. Soil temperatures dip down closer to freezing. Maybe even froze for short periods. And I'm ~ 60 miles southeast of you, but on land without concrete and asphalt and no buildings, other than one barn a house to block cold winds.

I made the mistake of not watering enough through the winter. We had such a dry winter and I was trying to save money. When I pulled the mulch back there were signs of life but not enough for them to survive. They were too weakened because of the drought. My mistake.. but I had cuttings I had managed to keep alive all winter to replace them.

Hum, it only got below 32 2st this year so who knows. Guess I will order some later today and this week end dig in the dirt to see whats going on.

Thanks bunches you all.

Lavina

Yes, Rebecca is correct on commenting that the thick mulch need to be remove once the weather began to warm up. I removed mine in late Feb. (with a watchful eye) and was delighted to find green growth was pushing through soon there after.

Some that I lugged inside for the winter, are sending out flowers at present.

Sandi, those that were bubble wrapped made it through the winter for you?

Kim, I guess I have too many other plants mixed in closely with the brugs to be able to put that much mulch on the beds. And I'd never find anything when spring rolled around. Probably not organized enough! What mulch I do add just stays there...forever. We're outside Austin, on a limestone outcropping, top of a hill, and had to truck in all the soil we have. Our yard is standard subdivision size....and I have crammed many different plants into a very small space over the years. The brugs came later and have to "share" that space. Some of those other plants would not appreciate that much mulch on their trunks. The bubble wrap experiment last fall, I'd read about on one of the threads....(I think LhasaLover's). It worked for me. I wanted the brugs up and ready to bloom in the spring. I'll have to find the thread where I posted pics of how they looked when I removed the wrap. I figured if half made it I'd be happy, but all were fine. I did try to make sure no water could get in, and made a "collar" at the bottom of each trunk to protect the roots.
edited to add thread about bubble wrapping........
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/956706/

This message was edited Jun 3, 2009 1:50 PM

Kim... do you need more brugs to replace the ones lost... I'm
here at mothers till Monday morning .. getting hers planted... a dozen seem to have come back from the ingrouund planting.. hers in small pots in the greenhouse are outback against the house... and seem fine.. although riddled with spider mites.. they will be sprayed and planted... the water trough with cuttings taken in November .. are still in water under the fig tree in a large galvanized water trough... I bet the water has never been changed... only topped off since then... it almost flies in the face of the necessity of changing water weekly... or now for her.. changing the water
at least every six or seven months .. maybe it's the galvanized trough.. could the galvanization... keep the fungal pests away.. we might be onto a breakthrough here in rooting.. got to do some control tests in the NYC brug research center's .. lab..
drive on up if you'd like some very long rooted cuttings .. do you still have a number for me here.. Gordon

Hi Gordon,

Thanks for the offer, yes my friend. I have got your numbers. lol. DH and I would love to see you, but more brug cuttings? I don't think my old body can care for them all. What you've sent me last year are growing now. Though, I've lost a couple cuttings.

Maybe we can make it for luncheon at that small restaurant this time around? I'll talk it over with hubby, while enjoying our visit over lunch. Maybe we can stop by Huntsville botanical garden?

OK>>Kim... I can surely appreciate having too many... and as far as the old body goes... I'm still treating mine like a rented mule... just a 2 x 4 for encouragement..
I'm getting some child renal help on Friday.. in clearing her beds... the weeds are above brug level... it's a wonder they aren't eatten up...being so overgrown If I could only get the 1/2 dozen outside Bengals to attack garden pests.. the three or four Bengal cats in the greenhouse are useless aganst spider mites..
but Saturday or Sunday seems fine... I can't remember is it Sunday the Tea room is closed.. was that our problem before.. I'd love to tour the Huntsville Botanical gardens again.... and not need a warm jacket.. and I bet their butterfly house is in high gear now... I was getting the first of them on my roof this week.. a tiger swallow tail.. and a few other smaller types.. Lets Go...

Okay my friend, sound likes Saturday is a go ... I'll call you this evening after I've it squared away with Hubby. A trip to the Botanical garden is a must to see the butterflies and spring blooms. Then the tea-house! Yesssssss!

Sandi, Rebecca, Tammie, and others who love brugmansias, I wished we can extend our invitation for the Tea time at (near) the Botanical garden that Gordon and I and hubby are heading. Wished you are to here to share our fun getting together.

Oh, how I wish but that would be quite a drive. Some day!

Next time, it's. Lavina, have you consider keeping a couple prized brugs indoor over the winter?

