Most of my overwintered brugs are really starting to leaf out now, thanks to unusually warm weather. A lot of them have MANY leaf sprouts/stems/branches...whatever you'd like to call them...coming out up and down the full length of the trunks. When yours do that, how do you treat them? I'm inclined to remove most of those wanna-be-branches throughout the midzone (below the bottom Y); I guess because I prefer a tree-form plant. I leave some near the top and some others at the base, to allow branches to develop in those areas. Another part of my rationale - in my short season, I feel I'll get flowers earlier if there are fewer branches developing.

What is your view on this? How do you treat this situation?

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

most of mine I like to treat as standards and remove all growth below the Y except new stems coming from the base of the plant, but I have a few I use for screening purposes and those I let grow like crazy. I think mine bloom the same either way, but I like the way the blooms hang down on standards.


Sally
Zone 5b
heat zone 4
Enfield Connecticut



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

I like the standards too but I like to share cuttings so I let them grow to a reasonable size & the stem ripens & then chop them & root them. If any basal stems shoot up from the roots, I let them grow & cut them off at the end of summer.

Linda

I always had to plant in close proximity so cleaned the sprouts off the trunks for better air circulation between plants and to deter slugs being invited to climb to the higher canopies.This spring I only had one that did this and I was wanting cuttings as I am planning on registering this one this year so it worked out perfectly.
From all the years I have grown Brugs, I can't say that I have noticed letting side shoots grow or not grow has really made any difference in the growth of the canopy.

Canada 5b
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