I was sent a few cuttings of some brugs in a secret trade last year and after my seeing it bloom, I am hooked! I have seen most all of the pics on this fourm and you all grow such wonderful beauties! My question is........Mine hardly ever bloom and when they do, I only get one or 2 blooms at a time. What am I doing wrong? How do you get them to bloom more often?
Any other pointers?
Toadlily
New to Brugs
I'm no expert, but what I learned this year (from DG members) was FERTILIZE. May make a difference how big your plant is too. The first time my really huge one bloomed this year, it only had a very few blooms, the second time, it was loaded, it is now setting buds for the third round (very tiny so don't know if it will be a lot or a little).
The medium sized brug did the same way. I have others that haven't bloomed (they have not y'd yet. If you missed that discussion, search back on this forum, they have to y to bloom). The others that know more will probably be here later. They can really tell you what to do.
Yes, I would like to know this too. My Jamken yellow has double the blooms of the Ecuador Pink.
"eyes"
I don't know how old your Ecuador Pink brug is Eyes, but the first year for mine, it didn't bloom well. This year it was loaded. Then I dug it up and it has lost every single bud. Almost lost the plant. Maybe some time will help.
Up until it got so darned hot here, I would fertilize every three days with Peters 20-20-20. Once every two weeks I would double strengh the solution. After the heat arrived I have been very lax, although I do supplement with Osmocote, a timed release fertilizer, so they aren't starving. I probably only get them fertilized once a week now. Those planted in the ground don't get that much. They can get nutrients from the garden soil where the ones in pots eat everything up really quick so they need to be fed. Don't know if this helps or not, but it is what I do.
Thanks Brugie, mine are new this year. Just got them in March, but they are both about 5 ft. tall now, so was just wondering if it was because they were so young.
"eyes"
I also use the Osmocote and when I think about it, I use the stuff you mix with water. I thought that wouwld be enough, but I see that I need to fertilize even more than that. Thanks for all the good advise Gingerlily and Brugie! Is there a speciall kind of fertilizer that works best? Or is what I am using ok and I just need to do it more often?
Peter's or Miracle Grow work fine along with the Osmocote.
That's what I do. Miracle Grow and Osmocote. I think other folks fertilize much more than I do, but I had two beautiful ones blooming this year.
I have found that growing brugs in morning sunlight .... no hot afternoon and evening sunshine .... allows the brugs to do better. They seem to grow a lot better for me when the temp. is not much above 89 degrees.
I use Miracle Grow about every time I water them.
Pet them, praise them and show you care:)
Owen
I have had them in full afternoon sun where it gets over 100 degrees during the day, they haven't looked burned, but maybe they will do better if I move them. When they bloomed, it was in the greenhouse in March where they were protected from our hot Texas sun, so I can see how maybe the afternoon sun is not good for them if I want blooms.
I can't wait to see if they do better with these changes I am making!
Thanks everybody.
I am using 10-65-10 with iron and vitamin B1. I use a gallon of this double strength 3-4 times a week. Since I found this fertilizer mine have taken off.