Hello friends. Below are 2 pictures of the same Passiflora we got yesterday. There are major differences in leaf colors and I can decide if it's due to being cramped in a truck w/o sufficient lighting that resulted in the pale leaf color or a fertilizer its lacking. Please look and let me know what you think. Its a new P. Coccinea
Thanks, Jeff
And look at this new P. Vitafolia. I can't figure out why they tyed it this way and why the stems are bare to the tops. How do you think I should prune on this 1? Somebody did a poor job with this 1 IMO.
Jeff it might be a little of both,but insuffiect light more likely.
Maybe they trying to make a standard out of it,if I were you,I'd let it grow a little longer and see what a little rose fertilizer and sunlight could do.
Thanks Tropicman. I'm going to do just that except I'm considering putting the taller plant(P. Vitafolia) in the ground for the summer. Do you think it would do better in the ground or in a pot?
Do you grow brugs too? I have 2 very bushy brugs from clare, both were cuttings and are VERY short and fat. Its already budding bigtime on some branches, I think I need to prune off the branches that aren't budding in ordr to make them grow taller. I should of been pruning on it long before now but it's always something that has to be done 1st. I'll take more pictures so you can see what I'm talking about.
Thanks again, jeff
Here's me and the Dr.Suess from last year.
Pink Frosty on both sides of me,but not in bloom at the momment.
HOLYCRAP! What a monster. That must of taken alot of pruning to get the tree shape. How old is the fine Dr,?
Looks like I better learn about pruning these babies ASAP.
Thanks again
About 5 yrs or so now,and over 6 ft trunk.
Man that's a jungle you have there. I have a frosty pink that Clare gave me. I can't wait till they start blooming.
Did you plant those in the ground w/o pots?
I need to get busy on mine quick. I still have atleast 30+ more plants on the deck waiting to be planted...UGHH
Isn't it past your bedtime Mr.? LOL
Yes planted them straight in the ground,I'll have to a pic of my greenhouse its full of empty pots!!!!
Bed time is 11:30,get up time is 3:30,4 hors of sleep use to work now I notice I get tired faster!!!
Tropicman
How big is your greenhouse and how do you heat it in the winter? I'm looking aroung my deck and yard seeing all these new tropicals I'm in love with and will need to protect over winter. I've always had 1 room we use in winter for many plants, I just use a 1000 watt MH to light it and keep everyone healthy.
I guess I need an idea of how much you've spent on your greenhouse and how much time and money is involved in heating and upkeeping it year round. I can't decide if I should just make a hoop house and use plastic or go the whole 9 and get an actual green house.
Time to pot up more plants.
BTW, your cutting you sent me have turned into the most wonderful little plants. They are truly amazing. I wished I knew how i was able to keep your cuts all nice and tight while Clare's cuts are so tall and lanky w/ 1 main stem at 3 times the hieght of yours. I know it has something to do w/ how I grew them, I just have no clue what it could be. I'll take more pictures and hopefully you see what I mean.
Thanks again, Jeff
This message was edited May 13, 2004 12:28 PM
Hi Jeff, actually the height and growth pattern of Brugmansias has more to do with the type and age of a plant and where the original cutting was taken from, more than anything you might do. B. Charles Grimaldi can grow several feet at year -- up to six feet a year. B. Frosty Pink can also grow large. Your plants will grow larger over time, and new growth will come up from the base. Once the new growth is large enough, you can cut them off or pull them up, if you like, to start new plants. These new plants will have a different shape of their own. They may grow taller and "Y" higher up on the plant. Since your cuttings are fairly new, I would let them grow into any shape they wish for now. Pruning will only set them back and rob you of future flowers. When it is time for them to come in for the winter, then you will have to prune them back for overwintering. The tree below was a three-foot-long cutting two years ago.
Hey Jeff,
Why not down size your pond to 1000 gallons and build a hoophouse for about 300 dollars.
