They can stand a light frost, just not prolonged freezing. You could do either way. I try to get a head start but, doesn't always work out that way....LOL L leave some in black nursery pots and put those right in the ground with brug in it, in Fall I just take a sharp shovel and cut through roots next to and under the pot, strip off all the leaves and bring them in for winter. Sometimes I just cut off the stalk at ground level and place in a bucket of water for the winter. You'll have rooted stalks to plant in spring. Hope this helps.

Theresa

I try to get to them before a hard freeze but don't always make it. If they get hit with a hard freeze I cut them way back because the stem gets mushy but the roots are fine. With the sunken pots I just trim away whatever roots have grown outside the container and lift. I strip all foliage and usually cut them back to about 10" then put them in storage. With the ones planted directly inground I try to dig up about a 10" rootball then pot it up and cut back. The ones in pots (above ground) just get the foliage stripped and cut back. I used to allow my variegated brugs, culebras, etc to keep growing over the winter but I let them to go dormant now and don't cut them back. I just strip the foliage and they do fine the following spring. Some of my slower to bloom varieties don't get cut back too much but all get the foliage stripped and all my brugs go dormant.

I usually watch the forecast and dig them up when we are going to hit under 30. I have been paying attention to temps and when my brugs get really bit the last few years. I protect during the light frosts but usually about 28F they get bit here even with the sheets or frostcloth for protection. It will usually be my seed pods that go first. Not so much the pod itself, but the stem of the pod so then the pod is toast lol. It hass usually been around Christmas, the last few years, when I dig them for the winter.
~SJN

for my area, Zone 5 -above the great lakes, I dig them out by the middle of October. I have tried to push it too many times to enjoy the last few blooms.

I wonder if the close to freezing temps has resulted in injury or stress in a couple varieties of brugs and they show sores that tend to resemble (or maybe SB). I end up throwing them out as a precaution.

I'm not 100% sure - :)

I wrote a tutorial for this a couple of years ago in another Brug forum....

Here is a link that might be useful: Bringing a Brug in for dormancy

All the information so helpful - Ruthann, your tutorial was especially helpful. Thanks all and I will look for more comments if anyone has them.

Since I lost so many of my brugmansia this year, I have decided that I will just cut mine back, mulch, and put 10 gallon plastic pots on the top. I do not want to take a chance of losing anymore. Last year, I put down sheets, then Christmas net lights on top. They still froze, after below freezing weather for 9 hours. I have never lost brugmansia or palm trees before. This was my first time. I got cuttings from Eddie, and had to start over, I am still waiting for my first blooms. Barbra