One other thing. I just checked on the two in the utility room. They don't look as good as I thought. The wood is softer than I thought. It must have been cooler in the utility room than I thought. I pulled them out of their pots and the roots look good, but the stems are soft, even close down to the trunk. I really don't think its dead though. The outer skin on the stems you could peel off. Is this due to being to cold? Just curious. I just have a feeling they'll be fine, but wanted some opinions.

Hi, Read through leisurely and them go back to what you can do to make it your 'best'. There will be others to do the same thing with, unless they think I've pretty much covered all this brug forum family's known ideas...lol...and a couple ideas not so well known. Still I might of missed something...lol

Find out when the approx. last freeze is for your area.
One month before then, start watering thoroughly about once a week (depending on how warm it is where they are - if it's cold the water won't really go anywhere so either use a water meter or a dry stick to test it out. Only keep in moist or on the dry side if you can't tell. Add light if you have some available. I don't really think it matters that the chlorophyll can't kick in yet, as it didn't with mine last year. You'll get some yellow growth before it can get put outside and these can always be removed if they don't perform well. There are too many exotic brugs and crosses for anybody to speak with certainty on such a matter. It'll be your choice. Also, try to make it warmer around the roots, lets say up on a box instead of the cold basement floor. The idea of all this is to soften up your roots from the overwintered hardened state they've become. OR, you can always just treat them like you are now until after the last frost. They like to eat so try and get compost - that's one factor that will make a big difference. I personally am limited for room for more dirt so Miracle Grow would be used weekly/biweekly.

Now this part is what I'll be doing or at least know that I should do if at all I can. This is what I consider the best I can do for the best outcome.

Before planting in a compost enriched hole or the biggest pot I can get them in - (some dead roots will have to be pruned and new nutrient rich potting soil added if no compost to be mixed in the old) I also add the water polymer crystals specifically for plants - some peatmoss is always in the mix as well as perlite or vermiculite.

The roots of smaller 1 year old brugs will be soaked in SuperThrive for 24hours. This year I have acquired mycorrhizal fungi to be mixed with some diluted molasses and superthrive of which will be applied to the roots - either sprayed or 'painted' on with a brush. If I had to choose between which one to use it would be the mycorrhizal fungi. This is new to most people but worth looking into.
It will also be used on all plants that I can get at their roots with it.

Epsom salt on hand is worth having - see other posts or online associated with plants.

I spray new growth with very dilute Neem oil to keep the aphids away in spring and haven't had an issue with them on brugs.

Hopefully you'll just note down what you can do this year as best as you can from all the tips that will come your way.

If you happen to have a high nitrogen ferilizer, use it the first month and no more and ONLY on brugs that still need to Y. This will accelerate green growth and strengthen the plant but it will also inhibit flowering when used and at least a week or two after, until it's flushed down out of the surrounding soil and no longer in conflict with blooming nutrients/fertilizers. Anyway, not necessary either. I guess I'm going through this as much for myself as you or anybody else who's working on their tactics for our brugs this years.
We all have different expectations from our brugs, some don't have that much to call their own so want the best out of them. Thus my own obsession with the 'best outcome'.

Any other special tips - like maybe orchid bark might have something in there that might be worth looking into.
Sulphur has also been mentioned but I believe epsom salt has sulphur.

Maybe Ruth Anne will share her Mushroom compost secret. Maybe it's as simple as throwing mushrooms in the mix...lol
I've actually been looking into growing mushrooms - seriously...lol I need some spores though - I think the ones at the grocerers are dead...lol

I don't have time to review this...lol...so if I didn't catch something, please feel free to correct me.

-Sandy

PS. I don't know what's causing your soft tips on such big mature plants - I've only had them dry out.

Wow! That sound like a lot of work. Last year i just tossed the one plant in the ground. It did well all summer. It never bloomed but i started late and not sure that one got enough sun. Im new to brugs and wasnt planning on spending tons of money. Say for a newbie like me, what would be the cheapest and not so much material buying alternative. As far as root pruning i woldnt even know what to do. I guess ill have to give up on brugs before i ever really get to enjoy them, but i so did love the blooms. I was hoping to dig a hole, but whatever you folks here recommended to Mix in as far a soil, start watering and fertilizing. Guess it isnt that easy. Thanks for everything though. I saved it all.

Any other simplier alternatives?

Hello Love - The simplest is just to keep things as they are until after last frost. Stick them in the ground and feed them Miracle Grow at least biweekly. Although I didn't even fertilize that much last year and they did fine, I just know they would of done much better had I fed them properly. Also, some brugs are just much easier to grow then others.

That is the easiest way and you'd still probably get an exceptionally pleasing experience for your time and patience.

I would not deprive myself of the brug experience because of a lack of resources. I still did fine with the same attitude you have now in the first couple of years I had them.

I did try to clarify that most of my recommendations are just that, not mandatory prerequisites for growing brugs.
I suppose if you hung around here a few years you'd figure out where I'm coming from.

I also just noticed your zone does not have as long of winters as I do and so the harding of the roots isn't much if any of an issue for you. Mine are in pretty dry pots for 6 months out of the year.

I think most here would tell you to add SuperThrive to your gardens meals of Miracle Grow or whatever fertilizer you choose to use.

My garden is going to be cleared out for more brugs this year - they are just to be had.

- Sandy