I have one question: when you winter your brugmansias in the greenhouse, the main trunk remains intact, so it is always growing upwards - is that correct?
the reason I am asking is this:
I overwintered one brugmansia in the garage, and had left some in the ground. I cut these down to about 1 ft. the one in the garage instead of growing from the main trunk, sent out a new shoot, then another, and eventually the original trunk just withered away. So for these shoots to get big took at least 2 months. and the ones outside too, they look real nice now, but are only 1-1/2 ft maybe 2 ft tall. If I want to achieve a tall look, what should I do? keep them in the house and treat it like a houseplant?
If they go dormant, do they have to start all over again with a new side shoot? or will they grow from the main truck and just keep going up and up???
does this make sense? I want to have a huge tree next year, dont get me wrong, I love the little ones I have...but will they ever get to be big? will they ever grow up to be like their mommies and daddies????
overwintering brugs
pebble, there are lots of ways to do it, Monika and Eclipse have posted about ways, back in feb/march. i am trying to figure if you cut off the extra stalks if the one or two left grow taller faster, i am thinking that they do.
oh yeah, that mmight be true. I know Monika leaves hers in the pot when she plants it outside and in the fall she digs them back up and brings it inside, and eclipse takes his down to his basement. but when they go from being dormant to waking up, do they continue growing from the main trunk? or they have to start all over again....
You on the other hand are lucky dear Arlene....you can leave them in the ground.....do yours die back? or do they just keep growing and growing and growing????
Pebble, if they don't freeze back they keep their trunk and go from there. i think semidormant may be a better word, eclipse i think waters his a little once a week. Yes, mine die back. i have a couple of ideas for trying to keep a bunch of them alive over the winter. we actually have less than 10 days of hard frost, some years just a very few, but they are spread out and you never know, november to february when it'll strike. a trader friend of mine used frost cloth on a 10 foot or so one last winter, had very minimal leaf damage, will try that and whatever else i can think of on some of othem this year.
I move mine to the basement, full of blooms in October/chance of frost. Do not cut anything, just barely water maybe once a month, most of leaves fall off, but main trunk and side shoots stay intact. Start then when I bring them up in spring, large then. Hope this helps.
Basement 50-60 degrees.
Hibiscus,
The best part of the leaves falling off is you don't have to worry about bugs....I battle bugs all winter(here that's from November-Feb.) in my GH. I do remove the leaves on most and just let a few bloom through the winter....it's lots easier that way.
When you put in the basement do they have to have any light??
Hey, do we have someone new here or did I miss out on the Welcome?? Welcome to the brug forum Bluepoppy.
so sorry, I've been lax too. welcome to our group, the closest friends I have, and all around good guys!
welcome bluepoppy, and to answer your question, i don't think so. Eclipse stores his in the basement, can't remember who else, maybe hibiscus?
Welcome, bluepoppy, glad to have you join us.
Small amount of light coming in small basement window, no need for it tho'.
Glory: I have never had bug problems until this year, think I got spidermites in a trade and they sure did a number on my P. Fls. and brugs when the weather got hot and dry, everything under control now, I HOPE! Plant leaves looking good. Blooming now.
Pebble, I left about 5 outside covered with fish compost. They all came back but are only a few feet tall and I'm not sure our growing season is long enough for them to Y and bloom. I over wintered some in the wine cellar, cut them back above the Y and watered them twice in 4 months. They're fine, about 8 feet tall, Y'd again and putting out blooms now. The others I kept in the GH ( heated and HID lights on them) and in the conservatory. They are the farthest ahead. Hope this helps. This year I'm putting lots of them in the wine cellar and letting them go dormant. I'll keep the nicest in the conservatory and the sanguineas in the cool GH so they flower all winter.
Thanks for the nice welcome...I am new to Daves site and been looking for info for my brugs...Had got two several years ago from a seed catalog......Both bloomed the first year...Since then only the pink one blooms....The non-bloomer is yellow.....They are treated the same and I can't get the yellow one to bloom....well this year the pink one is going nuts.....Has really grown in size and had 7 blooms earlier and I see now there is more coming on other branches....Big problem is it won't fit in the corner of the kitchen I usually winter it over in and thought maybe the basement...Don't know how I will get it there..Any ideas how to get the non bloomer going??? Giving it MG and acid MG....one at least everytime I water and this last week added some osmocote to the soil....Thanks for any help...
My first two brugs, I ordered from Park Seed. One was Candida Yellow, other Aurea Pink. Yellow has bloomed profusely, pink very little. They are 3 yrs. old. I fertilize every time I water.
bluepoppy welcome to dave's and the brug forums.
thanks for all your insights you brug expert you!!!!
I will ponder the different methods, and in the end bring them inside.
I just ook a photo of my blooming brug, I'm off to post it...
I overwinter mine in a heated green house(45*F min), water about twice a week, they bloom all winter. I do strip lots of leaves and this year will have to cut a lot of top growth off to get them back inside the green house. They are outside now for a vacation from the high temps in the Jungle House.
cala, I figured you did something in a grand scale....well duh....you have those humongous green houses.......
can I ship you some of mine ~ pots and all and you can overwinter them, but then you have to ship them back to me intact......
Sure Pebble, if you pay postage, lol.
So Arlene, what is a frost cloth?
thanks
This message was edited Thursday, Jul 25th 2:19 AM
We use tobacco row cover here, it's just called Remay. It's spun polyester and lightweight.
I'm already scratching my head wondering what to do this winter with all the Brugs.LOL
well snowhermit ...it isn't to hard to bning them all inside when they are small but since mine are small trees I'm wondering too.......They will drop their leaves and that
is a mess in itself.....
Cala............... do you know where I can find this cover?
Isn't it sad that our thoughts are now going to winter? I have had so much fun this summer!
This message was edited Thursday, Jul 25th 2:23 PM
bluepoppy, you can strip the leaves when you bring them in, and keep all but the newest ones picked.
Mine are just beginning to bloom really great, I bring all in for basement, have a gurney-like to move refrs. and stoves. The smell is devine, coming up into kitchen, think you died and went to Heaven!
well, I'm just wondering where on earth I will put them? I am going to have to clear out my guest bedroom...the only problem is that is upstairs.....egads..........
I think I will keep some in the garage.
what are the itty bitty critters that look like anemic grasshopers? I have seen them on my brugs. and sprayed it with soap, but what are they???