| Project by jroot | posted 83 days ago | 509 views | 1 time favorited | 8 comments |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
I usually do this in late September, but because of my upcoming trip, I started today.
I make cuttings of my brugmansia, just in case the mother plants don’t make it over the winter in storage. That is another part of the project which will come later.
I start by taking an old aquarium and using duct tape make a grid on the top. The mesh will keep the cuttings separate, and they are less likely to fall into the water completely.
Some people use plastic containers, but I find that there is a greater probability that the cuttings will begin to rot, if started in plastic.
If you have only a couple of cuttings to do, you may use a glass jar, and change the water daily until the white nubbies appear. ( usually a couple of weeks )
I cut the tape and fold under so that it is stronger and not likely to stick to the hair on my arms.
I then put in air hoses from the aquarium and attach the pump. Doing this adds oxygen to the
water, and the plants are less likely to rot. I then fill the aquarium with about 2 – 3 inches of water.
When this is done, I make my cuttings. I try to get about 1.5 to 2 foot cuttings, although it can
be done with smaller cuttings over 4 inches. Choose branches above the “Y”, if you want blooms
next year. I try to get thicker wood, which is several months old. You will notice small white
dots on it. This is where the roots will eventually come from.
Trim off the leaves, leaving only the top few small ones. If the large leaves are left on, the plant
will transpire excessively, and will collapse.
Label the cutting so that you know what it is.
Put the labelled cutting into the water so that the bottom is under about 2 inches of water, and
the top is above the water.
It breaks my heart to cut off the flowers and buds, but the plant needs as much energy as possible
to form new roots, and not spend energy with the flowers
The flower is cut off
The cuttings are now ready for a couple of weeks of bubbling. By the time I return, there may
even be some roots starting to form.
The following are some links that further explain what I have done.
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/brug/msg1012321123065.html
http://clippings.gardenweb.com/clippings/sandysseeds007?sort_col=post_title
-- jroot
Your Online Garden - Your Support Is Greatly Appreciated - Your Gardening Showcase - 3 Ways To Help, Financially - Your Gardening Community
8 comments so far
MsDebbieP
home | projects | blog
3776 posts in 496 days
hardiness zone 5b
posted 83 days ago
well isn’t that interesting!!
great tips re: glass and re: oxygen.
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)
GrandmaT
home | projects | blog
3182 posts in 373 days
hardiness zone 5
posted 83 days ago
Very interesting and a nice set up …
-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b
Bon
home | projects | blog
1705 posts in 276 days
hardiness zone 5a
posted 83 days ago
Thanks for the helpful info Jroot.I hope some day to get some Brugs to try growing.I ordered them this year from Dominion but I was too late sending it in.I am going to try the nursuries around here early nextr spring.
-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more
jroot
home | projects | blog
991 posts in 126 days
hardiness zone 5a
posted 49 days ago
After 3 weeks away, I came home to see roots several inches long on most of the cuttings All have been now put into soil, and are looking good .
With the cold we are expecting this week, I think I might just make some more. I had hoped that I could get another couple of weeks in, but the weather channel last night said frost for sure this weekend, possibly down to -3C or 26F. That’s cold for October 1st
-- jroot
GrandmaT
home | projects | blog
3182 posts in 373 days
hardiness zone 5
posted 49 days ago
I am very glad to hear you have roots, good healthy ones and that everything is potted. Your Brugs are just magnificient!!!!
I hate to admit it, but I did put the furnace on the other day just to take the chill out of the house … way too early, but what can ya do.
I think here, they are predicting a nice, dry weekend; chilly but dry. I am hoping to get outside and do a bit of chores. Thankfully I (okay hubby – LOL!!) have dragged in all the plants I want to keep or try to keep over the winter.
-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b
Craig Barton
home | projects | blog
8 posts in 37 days
hardiness zone 8
posted 35 days ago
OMG, jroot…. great minds !! hehe
I’ve done precisely the same process, using smaller tanks, with the taped blocks, and all !!
Works great !!
Now I see you’re ALSO an ABADS member ! hehe.
Can’t wait for the next Trumpeter … I’d helped Tom with the newest BGI registrations !
Small world !! Gotta love it !
-- cbart and Pambi
Craig Barton
home | projects | blog
8 posts in 37 days
hardiness zone 8
posted 34 days ago
Forgive, please, while I make my first attempt to embed a pic, here. ;-)
It’s the only one I have concerning the bubbling tanks, so not really enough to dedicate to an entire a project.
We’d used EXACTLY the same process as you had, jroot.
At the time, all cuttings were from a Frosty Pink, my very first brug.
This is our GD Hope after we had constructed our bubblers… they proved very successful.
YAY, it worked right the first time…. hahaha.
(P.S. that’s a pretty double yellow bloom !)
-- cbart and Pambi
jroot
home | projects | blog
991 posts in 126 days
hardiness zone 5a
posted 34 days ago
... and that is a pretty GD. ... just like grandma, right? LOL
-- jroot