Miss B. Havin Brugmansia

This is Miss B. Havin Brugmansia, probably the last Bloom on her for the season

Elizabeth

another view of MBH

Elizabeth

I think I need one of those, Elizabeth. Don't know why, I just want one.
sure is pretty. the kitties have grown and Septie is still the beautiful queen.
Had a little frog on one of my ponds.

Elizabeth, I can't believe how big they are, already...especially the tom cat.He looks huge! They look very healthy and happy.Septie is sooo pretty..
Charleen, I think we all are drooling over Miss B Havin. Awsome, Elizabeth.
Dee

Charlene
I love Frogs, what a pretty one that is, you take great photo's
the kittens are almost grown, that sepi. I wanted too strangle her the other day, when she shot out of the house like a bullet
then made me chase her round the house & garage twice, the house is on one street & the garage is back on another street
isn't MBH one of the prettiest Brugs, I will try too air layer you & Dee one this fall, I wish Brenda Delph was still in Business
that's her creation, I have one of her seedlings with Angels Flight, it's still under a foot, I can't wait till that one gets big, it should be Awesome, I started digging some of my Brugs today, when I went out they needed water after it rained all day
yesterday, I am going too do what you did next year, a trench around them makes sense, I couldn't believe how dry the rootball was when I dug them up

Elizabeth

Dee
we did again posted at the same time, we're so good at that, I love it

Elizabeth

Dee
those kittens are monsters, the little Black princess is so much quicker & smarter than her brother Max, she beats up on him
it's funny too watch her, she's my baby, Max is Rogers cat

Elizabeth

This is NN it grew at least 5ft over the fence, finally loaded with Blooms, i hope it has time too Bloom before I have too cut it back

Elizabeth

This is a close up of the NN Buds

Elizabeth

This is Harlot, I am sure going too miss these Blooms

Elizabeth

I am not looking forward to winter.
I'm soglad I had my camera when I went out. The frog was so cute.
Charleen

Harlot is beautiful, Elizabeth! I wish the leaves on my Naughty Nick looked 1/2 as good as yours! I stipped it almost bald this morning.Figured it almost time to strip them anyway.The new leaves coming on look good and so do the blooms, but the bigger leaves were so ugly.Just ratty...not curled or anything. I am definately going to re-pot him, before he comes in..I've done everything else that I know to do.
Dee

Now, I'm posting at the same time as Charleen.Seems like old times..lol Love that frog Charleen.How cute!
Dee

Oh, Dee got some EE pic.
Look at the spots on this isn't it pretty?? I love it.
Charleen

But the purple Stem one is my favorite.
Group shot. Elizabeth, see those brugs in there???

They all look great Charlene! That is one of my favorites too.You will love coffee cups. It's a good strong grower,gets pretty big and the leaves hold water, and it has the dark stems, too.
Dee

They are almost as bad as brugs, aren't they??? :-)

Charlene
just Beautiful, I love EE's but that's the one thing, I don't have as much luck with, I either need too give up on them or get a longer water hose

Dee is like old times when we were posting at the same time last year, I have such a hard time thinking a year has gone by, did you get registered again? I just did
so i am good for awhile, that NN is going too be a bear too dig up, I should have took a photo of the trunk it's Huge, so is Santa Rosa, oh it has more Buds on it
did you see the weather forecast for Sunday Night? I do hope they're wrong

Elizabeth

Yes, Elizabeth, I meant it was like last year.Doesn't time fly? I did see the forecast.It is going to be a busy week for us , isn't it? It is 42 here this morning. I got signed up for another two months this time.Not because I don't plan on being here, forever, but money is tight right now, and probably will be, until after Christmas.Got 2 birthdays coming up and still have to get all the fittings and pipe to hook up the heater for the sun room...then there's potting soil to bring the plants in..lol I'm sure you girls know what I'm talking about,,lol
Charleen I do love my EE's.Well, I love all tropicals really.Elizabeth...just plant your EEs amongst your brugs.That way, they get loads of water.
Dee

Here's an updated collage of my Brugs. The first one they were not fully open. Most of them are now about 6-7 inches wide. Last night, the yard was filled with an incredible fragrance.

Dee, I am going to plant them in my brugs,they are all looking green and healthy after our last rain. It was wonderful.
Great pictures, Chuck.
Charleen

Dee, it will be a busy week, I took up, Star Dancer & the pink one I got from you, yesterday, I think I will dig 2 more today, I'll dig the ones with the Buds last, I had a fresh Fig last night, I am going too miss that the most, I wish it would produce all winter, I have too cut it back then add the protection too it, I am going too try to root the limbs I cut back, I have this rooting powder that is for shrubs, I went in with a co op to get 2 different kinds one for shrubs & one for Brugs, I know what you're talking about Money being tight, my Girls & GK's get their Christmas Money Thursday & Friday, but then I'll be done with Christmas shopping, I wanted too be done by August but I had windows too install, also I wanted too have extra $ for the Black Friday sale

Chuck, what a great way too put up your Brug Blooms, really Beautiful, that Scent is what has hooked us all

Charlene, I am going too try to keep at least 2 alive under the grow lights, I did have 2 that did well, yours are Beautiful

Elizabeth

Beautiful pics everyone!
Elizabeth your NN, Harlot and MBH look awesome!

