Hi,
What you have written sounds correct. You do have to give the brugs a minimal amount of water while dormant, about a cup a month. You want to keep the roots from shriveling up and dying. If you can put some drainage holes in the bucket that will be fine. Sorr but I don't have any pics of a dormant brug.
Karyn

Hi Sassy,

Your procedures are all outlined very well. Just some small details and some options for you to consider.

1-now and in 10 days - stop any fertilizing for hardening off. Last few days before frost stop water for sure and let leaves fall off outside.

2-you don't have to cut it that low, you can leave as much as 4+ feet on, you'll just need a bigger root ball (15x15"or so)this I just learned yesterday. I plan on using doubled up glad white bags for mine except for a couple I have big enough pots for. I'd probably dig it up and pot it first and let the plant feed back off the leaves as they die off (outside). Your option. You can cut it right down 10-18" and make the whole job easier, just won't be so tall a tree next year. Of coarse the other way gives you branches for more trees AND an established plant complete with root ball...it'll be your space issue and/or personal preferences that'll decide. If you don't want more trees, I'd keep it a tree size.

You can wait until the day or two before severe frost comes, but it's your schedule. The link below is an essential weather radar website I am a member of and it has all the data you will need for weather....you can even watch the storms coming in etc on radar, though they allow free members 6 frames back in time which represents about 1/2 hour before the last current update of the progress of any storm you might be watching. Full membership is $10 but for the price I get up to 40 frames. I do love my storms! Anyway, it'll let you know when a frost night is approaching. My brugs have been outside in mid 38F weather a couple of times and all are fine.
http://www.wunderground.com/US/OH/Cincinnati.html

Also, just for general use, I'd still be keeping my eye on that freaky weather and just have things ready to go should you have to move fast.

These are the estimated first fall frost dates for a few places in Ohio. Anybody can go check there own state out with nearest city.
http://www.naturalgardening.com/shop/frostdatesa-n.php3
Ohio Cincinnati April 15 October 25
Cleveland April 21 November 2
Columbus April 17 September 30

Bummer if your near Columbus,great if you closer to Cleveland or Cincinnati.

Hopefully you can keep your basement temps near 40F for optimum environment for a dormant/sleeping brug. That's one reason you might want to cut it close to the frost date, so you'll know your basement is cozy enough for your brug(s).

Also 1 cup of water every month should do, but depending on it's environment (dry?) you may need to kick it up to every 3 weeks. No fertilizer at all till back in light and warmth.

I'm sure my teachers will correct me if I'm wrong, but I assure you, what I've given you here is as responsible as I know how to be and I've read up and down this forum. But 1- we learn something everyday and 2-humility is a gift of god that lets us comfortably unlearn what a fool believed and properly learn what's worth learning.

You might want to check out the 'bucket of brugs' link as well, it's usually on the first page of the brug forum.
That is, if you did want to consider making more trees and storing the root ball with shorter stalk into the basement.

Glad to be of help, Happy Gardening - Sandy

PS. John if your reading, or Ruthann or anybody with the process of hardening off for the winter, could you pipe in here? I'm not sure quite when she should start minimizing the waterings.

Someone will come in plenty of time...

When I said basement maybe I should of said finished, heated basement. The utility room down there is where I
planned on putting them and it's kept at 66-68 degrees.
Is that going to be a problem? That's the coolest place
in my house.

Thanks for all the info.
Sassu

With those temps..Why cut it down unless you just want to..Okay I didn't read every ounce of info in this.. It is a long and detailed thread..So if I am speaking out in left field somewhere ..Just cock your head and say Whatever...LOL.. But those conditions (temps) are pretty optimal for growing sounds to me like with proper lighting, circulation they will think it is spring...Which means they won't go dormant...
Do I need to go just back outside or something????LOL
Chena

RuthAnn had posted some pics last year I believe, of her Brugs in full growth, and then what the look like for overwintering. Try doing a search for that.
One thing I would add, is spray again in ten days after the first spray. Brugs are bug magnets, white fly and aphids always seem to find them, no matter what! (For me anyways)

I cut most of mine back due to space limitations. I do leave the doubles and variegated ones up to just above the first Y only because they are slower growing each season.
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Most are cut back to 6-10 inches....
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( some left taller but most leaves are removed)
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You can in fact dramatically prune root balls in order to bring the plants in. All mine are grown in the ground... these were cut back to 10" in 2005 and placed in 3 gallon pots for the winter, then planted out in the spring again and achieved this height by September 2006.
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Once again in the fall 2006 they were cut back to about 10", kept at 50F (10C) and dark and barely watered once a month over the winter and planted in the ground again in June.
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I am in Zone 5B-6A and can only grow my Brugs outdoors from the first week in June to the last week in Sept. usually.

Ruth Ann I'm amazed every time I see pics of your giant brugs. In zone 5 no less!
Karyn

Not all get that tall Karyn and this year all are about 3-4 feet shorter on the whole.

Hi Karen, sorry about overlapping some info....was busy writing mine when you posted yours. Always good to see info confirmed (by as many as possible is better yet).

Ruthanne, Is there a difference in the overall eventual size of your plants between those you cut down to 10" then those you leave at 3' or so?

Do you know why all your plants are about 3' shorter this year?

Thanks - Sandy

Ok Ruth ann, did get that it was the prolonged heat of this summer as to why they're shorter. I'm also having issues with budding, although all 4 are from cuttings. 3 from last fall, and 1 from Home Depot. I have 1 yellow that turns an orange with a really exotic beautiful smell and it has a china look to it's trumpet, shiny. That's the HD and it's beginning it's first flush of 15 buds, 1 pink that's 5' that has 5 small buds, 1 yellow with none even though it's 4' high and 1 that's not any higher than 2' though I'm grateful it's still alive as I know it had root rot while still in the house waiting for spring...it's a double orange cutting. I love these things...they've kept me busy in a way I really needed over these last winters and now it's so much more than I thought...next summer is gonna be something to look forward to.

Thanks for all your help over the last couple of years Ruth ann, John and all who took the time out to share.

Sincerely, Sandy

Ruthann, Your pics are amazing!
Thanks for all the info from all who responded.
I may just beable to do this. LOL

Maybe just one more question.....what's the best
thing to spray them with?

"Maybe just one more question.....what's the best
thing to spray them with?"

I do mine in the mid morning about 10 days with insecticidal soap before I bring them in. 5 days later I lift them I cut them back, pot them up and dust the open wound on the stump with garden Sulphur and leave them outdoors to allow the surface soil to dry out ( if there is rain, I cover the pots with plastic). The day I put them into storage the stalks, pots and surface soil gets sprayed once more time with insecticidal soap and the GH gets sprayed top to bottom with ammonia.
I still get aphids on any green leaves in the middle of winter and usually end up treating 2 more times.

Just when I thought I was finished asking dumb questions....

Ruth Ann, what's a GH?

Greenhouse....
Just check my Christmas WISH list...LOL
Chena