I was just looking at Monika's alley trees. (longingly) The trunks obviously have been scrupulously trained to be straight and true. Mine are not. I guess I have to start from the beginning to get this effect? Is there anything that can be done to correct this?
Alley trees
Liz why not go to the source and ask Monika.
Liz... I think some brugs just grow straight and I think that you can prune them when they branch to keep them straight but I belive they will not bloom until you let them branch I think I have read this some were maybe on V.H. web site on brugmansia's but I wouldn't stake my life on it
Pete
Liz, I used the special growth habit of Brugmansias. You can use only cuttings of the vegetative zone, best are the ones out of the root region. Take four of them and pick the one who suits your imagination of an tree best. The trunks of my trees range from 1.00m - 1.20m (measured from the ground,exclusive the rootball to the begin of the generative zone. Each branch above the Y have to let at least 8 -10 eyes. Another way is to root long stems through air layering.
Here is a thought too, I took tip cuttings last year and had a few left over. I left them in the plug trays and they grew into the ground and also straight up. Some got about 5 feet tall before they branched. The only problem was getting them out of the trays, the roots were bigger than the plug. The holes in the plug trays were about an inch across and an inch apart, so these had no choice but to grow straingt up.
I guess a lot of my plants came from the flowering region cuttings. That would explain their waywardness. The ones I grew from seed are straight. I see what you mean about the base shoots being straight - will use those. I guess I was so dazzled by the blooms I forgot to think about the overall shape.
Next question - the ones you have a shrubs instead of trees. Is it just because that's their nature?
The shrubs between the trees were made from cuttings out of the generative zone. They are pruned for overwintering down to about 1.20m without rootball. Cuttings out of the generative zone keep this trait as long as they live. They will make only short sprouts before start flowering.
When you take another close look at the Charleston or Luminosa tree, you see above the Y strong branches of the generative zone. The Tree has nothing more but a long vegetative zone = the stem of the Tree. I will place pictures of Pink Delight shrub when pruned and the same shrub in full bloom and a Pink Delight - Tree, where you can see the long stem of the vegetative zone. The Y is seen very well on the Pink Delight tree I already posted.
If you grow them from seed or cuttings you can also train them from that stage as I am doing with mine. If any sprouts come off the main stem where leaves have dropped I will prune them off when they are much larger. I currently use two sticks on either side of the main stem to keep them straight and turn the plants regularly to make sure they continue to grow straight according to the light source.
I seem to prefer to prune shrubs or bushes into standards so I can use them to create a canopy with an understorey beneath for plants that need filtered light.
Joydie
So if I'm understanding you correctly - cuttings taken from the generative zone will grow straight but will have to reach a certain size - like 5feet before they will bloom on their laterals. A cutting taken from the flowering vegetative zone will bloom faster on a much shorter plant and will keep a shrubby shape.
Thats right.
Joydie - a lot of my brugs came from hardwood cuttings - seems like no amount of turning seems to straighten them. Pretty set in their ways.
and there's no way to know which ones we got in trade came from which part. I do notice that the horizonal cuttings are growing straight, but still don't know which part of the momma they came from. I'm going to plant mine as I planned, and then start cuttings for my 'trees'. Then as the summer goes, I can take notes of which ones will be best for next years alley. Even if I get some in this years alley that are more bush, it will still be gorgeous:)
But with all the great seedlings I have going now, I may just use all those next year for the alley. Got some from snow that I'm really excited about, plus all brugmans!!
I wonder how far apart you need to space trees. I was thinking I might try the "Alley" look down the center path of my old veggie bed. The path is about 4 feet wide and only 20 feet long. How many trees could I plants there if I staggared them from side to side down the path?
I wrote down Monika's answer to this - 2.5 meters ( a meter is approx. 39inches).
Oh my, I am getting inspired!! I think my neighbor would love a divider of brugs down our property line!! I only have seven different ones but hopefully there will be more by summer.
I really don't have anyplace to make a brug alley. Darn, I would love to have that look someplace on our property. However, brugs look great no matter where they are placed. I'm having fun right now because I don't know if I'll be able to post from one minute to the next. So far so good. Keep your fingers and toes crossed that the problem is finally fixed.
S.
I think I'll make a long "fence" out of the brugs. I also need to find somewhere to plant all these seedlings. Karen, you should see these seedlings I started from your seeds. I sent one to Snowhermit today, hope that's okay.
Of course its OK,I'm just bummed that chances are they will all be white,I'm STILL waiting for the pod on my Versicolor Peach X S. Pink.its been since August!I have hopes those babies may have color....maybe....please,oh please......I asked my Dh if he would make his Dahlia garden bigger,so I can line it in brugs,what a guy ,he said just show him how big.....