I suspect you all have covered this several times over, however I am a newcomer to this forum, so.....would you please tell me what type of fertilizers you all are using to get your Brugmansias to bloom
thanks so much
nancy s
fertilizer
Mine question is also same , because we donot have in bottols as available there.
Nancy -- welcome to the Brug Forum! Its a great place to spend time. Lots of information and lots of knowledgeable, helpful people here :)
As for your question, different people use different things, but most people will tell you that a good all purpose fertilizer with micronutrients will work just fine. Brugs are heavy feeders, so you can plan on feeding at least once a week, sometimes less if they are in the ground as opposed to pots. One of the experts will come along and provide more info, I'm sure...
Gumlla -- I would think the same for you -- a good, all purpose fertilizer...
There are many products on the market. For a water soluble fertilizer, you can use anything that doesn't have a really high middle number. Bloom Booster is not good as a weekly fertilizer from what I've read. Personally, I use Peter's 20-20-20 all purpose fertilizer and have used several other kinds with all giving about the same results. I do put Osmocote timed release fertilizer pellets in my potted brugs and a handful in the planting holes in the garden so if I don't get around to fertilizing, I know they are getting a little bit of food. For those in the ground, I use a cheap garden fertilizer and toss it on top of the mulch and either water it in or let the rain take care of it. I'm basically lazy. LOL! For my seedlings, I generally use Dyna-Gro products "Grow" and "Mag-Pro" and they have another product that his silicone in it and for the life of me I can't think of the name of it right now, but I do think it helps, especially with mites and white flies. Hopefully I won't have them this year.
You can search this forum for the discussion on using alfalfa pellets. I tried that about 3 weeks ago and I can honestly say that I have had a noticeable greening up of my plants.
charlotte
Thank you all. That is quite helpful. I have a couple of Brugmansias in the ground, one from a cutting and another that was a rooted (barely) purchase from Stokes. I've gotten to September and realize I've missed those intoxicating blooms that make such giant plants worth the space. They are both 2-3 years old, look healthy, but not flowers. The soil is in good shape and I compost 3=5 inches all around regularly. I just topped one of the two because it was whacking into the soffitt. The other tropicals near by are exploding.
Any blooming suggestions welcome.
best
nancy
Hi Nancy,
Welcome to DG, neighbor! I am in SJ, but there are a couple of people here that live closer to you!
Looks like the others have told you about the fertilizers...Super Thrive has also been recommended by members, for essentials not in most fertilizers. Also many of us are trying a new product called Messenger, which is suppose to raise the plants natural immunities and help them to grow and bloom. If you do a search you can find the forums on both of these products. If you have any trouble finding them, please come back or PM me and I will try and help.
Margie
Brugie
These products are not available in Pakistan , what should I use?
Gumlla, I think any fertilizer that you have there would work for you. Good soil helps a lot too. Don't worry about the Super Thrive. It is a vitamin supplement for flowers and is mainly used to help prevent transplant shock. The Messenger is a new product and we have done without it for years, so you won't miss it. I've been known to use a lawn fertilizer or veggie garden fertilizer on my brugs. I don't think they are that picky as long as they have something to eat. Good composted manure would also help. If you can't find fertilizer at all, I'd go with the manure. You can mix some with the soil and can top dress with it from time to time. Just make sure it is not fresh. A year old would be best. Go easy with it to see how it is going to work and if it doesn't burn your plants, you can add a little more. Hope this helps. Just don't worry about names of fertilizers. Numbers are more important, but even with numbers, like 20-60-20 or something like it, you won't kill your brug. Use what you have.
Brugie
Thank you very much.
I had so much trouble adjusting to a new environment after moving from Tn to TX where the soil and water are more alkaline. I use "azalea and rhododendron" food and gypsum. I add a bit of epsom salts about twice a year. The heat here causes them to need more nitrogen, so once this summer I gave them ammonium sulphate and lots of water.
I've also found that the brugs like citrus food and palm food(both have iron and magnesium added) and the middle number is lower on all the fertilize I use.
I agree that the high middle number isn't something we want to use, but thought if Gumlla didn't have anything else, maybe that is better than nothing. Susie, can you refresh my poor memory on what that high middle number does that we don't want?
Susie, you are you the 'gator' girl, huh?? I live in southeast Arky and, about 6 weeks ago, a six foot gator came into town and was hit by a car. I thought about you at that time, and your safety. The gator was fine, and removed by the Game & Fish people. The car was totaled and the driver broke his arm!! Be careful, ya know!!!
I thought Phosphorus (middle) promotes root gevelopement, and increases blooms.
Phosphorus does promote root growth but Monika brought it to our attention either last year or the year before(and I checked with lots of ag people and they agreed with her) that phosphorus is not mobile in the soil, it just stays there and we keep adding it and it builds up and she can explain it a whole lot better.
Brugie, I don't think your balanced fertilize would be a problem.(didn't mean to sound like I was picking on you). I was thinking more of the bloom booster stuff with middle numbers like 50. That ammonium sulphate stuff was 45-0-0. Monika told me to do exactly like the ranch store lady told me and I did. I used lots and lots of water and didn't burn any of the brugs but it greened them up and also made my bananas grow like crazy! It was a "once a year" thing though, I wouldn't recommend that much nitrogen(especially on moon vines!)
Thanks Susie. I've never had an trouble with the 20-20-20 and I don't use the bloom booster fertilizer more than twice a year. I wonder what nitrogen that our farmers use for their corn crops would do for brugs.........I can get my hands on some of the granular stuff, but the liquid kind would be a little hard to use. LOL! Would that be what you used, maybe? I'll have to check at the co-op and see what they do have.
Great info! Thanks Susie!!!
Brugie, it was a granular type. Just be sure to water it in really good so you don't burn the plant. I got it at a farm store. Here one has to have a special tank and license to get the liquid kind and it's so dangerous I wouldn't attempt it anyway. The granular works for me and as long as you keep it closed up tightly to keep out moisture, it keeps for a long time.