Karen
it's good too see you, I bet yours is doing as well or better, Thank you, hopefully in about a week I will post NN if I don't have too take it in before it Blooms

Elizabeth

Now, I have to bring my EE in and figuring how how to do it. I got them in bogs , so will have to take them out to dry.
Charleen

Charleen, you should do a google seach on your EE's. I'm sure some if not most are hardy for you. You may be able to leave some out, this winter.
Chuck beautiful display of your brug blooms!
Hi Karen! Ready for the temperature drop on Sunday night?
Elizabeth, I'm digging brugs too. I wish mine were buried in pots, so I could just lift them out..lol I hope both of our NN bloom, before they have to come in! Mine probably will fit on the sun porch tho. It's tall, but not too tall, I don't think.My Jacayna X Daydreams will definately have to be cut back tho. It is the tallest one that I have.
Dee

For your EE's, just dig them up, rinse off the excess mud/dirt. Let dry for a few days and wrap individually in several sheets of newspaper, and store them away.

Next spring, soak them in water for a few days. Or,

Yes, It have but sounds like Chuck has it down. will follow until the "or" was cut off.
charleen

Charleen, I am in zone 8a and had a very cold Winter last year and almost all of my EE came back. The only ones I dig up are the giant Hyb. Alocasia that I have, because it keeps growing up the stalk. It get really big after three or four years and then I chop it up and start over.

Chuck, check out the plant swaps this Fall, there will be Brugs to be had.

That is Humongeous. I know the ones I have are in bogs and I sure don't want them to freeze. I have a new love for them.
Especially this Purple stemmed one. So pretty.
Thank you Ken.

Ken that is a Humongeous, as Charlene has stated, I wouldn't have room, in my yard for one that size it's Beautiful

Dee, my NN will have too be cut way back, as tall as it & Santa Rosa got, the tops would be too tall for the basement, it was so warm out this evening, I sure hope they have the weather report wrong

Charlene, I made the mistake of putting some of my cannas in one of the plastic grocery bags they all dried up, that was year before last, last year I put the EE's & the cannas in a box with shredded papers, they did just fine, Chuck is right about getting the dirt of them

Elizabeth

Continuing with the Or..........for EE's

These are the Standing Elephant Ears in these pictures. I'm spoiled and won't grow many other varieties, although I was given one Dig Dipper bulb two years ago that I like and has multiplied to about 20 clumps - 3-6 feet tall, purple stalks. They spread quickly through roots and develop new tubers.....

Unless you're in an area that does not get a prolonged hard freeze, you can cut the tops off and wrap them or mulch them if they're in the ground. In pots, cut em back, quit watering and store em inside, like the garage, etc. Cut them back till you get to the point where you see the future stalks - 4-6 inches above the main bulb.

The problem I have is leaving them in the ground. We get hard freezes and the bulb portion above the ground freezes as well as several inches below the soil line. This kills off the main shoot promoting a lot of pups on the remaining mother bulb sprouting from the side. You'll have a lot more shoots next spring and summer, but they won't get as big for the most part unless the conditions are very good.

I have learned to just dig them up, break of the shoots, trim the roots, wash and store them. It does take them longer to sprout in the spring since they have to grow a new root system, however, if they are in a constantly moist area like mine were, they will do fine.

I allowed three clumps to go through that freeze cycle for two winters. They got so big, the third spring I had to separate them in the fall. Each clump was about three feet wide and weighed 50-70 pounds. Darn near needed a backhoe. I think my back is still aching and that was in 07.

Ever since that experience, before the first freeze, I cut them back, lift them and separate and replant in the spring. If you have a lot of them, definitely want to do it before the stalks and leaves freeze and turn to mush. In the picture you'll see the originals after three years in the ground. Where my fat foot is I had replanted the mother bulb minus all the pups the following spring, and this was new growth. The picture with the dozens of separated bulbs was after harvesting in fall 07, trimmed and cleaned.

The benefit of not letting the tops freeze is a large mature bulb that bloomed for me in 08. Each year they reached the eves, but that was the first time I had a bloom after 4 years even of growing them. I have given over a hundred bulbs away over the years.

And to think we started with just one bulb in 03.

