All of my brugs are in the ground and come back every year. But just to be safe, the night before the first frost, I take cuttings (from trucks no smaller than 1 inch) and stick them in a bucket in my greenhouse where the temperature is set at dont freeze, about 38 degrees. Being in the greenhouse which warms up in the day, I can usually pot them up in a week or so.

X

I kept some stalks in a bucket of water with an aquarium pump pumping air into the water all winter, I'd add a little water once a week, but never changed the water out. This spring I had huge roots ready to plant. I just hacked them off at ground level (in the dark last fall, furiously trying to beat the first freeze). You can also make cuttings to share at this time, too. I also keep some alive w/window light and very sparse watering in the basement and make some go dormant in the basement(sparse water usually at Christmas and Valentine's day depending on how early I bring them in, maybe Thanksgiving, too). I kept peach versi alive last winter and this is the first year I've had blooms before August. So for the poll, I try it every way I know of, till I find what works the best for me.

Hello Tammy,

I cut back my plants to about 5 feet, did them up, and plant them in large pots for the Winter. They go into a greenhouse, but in years past, they when by well lit windows.

To get big plants in my climate, I believe you have to have a good root system for Spring. My big plants are currently 8-9 feet tall and very thick.

Wildcat

Great thread I only have a few but last year I trimmed them a little and brought them in...

I do both. I live in Zone 7, and about 95% of mine do come back from the rootball. But I take in TONS of cuttings to trade, and whatever I don't trade off I plant out the next spring.

No wonder the brugs have taken over my yard!

Read thru the 'Bucket of Brugs' thread for a great overwintering saga. Excellent!
Good luck,
LU

I dig up all 50+, root prune extensively and shove them into 2 gallon pots, cut back to 6" from the soil line. Only the doubles do I leave up and cut back to just above the first Y on those because here they dont grow as quickly as the others do once set out in the spring.
This year I am toying with taking only cuttings from about 1/2 of them (and disgarding those rootballs) and using the Bucket of Brugs method mentioned in earlier threads.... I really, really have a space issue this fall.