Those were kept indoor are blooming up a storm for me now. Those planted outdoor some survived, other didn't, but they won't mature enough to bloom until mid. to late summer, sometimes later in our climate.

Just a cautious note; a couple could expand quite rapidly, as Gordon knows my collection. lol.

Last year I had them all inside, I got 3 of them from Gordon. All bloomed beautifully here at the coast last season. I am gonna miss them.
I will know next year .
Lavina

I've a sister who lives in Maryland, hers is zone 7a. Winter there is a little more pronounce. I asked her if she has seen those brugmansias in her area. She said golf course where she plays golf will display those angels from time to time. Not a common plant that one could find in ordinary gardens. Where as here in my regions, I do find them pretty common on people yards. :-)

Kim...tea time sounds delightful, but I'll be busy this weekend classifying entries in the flower and vegetable show at Zilker Botanical Garden. Looking over my garden and trying to decide if there's anything worthy of entry also. All my brugs have already bloomed and are budding again, but not going to bloom in time for show. Plumerias are full of buds...and blooms, but too large to transport. Alocasias and colocasias in pots are up and looking 'purty.' Best bets are the caladiums in pots. I have lots of hibiscus blooming, but really need something that will last two days of show....or can be replaced...I don't wanna go back and replace a hibbie early Sun. morning. Enjoy your garden tour and tearoom. Sounds like lots of fun!!! We'll want to hear all about it!! And see pics! Sandi

OK..Kim... you're on for Saturday.. we'll talk later today.. I've 150 lbs of manure.. and a bag of potting soil to help break up the clay in the holes.. although the land here was a cow pasture for decades before our arrival... there's still alot of clay just below the grass layer.. that should be enough to jump start a few brugs... got a dozen or so more.. to go in... a tangerine cross vine.. and a pile of bedding plants..
sure wish there was someone near by to give the extras to... anyone near I - 65 and the TN /AL line ... wanting some brugs... all very well rooted .. .. wonder if the botanical garden would like a few cuttings..
OH.. Kim... I recently lost the lovely plant you brought up last time.. with the big leaves and great flowers... it was fine through the winter .. and as it got warmer here... it withered ..before it could get outside... you don't happen to have another piece of it laying about ... I hate to ask.. after killing it ... does it like to go dormant there... maybe it will return from the roots... it's outside in the sun now... at home.. hopeing it will awaken..

Livina... well an update here...many did real well here .. in the ground... I threw leaves and pine needles on them... cut them back to about 4-6"... the ones that are doing bedt.. now are about 3' tall,, and has bunches of blooms.. about 6-8 of them are brown.. and black now... hollow stems.. holes down the center .. to way out of sight... this might sound familar to you.... today I started to dig these up... finally pulled about 3' of roots in a few directions... only to find a few green shoots from underneath...... yikes.. back into the hole... so DON"T GIVE UP IGHT AWAY>>
THERE'S STILL HOPE Gordon

Gordon,
Yesterday I went back to the local nursery where I purchased the Medinillas, they don't have any at this time, but I'll make sure we'll get some more when they restock. What I've found are these fun Cardoons. I've got a bunch of them, they are biennual I think. Here is what they look like last year:

Gordon hawk are you saying you now have a farm? If so I can send lots of seeds for things you would enjoy.
I have not dug up anything yet, I am still hoping.

LOL

Lavina

Oh.. it's at mothers... Well ...deaded to me right now.. About 30 years ago I designed and built her a house on this land... it had been a farm... we had a big barn.[ I resided it with 1 1/4 " bass wood back then ] . and pond.. it had been a cow pasture for many decades before that..,[ so we have great grass.. here on Thatch Rd ]. ..,she sold off the barn.. section...the barn was where I lived in the loft for a year or so while I built the house... and the pond section... and a couple of other lots and now has about 4 times what is managable for her.. but keeps her dozens of coccers and Bengals happy..I go back to the garden in the clouds this afternoon.. leaving her and the 25 AL.brugs ,, I just planted one in the edge of a drainage ditch.. too far away from the house for mother to feed or water it... but it will get lots of intermitant water.. plenty when it rains.. just as a look at them gone wild here a bouts.. in North AL /TN..
SOOO no truckloads of seeds just yet.. PLEASE photos on my return..

Have a good trip back to the home of

Well.. back it is,, first pictures of ones that have come right up in zone 7 in AL

others that were obviously dead.. and not returning..

oh.. BUT OBVIOUSLY DEAD.. it's just looking that way.. under the leaves.. or just underground.. there are slow shoots.. so give themenough time to show their stuff..

another returning.. a day or so of being uncovered..and the shoots are takng off