Howdy, y'all :)
In the past few months, DH & I have become enthralled with brugmansias, and have aquired several cuttings which are (fingers crossed) growing nicely indoors. It really won't be very long now, here in NTX, and they will be set up into their summer 'homes'. OK, a few months yet, but it always ALWAYS creeps up on me FAST, and I want to be prepared ! :)
Naturally, our goals for brugs are huge, gorgeous, overwhelming flushes of blooms throughout the warm months (hehe) and most everthing I read about their heavy fertilization needs, say that organics is much too slow a process to produce what the blue-greens will, in that respect.
Has anyone here attempted a completey organic regimen for these beauties, which has been satifactorily proven to provide such good blooming and healthy plants for you, even if it takes longer? We have been organic for years, I'm busily reading up, composting our rabbit manure, making compost teas, etc. but I'm still a little nervous about what an all-organic routine, specifically for brugs, will actually look like.
Any help/guidleines out there for me? I will post this on the brug forum, later, when I have more time.
Thanks, Pambi 8^)
organic brugmansias ?
I received my first brug in March, two years ago. It was a seedling about a foot tall, give or take. It was not long until I put it outside. I found the largest pot I had and threw in a handful of bonemeal and a handful of bloodmeal and watered it with fish emulsion. By July it had it's first bloom and by the time I brought it in for winter it was about six feet tall. Last year I potted my brugs in MG soil and watered sometimes with fish emulsion and several more bloomed but it was really late in the season. I cannot really say if one method was better than the other, but I do try to not blast my yard and gardens with chemicals if I don't have to.
cottonseed meal is cheap available and devoured by brugs.
How about chicken manure tea? I'm going to try that this year.
after my third cup, i couldn't stomach it anymore...
drew
Yeh but, drew...it sures gives you energy, eh? It'll sure set you free! :>)
flowerjunkie, the manure tea will certainly benefit your brugs, but I'd add some local weeds to the brew also for some potassium (while it's all brewing). It'll stink but be worth the bouquet!