I tried keeping them in my basement one year and had no success I just make room in the house for them now. Today it is snowing and we are expecting over a foot of snow and my double purple had 3 blooms open today. Good Luck

A coupleof options I can think of:
1. If you have a cooler section of dark basement you could do what I do which is unpot the rootball and cut it down to fit a smaller (I use 3 gal nursery pots)pot which is easier to handle (hint - drill a couple of small holes at the top and rob a handle from a 5 gallon bucket or even heavy twine will work as a handle).
2. Cut the top off (still an option in the above) and root it over the winter in a bucket of water...search for the bucket o brugs string on this forum.
I don't think it would be a good idea to try to carry it over bare root but others here can speak better to that.
Good luck,
Will

luv_gardening___ont,

As a fellow zone 5 gardener from Ontario, I may be able to offer some assistance to you.

You ask, "I want to know if I can take it from the giant pot that it is in and shake and cut some of the dirt of the roots and over winter it with the bare roots?"

I would say Yes and No. You definitely have to bring it in for the winter and store it in some place which is frost free. I have some variegated ones which I store in my house. The tougher and more common ones, I take and put into my cold cellar. Yes, you can remove it from the large pot which is too heavy to move downstairs. No, I would not leave it bare root. What I do is transplant into smaller 2-5 gallon pots which are easier to handle. I trim the plant back to ABOVE the "Y", and take it to my cold cellar. I water it well, and then only when it starts to show signs of getting dry do I give it about a cup of water every 3 to 4 weeks.

You also asked, "Also any suggestions on how far I should cut the stems back would be great too."

If the plant is too huge, ( and I have had some ), I cut the large straight stem to a size which I can handle, and root it in some water, and then soil for the winter. These CANNOT be put into cold storage, but I keep these inside near a window. They can be pruned however, to above a "Y", if not several "Y"'s. Once they are a few years old, one can really cut them back and they bounce right back for us. However, if you want blooms earlier in the season, you have to retain the "Y".

If you need some cuttings in the spring to add to your collection, you can email me directly. I do believe I will have some extras.

John

luv_gardening___ont, I'll admit to popping out of the pot and tossing several into double garbage bagged, while they were bare rooted. I don't recommend it but it can be done, just keep the roots from freezing, these were tossed in the closet in the house. Now I'll hang my head in shame, as they didn't die and were slow to flower that next year. Just don't over water them in this state.

Hi luv_gardening_ont,

I'm curious as to what type of soil you are using with your brug. If you use regular garden soil or topsoil then the plant and pot will be incredibly heavy. Are you using soilless mix. The brand isn't important. It's just that if you let the plant dry out, then it is much lighter and easier to carry. As John told you, you'll need to cut it back. I'm a terrible pruner. I've resisted cutting mine back too much. I'll tell you that not only does it make it easier to haul then in. But they seem to perform better the following season.

Unfortunately, I don't have a cold spot in my basement. The walls are finished but the floor is cement. The temp probably runs around 65 - 72F Guessing. They do want to grow if I give too much water. But they always make it over the winter.

I also have to severely root prune my brugs.

Good luck,
Green Thumb guy

Where in Zone 5 in Canada are you?

I am in Burlington On Zone 5b

I took these...

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and cut them down to this....

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and store them over the winter in a heated, darkened shed at 10 C (maximum). In March I take the insulation off the roof/ceiling and let them start growing again and plant them right into my garden in June and they will be the height of the the first image again by September once again.

Ruth Ann, your Brugs are marvelous.I have aquired several cuttings which are just beginning to "nub".You seem to be quite an expert on Brugs so can you please tell me how soon after the "nubs" begin to turn into actual roots do I pot them up in soil?
I am planning to keep these plants in pots on my patio and deck, during the warm season, will this help to keep the plant size under better control?
Thank you for letting me pick your brain.

Thistle, I plant them in soil as soon as I see the nubs.
I have to admit, cuttings are not my best things for success but puting them into a loose potting soil seems to work best for me.
I had to 'top' 4 last fall that were 10-12 feet tall so I could fit them into their storage shed for the winter. I cut them down to 1/2 their height and set the tops in water for about a week until they started their nubs, then planted them deeply in Pro Mix soil and watered them sparingly throughout the winter and they all survived.
This is the stage they were at when planted them in soil...and then the tops a month later.

{{gwi:564992}}

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Thank you Ruth Ann, that's exactly what I needed to know. I think I will go ahead and pot them up now.

Sorry I took so long to get back. Computer was off for a couple of days, then Halloween. Thanks so much everyone for the great advice. I have cut the plant back and cut the roots.(fingers crossed) I will put it in a smaller pot and put it in a dark spot in the basement. Now can I water this enough if I put water in the planters saucer once in a while, or should I keep water in the saucer all winter?
John thank you for the great info. and the offer for the spring cutting. I will take you up on that. Maybe you would like the one I have, but I am guessing that you probably have it.
Ruth Ann I am in the Oshawa area. I must say your plants are amazing. If my cuttings root I may try some of them right in the ground next year.
Thanks again everyone. I am sure I will be pestering again soon. LOL
Here was my baby this summer. LOL
://photo{{gwi:564994}}
and here is what it looks like now. :O(
{{gwi:564995}}

It looks good to me. They need the rest period, in order to provide you with those lovely blooms next year.

I live in Colorado Zone 5 and have 10 lovely Burgs, of which I would like to over-winter in my basement, not the house. I tried the house last year for 4 of them, and they were pitiful all winter.

My question to any of you, is, at what tempeture do you start repoting and cutting back your brugs so you can put them in your basement?

Thanks to any who answer,
Linda Brown

If any of you are interested I have a blog, you may enjoy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Life on a Colorado Farm

I'm in 7a and usually start cutting back and storing the brugs mid Oct. Last year the weather was very warm late into the season so they were out longer. Even if we get a light frost that's not a problem because all it does it damage blooms and foliage. The stems are fine and it even makes it a bit easier to cut them back. I always feel bed cutting off blooms and buds but to me the scent is too strong to allow the flowers to open inside.
Karyn

Thank you for answering so fast! I have just looked at the weather for our area and see we are headed to the 34 degrees zone by Thursday of next week. I am thinking I will start collecting pots to put them in and jars for the cuttings. If any of my cutting root would you like some? I don't have thier names in my head at the moment but I could record them and let you know if you are interested.

Hello folks,
I have a brugmansia, no idea type, cuttings given me 2 years ago. They were little spindly things but grew nicely last year no blooms. I took cuttings last late fall and they rooted in my garage. The in ground roots died back of course. And this spring I put the cuttings in the ground.
They flourished, 5 feet tall and full, bushy. Also the I thought dead plant came up and grew almost as big as the cuttings.
None have blooms. My question is should I did them up root and all or just take cuttings again? Problem is ground is very rocky really rocky and clay without topsoil here in the Ozarks and digging is a pain.
Thanks,
KK

KK did you feed them frequently during the growing season? They are very heavy feeders. I use a bloom booster weekly during the warm months. This year wasn't great for blooms. For some reason it seems that many of us had far fewer flowers than usual and they were late to come on. My plants are just now putting out decent sized flushes and it's almost time to cut them back.
Karyn