I heat mine with a electric baseboard heater,with a natural gas heater as a back up heat source.I built mine with 2x4 with 6 mil plastic and then built over that with 3 inch pvc pipe covered with 6mil uv plastic,that way I have a 4 inch dead air space,it runs about 50 bucks a month to heat it at 55* continuously.Mime is 10x12x6ft.
I was reading on the greenhouse forum where there building them now out of cattle guard panel 5ft wide by 16 ft long,at several together to get your length,make great looking hoop house of them,those panles run about 20 bucks a piece.
Glad to hear the cuttings are doing great for you.
Heres just some of the pots that had plants that were winter over,and now planted in the ground.
Good to see what you look like Tropicman. I like to place a face with the forum.
Hmmm
Well I pruned Grimaldi before reading this post darnit. He had a few shoot coming up from the base but the majority of the new growth is the top branches branching out and up. I know what you mean w/ the cuttings Clare, the Suaveolens sprouted from the base like you describe but not frosty pink or grimaldi. They just keep branching out from all over the canopy. They both are a good 2 foot tall now and getting bigger by the day. Would you still leave all the bottom shoots alone if the plant is already big a bushy at the top? I guess I'll leave the pink alone and keep playing with Grimaldi since I put him in a huge pot for the patio. He's a monster and had so many new branches at the top, its was overcrowding itself bigtime. Some of the new top growth was bending and interfearing with the buds, so I thought I needed to trim. Grimaldi is a strong plant, he didn't flinch when repotted, not even a single leaf out of place. I'm going to take some pictures today Clare because I think you might then agree with my decision to prune this plant. I maybe just trying to convince myself i didn't make a mistake!LOL
I'll never use so called "Quick start" from Miracle grow or any other fert, that is intended to aid with transplant shock. The Superthrive and maxicrop combo makes the plants thrive so much better than all of the others I've tried. This mix just can not be beaten IMO, it's the true miracle grow IMO.
Tropicman, you've sold me on your greenhouse ideas. Especially since I have all the climate comtrollers to power heat and fans on and off according to temp, humidity or cold etc.. Now I need to figure out how you ran your gas heater and why isn't that heater the main heater. Gas is much cheaper isn't it? I can't wait to come by and see your set up, I've decided we would benefit from a greenhouse much more. We may still do a smaller pond, I'm just too overwhelmed to take on any new projects until the end of June. I have a week long trip the last week of this month and then I'll rest a week or so and then we're off to Florida for 2 weeks on June 12th.
I still have a deck full of plants to put out in the yard. I also am in the middle of rebuilding my minisprinkler and dripper systemso I can automate all watering. Otherwise if you try to water our gardens by hand like last year, it took well over 2 hours. Come August it needs watered 2 times a day.
You should see how cool and easy these mini sprinler kits are to make and customize. I began using it indoors as hydroponics delivery system then I saw all the possibilities. I bury a few hundred feet of 1/2" main flexible tubing and the tap into that line w/ risers for sprinklers or 1/4' tubing to run into plants that are too far from the 1/2" line. Go to Lowe's and check it out, I don't know what we would do with out it.
Well back to the yard for now. Talk with ya'll later and thank you guys for all your help. You 2 and rylaff have been more than generous. I'm honored to call you my friends;)
Jeff
Jeff, I'm sure your Charles Grimaldi will be just fine. If branches were crossing and competing with one another, then it was good for you to trim it. You can use the trimmings to create new plants if you wish. The "sports" that come up from the roots or from the base beneath the soil can be severed to create new plants, or they can add to the width of your shrub. It is up to you to decide how to prune it. Brugs are very forgiving whatever you decide to do.
Here is one of mine that I am pruning more and more these days. In my zone, I can leave them in the ground all year, so I don't have to prune them in the fall to bring them in. I do usually prune when it starts to branch out too far. By the way, your cutting came from this tree.
