Patrick came in this week and helped me cut my brugs back yesterday. There was a group here who took many of the cuttings home with them, but I still end up with many left over. Hopefully, this next week a number of other gardeners will come by for the left overs as I just cannot mail out anymore. There were some able bodied men in the group who helped get my container ones in before last night's freeze (thanks to each and every one of you), so I am in better shape than I thought I would be after MN decided to send this early freeze my way. Who could make it without friends?? Not I, for sure!!
I left my large Dr. Seuss inground and coverd him as he still has at least a hundred buds on him, and I really want to see and smell them as long as possible. He is inground just outside my dining room by the pool, and it is so fragrant when you walk out in the evening. I want to hold onto this as long as possible.
Hope all of you are ready as winter will be here for ALL of us soon!!

USDA Zone 7/8
Copper Canyon
North Central Texas

Congratulations, may spring arrive early in 2009.


Sally
Zone 5b
heat zone 4
Enfield Connecticut



http://community.webshots.com/user/sallycummings

Well, we got my Brugs in the greenhouse with only a few pieces broken off, and I've lost my mind and am trying once again to root those, lol.

I'm thinking I may be doing these plants a disfavor by NOT pruning them? They're like six feet tall, but they were loaded with blooms all summer/fall. (Still are..)

What happens if you let 'em get big? Any drawbacks?

Maryjane
W Ga
Zone 8a

The bigger they are, the harder they are to drag in & out. LOL

I leave mine as big as I can. I spent all summer growing them tall & I don't want to have to start all over again in the spring. Leaving them big, you will lose some of the tips but most of it will still be there to take off when they sense it's spring.

Linda

The Dr. Seuss I left inground is still blooming as are the ones in the plant room. I want to relish that fragrance as long as possible. We are due to get another light freeze this week-end, so guess I will cover him once again.
I leave mine as large as will comfortably fit into the space allotted them. It is my theory, however, that a brug will not continue doing well in a container after three to four years. They need to be repotted or placed inground after that.

USDA Zone 7/8
Copper Canyon
North Central Texas

Thanks Linda and Carrie. Yeah, I realize I'll have to strip them down (pot wise) eventually because of the salts building in the soil from so much fertilizer. I'm just lucky to have this greenhouse. (It was a bargining chip during the planned move.) EG

Maryjane
W Ga
Zone 8a

In the spring when I bring the brugs out of the basement, those that are going to stay in pots get their roots pruned and fresh soil added to the pots, The plants really seem to appreciate this and I have never had a problem with the upper growth being affected by doing this.(this is only my 4th year growing brugs) I lay the pots on their sides, pull the plants out of the pots and use a pruning saw to remove about a third of the roots. I then put them back in the same pots with fresh soil. It is sort of the same thing that happens in the fall to the ones planted in ground, the roots get cut back quite a bit when I pot them up for basement storage.
We are having a early cold season here. BRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Sally
Zone 5b
heat zone 4
Enfield Connecticut



http://community.webshots.com/user/sallycummings

3rd try to post this! It keeps giving me the error: stale post-can't post. HUH?



Paste:



Wow. I'm learning so much from y'all! Thanks for sharing that and educating this stupid flatlander, lol! Where I was raised (5th gen. Tampa Bay native) if it dropped to below 40 it made headline news. We don't have

It obviously did not take one of my posts earlier either, Maryjane.
Anyway, I just commented to Sally that reading her temps made me shiver. Anything below 65 is totally unacceptable to me. I had commented in the one that did not post that the weatherman had said last night that this was to be a warmer than usual winter for us. It really did not ring true as he was telling us about the 2nd freeze of the season and it isn't even Thanksgiving yet.

USDA Zone 7/8
Copper Canyon
North Central Texas

Well sure, Carrie...you'll get several early freezes, then you'll have a warm winter. That way you can walk around in summer wear and look at all the dead plants! lol



Here's a pic Carrie took on 19Nov. Dr. Seuss was just starting to open a lot of buds. We enjoyed nice warm days after the weekend temp. dipped briefly below freezing.



<a href=

Hmmm...1rst attempt at attaching pic didn't work...will try again.


<a href=

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

Hmmm...I don't know what's up with that! When I preview my post, I see the Photobucket thumbnail. But when I go ahead and click

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

Patrick, I had to put a message title into my last post to get it to take it..... I don't know what is up either.

Okay, Bob, it says on this one that author name is required. Is this a new requirement in order to post?

USDA Zone 7/8
Copper Canyon
North Central Texas

test



Seemed to work for me.

Canada 5b
Forum editing tech

You know how technically challenged I am, Ruth Ann ....(grin)!!!!

USDA Zone 7/8
Copper Canyon
North Central Texas