Also, when is a good time to repot? I have 6 that I brought up from basement Dec/Jan & they are growing some nice new leaves. They are all rootbound, should I pot up now? Thanks

Patty
Milwaukee, Wi
zone 5

I don't repot until I put them outside. Most of my brugs are in really big pots and it would be too much of a hassle to do it in the house. It's probably not a bad idea to repot them when they come out of dormancy.
Karyn

Patty, I'm wondering why you brought them out of "dormancy" in Dec/Jan? I believe most of us would leave them there until it's time to move them outdoors or to a short-term transitional environment.

I've read that any growth they put on while in storage will be weak and should be removed when moved outdoors...and that if you put a brug out with tender leaves that formed indoors, MN will usually remove them if you don't.

As for your question, my personal opinion is the dormant rest is good for pot-grown brugs, altho I'm sure there are many that will bloom very heartily during the outdoor season, even if kept in active growth during the winter.

Patrick
Brug Moderator
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place

I think it does the plants good although I have no proof but I know for a fact it does ME good to have that break.

Forum Editing Tech
Zone 5b

Patrick, I was thinking of bringing my dormant brugs up from the basement on the first of March, as you say, for the transition period. What do you think?

Patty, thanks for asking the question.



Kathy
USDA Zone 5
Connecticut

Thanks Patrick & everyone. I did take 5 of 6 plants to basement last Oct/Nov in 55* dark part. The one I left in sunroom (cuz I was too lazy to take down steps), slowly started growing new leaves. It was lows of upper 40's & high of 55-60* in there all winter, & it only got little direct sun. So, I thought I'd bring the others up there to get a better start on growing in Dec -early Jan. They are growing new leaves but slowly. I'm sure I will learn something new when I bring them out into gradual direct sun till they are acclimated.

Here I go again trying to get this SC banner off,..

Patty
Milwaukee, Wi
zone 5

Kathy, when will you be able to put your brugs outdoors? And where will you put them during your transition period? There are a number of folks here with more experience at this than I have, so I hope they'll chime in with their opinions.

For me, transition means a week or so on my covered back porch, before shoving them on into the backyard. I don't feel it's a good idea to move them from the basement or garage into a heated home, then move then to the outdoors.

As I mentioned earlier, the growth/foliage they acquire indoors is poorly suited to adapting to the outdoors & most leaves that are on the plants when they go outside are likely to be lost. IMHO, it's best to leave them dormant until it's time to go outside...then repot them & get them out there.

Patrick
Brug Moderator
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place

I can't really write about dormancy since I have mine in a heated GH, but the discussion about leaf loss come summer time is worrying me. My plants are heavily leafed out and loaded with little buds, which will soon turn into flowers. I've been resuming fertilizing weakly once a week. I'm assuming that because my plants are being stored at a much higher light level over winter, once the conditions are suitable in May they're do fine going outside. I typically give plants I move outside about a week under the porch before putting them in full sun and I haven't had any major problems with sunburn. Sound like a good strategy?
To be completely off topic, I've been day-dreaming of warmer weather this week and I've come up with a plan this year I'm putting my largest plants in the ground and plugging in a good number of other tropical plants (Plumeria, Loquat, Lemon Grass, Money Tree,Siam Tulips, Figs) for a "Zone 6b tropical" feel. Lynne has been kind enough to mail me some Castor beans, which I'm going to get started indoors so I have massive plants by the time its safe to plant. I can't wait for some warmer, dry weather so I can till up what amounts to about a 1/4 of my back yard.
Earlier today I potted my plumeria into a larger container, watered it, and drug it out into the GH from storage. I'm hoping its not too early in the year, but I've noticed that other plants have been increasing their growth rates and it has been resting since Nov. Did I do the right thing? Also, was now (dormancy) the best time to repot the plumie?
Peace,
Nate

Well, we are all here to learn of our own experiences - good, bad ,ugly. I know I bring my fig trees out of dormancy now & they start a slow bloom & then to sunroom & then outside & they do very well. Just whishful thinking for now that the brugs do same.I guess I look at it as a slower transition than going right from dormancy to outdoors. My sunroom is between basement and outdoors, so hopefully it'll work. I'd hate to lose all leaves they are growing!
I'll let ya'll know how it goes.
I just gotta add, they are calling for winter storm watch her with 8 - 12 inches snow this weekend. Boo hoo, was looking FWD to spring weather. Wish I was somewhere south & sunny & warm!

