OK, sorry, never mind on the overwintering question, I think I found what I need on that, although I'd still appreciate info on keeping them outside (in a pot) in USDA zone 8 if anyone knows. But otherwise it looks like the poorly-lit garage will work. If you have tips, I'd love to hear them, and I still need arguments on why I should keep trying :) but I really don't understand the lack of flowering and could use input on that. I bought this last April or so as a roughly 10" plant and thought I'd have flowers by now. Argh!

In case the information is useful, I've used 20-20-20 fertilizer on it. Full sun. It's supposed to be Jamaica Yellow. Like I said, plant seems very healthy, it just isn't branching and flowering.

Well, Carol Ann, I've been there. I fuss and baby, feed and water, lug in and out of the basement, and no blooms? This is my 3rd year with them. I think it might be the type, some bloom sooner than others... I have a pink beauty, I've seen less than half a dozen blooms in three years. She always buds out about the time I'm bringing her in for winter. Peach versi has bloomed every year, this year has been the best, it had buds before the 4th of July! I bought a Maya this spring, it was in a 6 in pot and was a foot tall. It has a 10 bloom flush right now, with more buds forming, and it is only about 4-5 ft tall and bushy, I had to snap off a couple leaves to see the blooms AND the smell.... awwww- more citrussy than the versi.
IMHO, they are worth the fuss, IF you get blooms. The pink beauty is about 7 ft tall now and has gotten well over 10ft before, has Y'd a couple times and still no sign of buds, she will most likely be offered in trades, I love her growth habit and the few blooms I've experienced, but a lot of lugging and "hugging" for what I get in return. Guess I'm saying "DON'T give up on them, try a different one".

I can't help much b/c I'm still new to Brugs but from what I've heard and in my own experience,when you start seeing those 'jagged' leaves,buds are soon to follow.

Again,I'm new to Brugs,just got my first flush of blooms and I'm definitely addicted now.I go out and visit mine it upwards of 25+ times a day...thankfully we have a home based business so I can do this.

Good Luck with yours.I have no doubt that all your attentiveness will pay off...in a big way!
Please keep us updated and do post pics when it blooms.

Breezy

Thanks for the input and support. Is it really that uncontrollable -- they tend to bloom or they don't? I thought I was missing something I should be doing... given that I can overwinter it in the garage I supposed it would be easy to hang onto it, but I'm not convinced I want to yet. Sure wish I could get a better handle on this. Thanks again for the support and encouragement!

I am very new to brugs, finaly I purchased two this year and they are blooming like crazy. I fertilize them at least twice a week. One of the blooms is about three feet long. I too hope that they will overvinter in the garage

I have a Herranhauser Garten that is giving me the same problem. This is its second year with no flowers. I have 2 other varieties that are blooming their little hearts out, so I believe it is the variety. I am experimenting with sun vs shade and think that some like shade here in the PNW where we get very hot sun for the summer months. I think they bloom better in the fall when the sun isn't so intense. Next year, I am going to plant more into the ground or use much bigger pots and if that doesn't work, the HG will have had its 9th life. btw, I overwinter in a totally unheated, uninsulated garage with very little light. If we get a very cold snap, I wrap them with an old blanket. And last year, when freezing weather came, I took cuttings and stuck them in a bucket of water in a basement room with NO light. And promptly forgot about them. In March/April I found the bucket full of smelly water but the cuttings had all rooted and the roots were 2 feet long. I don't know if I'm going to worry much about keeping the mother plants this winter -- the cuttings harbour fewer pests and seem to be fine. I also have a small greenhouse and put 2 of mine in there and they both lived. I did have a little heat when it was really cold. The bonus was I had flowers in April. They sure are worth the effort when they bloom though.

Hello Carol Ann,

I would think in Z8, the brug would over Winter in the ground there.

In a pot, probably not.

What size pot is it in right now?

If I were you, I would plant it in the ground in a sunny location (hahaha). And then before the first frost, cut it off about 6 inches above the ground, trim off most of the leaves and put in a bucket with 2"-3" of water to root inside your house where it is warm.

Change out the water every 1-2 weeks with fresh water.

When you get roots, plant it in at least an 18" diameter pot if you want to keep it in a pot.

Then bring outside after the last frost. Hopefully, later in the Spring the one in the ground will also come up.

Wildcat

Carol Ann, do you know what kind of brug you have? Dotty's HG is known to take a long time to flower. But if I lived in a warmer zone, I'd have one. I'd try Wildcat's idea, I kept big "trunks" in a bucket with 6-12 in of water and an aquarium airstone to keep them aerated. I never totally change out the water though, just added a little each week to make up for what evaporated. I kept them in a corner of a cool low-lit bedroom. This spring they had a massive root structure.

I'm in Oregon and am having the same problem. My Brugs bloomed like crazy last year and some haven't bloomed at all or very few blooms this year. Don't know why cause I have big plants and fertilize 2 or 3 times a week. Our winter was mild and Spring was lousy and lots of heat this summer. Very disappointed with them this year.

I have one versi pink that has "y"'d and still won't bloom, so maybe you just get a bad brug sometimes.

So Herrenhauser Garten would not be a good choice for zone 5? I am asking because I have a small cutting and I am hoping that I will see some flowers next year.
Thank you.

Valentina

Thanks for all the input. To address some of the questions/ideas raised:

Mine is Jamaica Yellow, sold in many of the nurseries around here. It's in an 18" pot, I've fertilized frequently (20-20-20) and water almost daily. It's a nice green and appears healthy. It's in nearly full sun (late afternoon it gets shade). I was under the impression they liked lots of sun and in fact grow well in southern states, so I didn't think the full sun was a detriment -- is that wrong? Should it be in afternoon shade? I don't want to put it in the ground because we're in the middle of a major landscaping project. AngelOr, you give me some hope that it's the weather and not just my brug...

Well, I'll keep it going for now, and I guess I'll stick it in the garage after it gets cold and see what happens next year. I don't have 100% success with everything I grow but I can usually pinpoint the problem, and in this case I can't. It's been frustrating! :) Thanks again, everyone.

They just seem to bloom when they're good and ready. I don't understand it, either. Four of mine have had Ys all summer, and jagged leaves, and still no blooms on them (these include a Jean Pasko, Charles Grimaldi, Lee Allen, and Frosty Pink, if anybody's wondering, though I probably spelled those names wrong). They're looking very healthy, though, and are growing very well with all the fertilizer I'm giving them, so I'm just hoping that I get some flowers when the weather cools down a bit.

It hasn't been bothering me quite as much lately because my daturas finally started blooming their fool heads off this month, so that makes it easier to be patient with the ATs.