OMG Thats unreal! I've never seen anything quite like it, mine is almost the same shape but its 5 times smaller!LOLThe buds are swelling so much daily, I keep waiting for them to explode.If they have to wait until they're as big as your flowers, they still have awhile to go.
I sure went nuts with Passiflora's this spring. I've been trying to pot up a few trophies and the decisions are unreal, I don't think I ever really realized how many I've gotten until now!LOLIt's going to be beautiful in a month or two.
Thanks you guys;)
Jeff
Thanks Monterey,I try not to scare too many people!!!
I too like to see a face along with the posting,has more of a meaning as your talking to them inperson.
Jeff My greenhouse is so tight,it really holds the heat in and the cold out,my gas heater is vent free,even tho there is no smell or anything electric heat is so clean,and I don;'t have to worry about the pilot going out.
OH MAN!!!! I'm in trouble. I just checked the weather to see a flood warning for the next 2 days and HEAVY rainfall and thunderstorms bigtime. I pray all the little ones out there grew some strong roots, they're going to need it. What a drag, we were onna roll and planted so many plants over the last few days. This could be a nightmare.Tropicman, I hope this stays North of you. Oh lucky you. I see your getting tornado warnings now that I looked again. Batten down the hatches, it's spring in Kansas!LOL
JD
Jeff,I'm surrounded here with tornadoes!!!
Wow! What fantastic looking plants everyone has. This is impressive.
Thanks, tlschaefer!
Jeff, you will be surprised how fast your Charles Grimaldi will grow. It could shoot up several feet this summer alone. It will bloom quite a bit too no matter what size the overall plant is. Just remember to feed it as often as you can because they are heavy feeders.
I hope the rain doesn't harm any of yours or Don's plants!
PHEW! What a night.
Tropicman, from what I've seen on the news, it looks like the tornadoe's may have missed your area barely. I pray they did, I heard they confirmed over 20 of them last night and they were just West of you I hope.
Tropicamn. will you please go to this link at ebay and give me your input on this greenhouse kit? It looks like the easiest way for me to get 1 set up and wheelchair friendly(I hope!).
Its a 16x24foot hoop house w/ no ends on it. I would frame in the ends w/ a door and 2x4 framing. The main reason I like this 1 is it comes with steel truss like hoops I believe.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4300604714&category=3186&sspagename=STRK%3AMEBWA%3AIT&rd=1
I think this is a good plan. Please let me know what you think. What is the difference between a "cold frame" and a greenhouse?
This 1 doesn't look like I could make a double walled cieling though and I think that is a must if you plan on heating it over winter don't you think? Man why can't I ever make a purchase decision for myself? LOL I can spend money on anyone easily except myself.
HELP! LOL
Thanks, Jeff
Hey Jeff
I think you need the dead air space for better insulating,and will easier on your pocketbook to heat.
Here's what I did,I built a 2x4 construction gable frame,and stapled plastic on both sides of the 2x4's,creating a 4 inch dead air space,then took 3 inch pvc pipe built that over the 2x4 frame,and covered that with 6mil uv protected greenhouse plastic,the flooring is that black rubber liner that they use on flat roofs,I've gone thru 3 winters with it and it works beautiful,the cost if I can remember correctly the plastic was $128.00,pvc pipe was around $90.00.rubber flooring 45 mil $35.00,treated lumber was around $80.00,I'm sure you can't buy that at todays prices,but should be fairly close,but if I was to do it all again today,I'd build a 2x6 floor base frame get 20ft pvc 3/4 inch,take the u clamps they use for electrical conduit bend a tunnel out of the pipe fasten it to the 2x6's on the inside of frame,throw plastic over it,get the cattle guards 5x 20 ft bend it over the pvc frame throw uv platstic over it and bulid the 2x4 ends panels with door one end and window vent in the other end.I have one of those cattle guards with a golden hops vine growing on it and there are stout and can take a snow load I'm sure.
