Hi Barry!!! How have you been? That's a shame your beautiful brug has SB! :(

Theresa

OMG!!! I want that brugs, its absolutely beautiful!

Barry!!!! How coincidental that I just mentioned you today. lol How are you? That's a beautiful brug. Too bad about the SB.

Barry wish it would have been with better news about your gorgeous brug to say hi to you once more.

I still wish I would have seen THE thread from you that karyn mentioned today again. roflmao.

The bad part about SB is that the plant dies a slow slow death at times. It can take years. Another sign to look out for with your brugs. If the looks, growth etc gets worse year after year. It could be carrying the SB virus.

It really is a shame about this beauty. Barry your other plants look huge also.

Lucy

That is really pretty!
Susan

Hey there Barry, I see you're back to. You can tell THE season is upon us when we're all back on the forum, taking refuge in the comfort of knowing the other brug lovers have to butcher their own trees to. Of coarse we get to see all the beautiful pictures of others' brugs we can never have and show off a little(?) of our own. The more the better, let the trumpets sound.

If you don't mind my asking...which brugs did you decide to keep? You had one huge collection going last year.
Ruth_Ann cut her own collection down to 10 different kinds, although not for the same reasons.

Did you check out my slideshow? I'll bump it up for you.
-Sandy

Thank you all for asking about me

! I am on the verge of a big flowering from my 8 footer Xena. It has been marvelous this year, but about to explode, Same with pink favorite.

Well I kept:
Snowbank
Xena
Desire
Meadow Princes
Tiara
Pink Favorite
and the Noid

Ria was generous enough to winter two of them.

Did odd jobs all year, Finally got a job for a painter but that won't last because of the winter. I am keeping my chin up.

Tonight is supposed to be a freeze, As I write this the sprinkler is going over the brugs to try and save them. If I get past this one there should be some time for allot of skirts to fall and open :)

Barry that really is an impressive plant and I'm surprised that the container doesn't seem very big for that size plant. What kind of care do you give them, soil, fertliizers, etc? What kinds of vines did you grow this year?

Well, you did keep quite a collection! I'm glad to hear it.
And they are doing so well, I hope you get through this night ok. Where are you anyway? I know you have a similiar zone and you're in the central states but that's all I can remember. I'm watching that cold front move but I don't know how far down you are.

And Karen has a really good question. Do you remember what and what proportions you used for the soil and nutrients in the rubbermaid tub? Your plants have always been up there with the most impressive. I can only allow so many branches to grow on mine for the space they have in their 5glln 'pots' but I don't think I'd of kept as many branches as you did even for the bigger tub. Nice to see it works great.

-Sandy

Here is a link that might be useful: Here's a link for watching the weather on radar as it happens.

Hi Barry!
Nice to see you.
That is a beautiful Brug, Im sorry it has SB.
You always do such a good job with all your plants.

Karen

Wow, it's so good to see you post Barry! We all miss you here, so please stay. You contributed a lot of great info before and we need your expertise. Your brug is amazing although I am sorry it has SB. Did the other plants make it that you planted at a friends house? Praying for a fantastic job for you!

ugh, you too, barry? did you get my email? :\

it's this horrible weather we had all season, I'm willing to bet.

Gorgeous plant!!! What a shame it's a swan song. What part of the country do you live in?
Diane

Man, that's a beauty! Too bad about the SB.

Karen; et.al., well actually its tender loving care that makes them thrive :)
Those Home Depot containers were the only ones I could afford at 3.50 on sale at the time. Actually they are quite roomy ~>22x18 width 14.

My soil is whatever I could get my hands on cheep, mostly a mix of compost, some broken bag (cheep from home depot)of whatever kind of potting soil, humus, soil, etc. I could find, mixed with some of last years soil, and SAND(Have lots of that of that, not my first choice for drainage, (but free :). On the bottom is about an inch of (broken bag priced)pea stone gravel, and of course I cut drainage holes.
Feeding was simply Miracle grow,10-10-10 when I finally had some spare money, and the bloom booster after they are off to a good start. I use 1.4 strength with each watering.

Only vines were Japanese morning glories that grew well a month late on schedule because of the cold June and July, Poor flowering.Also grew hyacinth bean - same story, late to bloom.

Eloise, nope, friend moved away and I didn't need the plants.

Sandy, Diane I am in central Connecticut, zone 6

Ria,
I am getting your e-mails are you getting mine?

Did someone ask about the frost? LOL On Monday and tuesday we had light frost and then a freeze warning last night, which of course didn't happen!

I will be doing some more posts, I will put up some pictures of my other brugs, a couple odd questions and who knows what.

Oh... My Mother's brug is better than my sick yellow, It is just about in full bloom) Beautiful form it has and Big!. It is 2 years old off my original Noid yellow-orange. not sick so no big deal I can still have that yellow.)

Great to see you Barry! Sorry about your plant. How long have you had it? Looks like you had a good Brug year anyway.

Linda

Good to see you Barry. Sorry you have SB. Its a beautiful brug.

Do you sake your plants to keep them from falling over in winds/breezes with that small a root base compared to the tops?

I'll bet that's a solid block of roots in that tub Ruth_Ann.
-Sandy

Very astute question ruth_ann..... All have fallen over many times except the yellow, because it lost most of its leave from the virus. I barricade the rest with blocks and stone weights, all to no avail. Next year goes a stake or two right through the pot into the ground!

Any other suggestions?

Well, I'm glad Ruth_Ann pointed that out, that's for clarifying Barry. Did you see that pot in a pot method. Just stick one of those things right in the ground, throw a level of rocks in to keep the tubs from getting to tight to pull apart (suckion) and sink the other inside. You can always put your rocks or short fence of some kind around to hide the showing edges.

I would of thought that tub filled with roots, soil and water would of been enough to keep it upright...WRONG!

-Sandy

Beautiful pic Barry!! Would love to see the Snowbank...LMAO!!! j/k
Nice to see ya here been a while...

Kylie

Hi Barry, Great to see you again! That is amazing to me that a plant loaded with blooms and looking so good could have SB. I guess if you didn't throw it away it would diminish gradually? When did you first notice the SB? Sorry for all the questions this is just so hard to comprehend. Hope more jobs are coming your way so you can keep some jingle in your pocket.
Take care,
Joyce

Wow! I got excited when my baby got 3 whole blooms!
I can only hope that one day my brugs will grow up to look like that.
You have a secret ingrediant don't you? LOL!

great idea Sandy, Thanks

luvmy3afhounds, I know it is amazing, almost hate to thr0w it ou but it is a hazard now, to the other plants. All the stems show signs starting some time in the summer, when I noticed unhealthy growth. Believe it or not, allot of the branches and leaves died off from the disease prior to this pict.

What is SB ?Great Blooms ,Patricia