Well, if you find it in your heart to send me one, I would love it. If I have anything, let me know. Thanks for the information. I have a paper shredder. i could use that AFTER they dry.
Thank you all for the help. How about some brugs??? :-)
Charleen

Chuck, That's Awesome, looks so tropical, now I'll have too get some more, you are a wealth of info, about EE's all info is appreciated, Thank you

Charlene, I see another addiction coming on, you have the space for it, Lucky Girl, with all the Brugs you now have, your place will be so tropical next year, I can't wait too
see what you do with it

Elizabeth

Me too! Good Morning , Elizabeth. I have missed you all. I have a question.
When saving the root balls of Brugs, should I cover them up in soil or vermiculite?
Total dark, or some light? I am only keeping a few of the trees intact, and today is a day of bringing in the plants.

Ken, those EE's are great!I have some new up-rights, but they are not nearly that big.I'm not even sure which ones they are.
Chuck, thanks for the great pics and info.
Elizabeth, and Debra, what's blooming today? My first double is blooming...DayDreams...and it is gorgeous! I'll get a pic, if it clears up today.I woke up to pouring rain this morning, and it hasn't stopped...not fair, when I was planning on doing lots more digging today..
Charleen, I am working on getting your black thai pup.I dug down around the mamma, till I thought I could get a good cut, but I came up with a pup with no roots. Lucky there is another pup.I think I am gonna have to dig the whole thing out, and I wasn't wanting to...lol...it's a monster.It's a good 12-15 ft. tall. I have your Coffee Cups EE babies , separated and potted up. I will try to get you a box out the first of the week.
Dee

This message was edited Oct 2, 2010 10:01 AM

Good afternoon
Debra, I would keep it in soil, you have a great area in your basement, I just give my Brugs, a cup of water a month while they're in the basement, I think I have a little bit longer before I have too have them all dug up, cut back, then put them in their winter home, one thing I just found out, I dug Elizabeth up, put it in a potting soil bag, added
water, it's leaves aren't all wilted like some I potted up, so I will be using all my PS bags, for the rest of them

Dee, it's good too see you, we both will be digging it, in the coming weeks, it's a lot of work, but well worth it, makes me wish I had the window's on the back porch done
by the time it gets really cold, I'll have them finished

Charlene, How did your Birthday go? I hope your DH treated you to dinner & a movie, or better yet another good Brug

Elizabeth

The EE that Chuck is growing is a form of Alocasia, not sure which one. The Alocasia that I have is a Hyb. and no one seems to know anything about it, it is not in circulation. All EE will keep their size better if dug up every Winter but most EEs are Colacasias and they can reach full size in a single year. Chuck, if you cut all the leaves off but the newest one, it will say green all Winter and give you a head start in the Spring. I find they get bigger every year for about three or four years and then they will keep growing but the leaves will start getting smaller. I had one last year that the trunk was four ft. tall and I chopped it in peaces and rooted them laying on their side.

Charleen, happy belated birthday!Hope it was great.
Elizabeth,I am done digging for today. I just came in to fix supper.I'm pooped.The only other thing that I am doing with plants, today, is go out after supper and pot up banana pups.Got the mamma black thai cut back to just the stalk and it is potted and ready to go to the basement after it sits out tonight being d-bugged, some more.Got lots of the brugs stripped and potted up.Will do the rest tomorrow.Did they change your weather prediction for tomorrow night Elizabeth.We still ahave a chance of frost.
Ken,I got my up-right EE, at Walmart, late last summer. It was in a small pot and root bound. All I knew was that it was an up-right, and I didn't have one.It's stalk was getting woody and buy the end of summer, it wasn't huge, but the woody part of the stalk was about a foot tall.I read somewhere to bury the stalk and it would multiply, so I did this year, and now it is a clump, altho, still not huge.Maybe they will get bigger when I seperate and plant out in the spring.I hope, anyway..lol
Elizabeth, I will send your EE's in the spring is thats ok. I know you have your hands full right now.
Dee
Dee

Debra,
Elizabeth is correct in saying that the Brugs are better off in their original soil. Vermiculite retains too much moisture and letting the roots remain too moist is the biggest killer of Brug roots.

The answer to you other question depends on the temperature of the room where the plants will be overwintered. Temperatures under 50ºF slow the plants way down. The closer to 40ºF the slower they will grow. Somewhere around 40ºF, they will go dormant. If kept in the dark or close to it, they will lose their leaves and stop growing. It is important that you check the soil before adding any water. Use your fingers to check the soil moisture about 1" - 2" below the top of the soil. Try to keep the rootballs barely damp.

Given any amount of light and temperatures between 40ºF and 50ºF, the Brugs will retain some of their leaves. That's OK too, just be on the lookout for spidermites which love dry air conditions.

If you want the Brugs to continue growing during winter, you will have to keep the temperatures above 50ºF, fertilize about once a month and provide artificial lighting. The Brugs will have to be watered a bit more often, but not by much.

I hope everyone is fine. I've been mostly lurking. Things around here have become a bit hectic.