HI Token, not gonna comment on the over wintering b/c mine stay in ground and rather active year round, I have a flush right now. It sounds like you've never had them through a summer, which is the hardest time for mine, I can't stress the importance of the right location for sun exposure and water. Mine stay in part shade b/c this is the only way they tolerate the heat w/o me schleping water 4 times a day, and I'm not joking.
But maybe some NC people will chime in for you. :(

Bri is right, I know here in Texas its really hot and if they don't have a little shade they need a lottttt of water. You can begin to fertilize in the spring and when you take them outside either strip off all the leaves first or put them in a lot of shade and slowly move them out into more sun. Most of the leaves that form in the house will burn from the direct sun and fall off anyway so don't worry if that happens. Feed and water them more often than other plants and give them some epsom salt about once a month. If you plant them in the ground you can mix compost or well rotted manure with the garden dirt and make sure you have good drainage even though they like a lot of water. You can even put some time release fertilizer right in the planting hole and you will still have to give them liquid fertilizer and then switch to bloom booster after they form a Y.

So morning sun is okay, but not afternoon?

Token I DID schlep and watered 4 x a day last summer. My first year with brugs. I also hauled them around to find the right spot they liked. We had it so hot, that the more shade I could give them, the happier they were. But yes I would say NO afternoon sun.

Lucy

I'm in 7a so the sun isn't as strong as the FL and TX folks and many of my brugs could take some afternoon sun. We do have the triple digit heat and humidity and there were plenty of days that I did have to water daily. If you want to be on the safe side plant them somewhere that will just receive morning sun. That's not an option for me because most of my yard gets full sun and there just isn't enough space in the areas that don't. I didn't have to water my inground plants as often as the potted ones. Even the brugs in 30" pots sometimes needed watering twice a day. What a PITA!!!

Hi Token I see you strayed from ws for a break...LOL Your containers are getting up there...I cant wait to see your sprouts this spring....You will love this forum too...Nice to see you...

here in the Memphis area I had a few on my back patio in containers. Southern exposure, no shade. Just WATER, WATER, WATER!! Even in the front northern exposure with dappled shade, needed lots of water in the summer peak. I am going for more in ground this year to see if they are happier.

Mary

Thanks for the advice everyone. Rosepedal, I've got to get a handle on all the things I'm trying to do at once. I've got other threads in the plant propagation forum and just got some fig cuttings this week. I'm trying to dabble in a little bit of everything.

WELCOME!!! and you have lots of great advice here..Afternoon shade is a must for me...and I still have to water each day...Good Luck and I hope you will stick around.. BTW we love pic's
Kylie

yea token post your container pic and show everyone how busy you have been. There is a lot of interest here in ws. Show the video you made too. It will help alot here also...Wishing you the best on the fig tree. No wearing the leaves lol

My inground ones were in full sun but in the hottest part of the summer I had to water twice a day and they didn't bloom until it cooled off in the fall. I am going to try and run a soaker hose in that bed this year and see if I can get earlier blooms. Thats pretty much the thing if they are in more sun they need even more water is all. Also I noticed the large and fuzzy leaves ones could take the sun better for some reason. Shredded Whited did wonderful.

Ok, some pictures. All are clickable for larger images.

First, my brugs

Kongmansia: rooted since October08
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NoID yellow that might be Charles Grimaldi. The owner cut it down less than a week after I got 8 cuttings. Only one is still with me. Some were traded, most rotted. My first try with cuttings.
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Three NoID orange from Kasha77
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The kongmansia is in the middle of the pot. I had two that I bought from Eddie on eBay before I saw Eddie here. Met him in Winston to pick them up. The other cutting did well until I overwatered. Another lesson learned. Water when fully dry.

The top part of the Kong now rooting and an Ecuador White
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Three more Ecuador Whites including the stump that I took the cutting above from. A Christmas gift.
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A piece of the yellow brug that broke off when I was moving my propagation rack to the warmer corner of the basement. I put it in my cloning machine and had roots in 4 days.
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There's a bunch of other stuff at my blog. I only started it on Dec 21, but I post everyday and sometimes twice. You can find my gardens, my house, my homemade cloning machine, and my wintersowing activities there.

Seventh Street Cottage

I really like the white brugs, so I plan to try to trade away two of the orange and the yellow for other plants, not just brugs.

I also have some figs in plastic bags in the basement.
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I built my own bottom heater using rope light, a plastic storage tote, and some sand. In less than a week, one of the Marseilles figs already has a tiny little root nub on the end. The temperature is about 80 degrees on top of the sand. Great for starting seeds indoors before moving them to the hoophouse.

Ok, enough chatter. Thanks again for the advice.

Tom

Tom ,can you elaborate on the bottom heater,I 've been jonesing for one for my plumies. You can e mail it to me if you want, Worried about water+electricity and the safety of the constant heat. Melted plastic?

Daves has a co-op with a company for a great price if you are a member there..
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