Patty
Milwaukee, Wi
zone 5

If I lived in Zone 7 and up, I would be bringing mine out of their semi dormancy now.
The end of March is when I remove the ceiling insulation and allow the sun to start shining back in and usually a couple of weeks after that I remove the side wall insulations. In April the heaters get turned off, the plants are given a thorough drink that has a transplanting fertilizer added and off they go once again.
I can't plant out until the first week in June safely, they do come out of the GH the last week in May and sit for a week under a large Maple tree that has leafed out so they get sun protection ( and minimal frost protection) while they acclimatize to the weather, temperature and humidity changes first. They deal with the sunlight changes after that first week.


Forum Editing Tech
Zone 5b

Well, Patrick, this will be the year I can answer the question about potted brugs that have been kept semi-dormant during the winter. I have some of mine under grow lights for 7 hours in the garage, and will hopefully be bringing them out within the next 4 weeks. If they bloom the same as with dormancy, then there is no need to use the grow lights. I did this as all my cuttings are in the garage, and I felt they needed the grow lights to be large enough for transplanting this Spring. My brugs that are in the plant room with skylight and window sunshine look much better than the ones in the garage. I think that perhaps it is zone by zone and area by area that would dictate what is best for overwintering these gorgeous creatures.

USDA Zone 7/8
Copper Canyon
North Central Texas

"I think it does the plants good although I have no proof but I know for a fact it does ME good to have that break."
LOL, Ruth Ann, I think I understand... I've thought on a few occasions over this winter that I'd love to pack them all up and take a break for a few months, but if I did that I'd miss what appears to be their best growing/flowering time for us.

For me, there's no way to give a dormant winter, it doesn't stay cold enough and they grow the fastest and bloom the most from October to April.
Carrie, too true, it is "zone by zone and area by area," for most aspects of growing them.

Lynne
USDA 9b, Heat 10
Bradenton, Florida

I don't bring mine out of dormancy until about a week or two before I'm going to plant them outside.Any new winter growth that they have grown I cut off when they come out of dormancy because it is weak growth and will not hold the blooms and will snap easily in the wind.
Repotting into a large pot before they are in full grow mode and especially if they are in a cool envirement is inviting root rot.
I've lost two large plants this winter from root rot. Although they were in a heated room the floor was cold and the moisture at the bottom of the large pots didn't dry out although the top 3-4 inches felt dry as a bone.

Terry
Woodsville,NH
zone 4a

I'm with Lynne. My favorite time with my brugs is during the fall, winter & spring months. In our area, they seem to thrive on the cooler temps and seem more distressed between June-Sept. As long as we don't get the sudden freezes for extended periods, we're ok and this winter was one of them. I'm glad I could get my new brugs in place before the extreme heat hits in a couple of months. Now I have to pray that they can all handle the heat and blazing sun.

Let's hope we all get a moderate summer growing period this year, unlike we had across the country last summer.

I'm anxious for the rest of you to start enjoying your labor of love real soon. SPRING is coming.

Jarie
Mission, TX
Rio Grande Valley
Zone 9

Patrick, sorry it took me so long to get back to you - we've been busy cutting more wood (UGH!) because now we're getting snow and ice every few days.

About the dormancy issue...

I thought to take them out of the basement and move them into a lighter (though not daylight bright) and slightly warmer (50's and 60's as opposed to 40's) environment. My thoughts were that I wanted the transition to be more gradual. I won't re-pot them until I get ready to put them outside (Thanks for the root-rot info, Terry)They will go outside in April in a protected area where they won't freeze (a makeshift greenhouse I erect every year, a WoW or a coldframe.)

What do you think?

Kathy
USDA Zone 5
Connecticut