I got my in-ground brugs dug. They are monsters. LOL How bad would they suffer if I left them all crammed together in a big barrel over the winter with some soil in it? Would they be too crowded? Do you need a picture? I was just thinking that if I could keep them in there it would cut down on the larger pots, but, if I must, I must. Right now I have them stuck in there in water to keep them from drying out as I root pruned pretty severely. It is a 55 gallon drum bottom, about 2 fee tall. I have 7 "trees" in there. LOL

Anna, I've got to see that. I want to know the response(s) too. It sounds like an interesting idea.

Well, if they are going to wind their root systems around each other like boa constrictors, I obviously do not want to do that and will pot individually. I am probably just too lazy.

Why not put the individual smaller pots in the drum. The thought behind the whole idea is to save some energy for other gardening tasks, not laziness, right? Will they be growing in a warm greenhouse or will you let them go semi-dormant?

"SMALLER POTS"???????? Ain't no "smaller" in this deal. I must go take a picture.

I must see this. How huge do the roots get? I'm so naive, I guess.

Oh, gads, you don't want to know. LOL I tried to "shovel" all around the base and loosen them up, then just pushed them back and forth till the big root broke. Instant root pruning. LOL And I hacked more of the roots off with the shovel. I am ruthless with a shovel, a hedge pruners, and a hand pruner.

They have taproots like dandelions. LOL

Here they are..............I put a gallon jug in there so you had something to reference re: size. Ummm.........this is only the 2nd year I have had them in the ground. They were ones I was going to toss a couple years ago because I didn't have room for any more pots. Guess I'm glad I didn't. LOL

WOW & I thought my roots on the one plant was Huge next time hook a chain on them & Pull them out If they were Mine I would get a Big Barrel add a small amout of soil in Bottom Put the roots in & add a bit more soil just to cover the roots & get a Dolly to Cart it where they will be stored

Anna, I think they will do fine in a communal pot. As long as the gh isn't too warm, they should stall for a while. I'm thinking about taking some of mine out of their pots and bagging them. They won't take as much space in the hoop house, and I can keep an eye on them in case I need to repot them.

BTW, nearly all the cuttings I brought home already have "nubbies" and are ready for potting! Even DH is impressed!

Good grief Anna. If they are sorta dormant, the roots should not grow much over winter. But OTOH, if they are in a warm GH, they may not go too dormant and the roots might continue to grow. They will all be in a heated GH - right?

I do not have experience doing so, But unmixing the roots brings a ? to mind. Unbarrel them and take a hose to them to facilitate unwinding the root mess in Spring? I do that all the time when I am separating Iris or particularly daylilies. They always come out ok. I don't know how tuff the Brugs roots are - only my second year growing them and I only have 3 larger plants in post and about 15 seedlings - all less than a foot tall at this point.

You could try some each way - keep the big guys separate in their own pots and put some smaller ones together in the barrels? Maybe try some of those plant bag things. They would likely take less space, but added expense if you have to buy them.

MG - you must have a thousand cuttings. Heh Are you going to root them as well?

You certainly do have some monster roots there and their roots sure would tangle around each other, I think you have some potting to do.

Yeah, still haven't done it. I have them in a cut off 55 gallon drum in some water. Must get to it. LOL

Well - yeah The weather is gonna be less than cooperative here in a few days. But then WTH do I know. As I look out the window, I see 3 Brugs on my deck - the largest with ~ 8 nice blooms.

Anna - what do these do in your heated greenhouse over winter?
That is giving them what - Zone 8 or so equivalent?

Do you toss the tops and let the bottoms regrow?
Or toss the bottoms and re-root the tops?

If you answered this above sorry - I didn't see it.

I cut back and toss what I've cut, unless anyone voices a desire for cuttings. During the winter I strip back foliage 2 or 3 times, depending on how fast they come back and let them grow from about late March or so.

G'house thermostat is kept at 58.

Anna, that 58deg. might be cool enough to keep them growing slowly, but as soon as they start putting out leaves again, I'd think you'll need to pot them up individually. If leaves are growing, then so are the roots and yes, you will have a real mess next spring if you let them work on strangling each other all winter.

For now you might get away with leaving two or 3 of them in that tub, and potting the others in something like a plastic storage box. Or put a couple in a large pot, and put them where the greenhouse is coolest to keep them dormant?

Oh, it is all taken care of. They each have their own pot and are lounging up in the back of the g'house.

Hello AnnaZ,
Would you by chance still have cuttings of you Brugs? I have been wanting any for such a long time! I would love some if you still have any left?
Thanks so much
Lisa

Ummmm.............I don't know. I'll have to check. I have some but I don't know what kind of shape they are in. I'll look tomorrow.