Hi all. I have had a "free" membership on DG since this summer and finally decided to sign up for real yesterday! :) Someone from my gardening club sent me 3 cuttings off of her pink brug (not sure the name of it as she just refers to them by color). She lives in Florida and lost all of hers in the hurricanes- except she was able to save cuttings off the pink one. Anyway, they are about 10 inches long and very thick. I put them in glasses w/ about 3 inches of water and have them on a table by the window. I know they are supposed to form the little "bumps" at which time I transfer them to soil (sterilized I assume?). I am in Dallas TX- zone 8. My main question is when can I plant them in the ground? I don't really want to drag them around in containers. Can I plant them in the spring or will they still be too small? I read that in hot climates they need partial sun and to avoid afternoon sun if possible, so that's where I'm putting them. Is that correct? In the winter, do you cut them down at all? If so, how much? I know not past the "y" but if they really get to be 7 feet tall, that leaves a loooot of plant to cut off. I assume they need to be mulched in the winter too right? Sorry for all the questions!
Also, she sent me datura ballerina seeds, which was a nice surprise! I had priced them online and it was $4.55 for 10 seeds!!!! She sent me about 15 seeds each from white, purple and yellow. Don't these get really big? I don't have THAT kind of room! :) So, if y'all tell me 45 dat seeds may be overkill in a normal sized yard, I want to share the wealth and trade some of them. Also, should I start them indoors or will they be ok to start outside?
I do appreicate any feedback. Thanks, Jamie
First Brug
Jamie....I am new to brugs and datura too since this spring, so I will let others answer your brugs questions. I did grow daturas from seeds in April and have blooms this summer. I started them in rookwool, indoor under lights and then put them outdoors once I planted them in soil.
They are a large plant...only 3 of mine took, out of the 6 or so seeds that I planted...
Here is a photo of the three a week or so ago.
BTW...welcome to DG...I love it here & hope you do too!
Hey Picturelady- very pretty plants! How big are they exactly? I read they get about 3 feet tall. Is that right? How wide do they spread? From what you posted, I guess I will assume about a 50% failure rate and plant double the seeds I think I need! Did yours all sprout but then only 3 lived once you put them in the ground, or do you mean only 3 germinated in the first place? After you started the seeds in April, how long did you wait before putting them in the soil outside? Thanks for the response and the welcome. So far it's a GREAT resource!!!!
Welcome Jamie. We have lots of members from Texas who may see this thread and answer specifically for your climate. Yes, plant them in potting soil as soon as you get the knobbies though some plant directly in soil without waiting. I plant mine in a large red plastic drinking cup because they are nice and deep but not that big that they will rot my cutting. Then stick it on a bright windowsill or i keep mine under a cool white fluorescent and a warm white till they are forming lots of new leaves
You can plant them outside as soon as there is no worry that it will frost. I plant ones as small as six pack size. Be careful of slugs and snails. They can eat them to nothing in one night.
If hot there I would plant them in afternoon shade also.
As far over winter, I have heard they do fine in zone 8 over winter if the winter is not to cold. It all depends. People seem to mulch them well. Most also take cuttings again for the winter as back up.
GOOD LUCK!! I hope you show us all pics of your new babies.
Thanks Kell- if mine make it, I will share pics! I saw pictures of your garden on another thread... just gorgeous!!! :)
Hi texasgardener -- welcome to the brug forum! There are quite a few of us from Texas, in various parts of the state. This is my first year growing brugs, and I have about 80 in the ground. I am taking cuttings of my favorites as back-ups. I plant my cuttings directly in soil, and have the best luck planting them horizontally. But, whatever works, right? I had brugs planted in virtually every garden-light combination known: Full shade, full sun, morning sun with afternoon shade, morning shade with afternoon sun...Believe it or not, those that performed the best for me were the last -- morning shade, afternoon sun. Shocking to me. But we have had a very wet summer, too. Anyway, you will find that there are as many different ways to grow brugs as their are varieties of them LOL. Hope you enjoy it here! Gretchen (from the Hill Country).
Hi Jamie....welcome to Daves Garden.
If you have a need to want more cuttings (and believe me, you will) email me and get directions to where I live..I will load you up..
Kris
Jamie...it looks like I planted the seeds the end of April and transplanted them to soil and put them outdoors the end of May. Mine are only about 2 1/2' tall and about a foot wide, as they are still in containers. I think they would have gotten larger in the ground. I think the germination rate was better than 50% although maybe not 100%. The others I lost while they were still young seedlings.
I see you are getting a good welcome! So nice that you have members that live in your home state too. That is such a big help, having similar climate conditions.
Good luck, Margie
Hi Jamie....welcome to DG, we're all happy you've joined! I hope you have great luck with your brugs and dats......and please remember to share pics too~!
Where do you guys think one could find cuttings of daturas like that?
Edit--Hmm, I just read that it is really difficult to root them from cuttings. Seems that they will have to be started from seed..I doubt I could find one anywhere around here. I am looking for the purple kind, I have seen it before.
This message was edited Oct 7, 2004 8:47 PM
Welcome to Dave's Texasgarden.
WyGardener, you'll probably do better with seeds. There'll be many on Dave's who will have extra seeds of the Daturas as they harvest them. I'll be glad to share when I collect my seed pods. Send me an e-mail.
Thanks Jamie! Glad so many Texans have seen this thread. Good luck!
Wy Gardener...send me your address, too. I would be happy to share mine once I harvest them! Margie
Hi Jamie. Welcome to the brug forum and Daves Garden.
Wow! Thanks for the big welcome! I will let y'all know how it goes. I have every light condtion listed and 3 brug cuttings. I think I will try them in three different locations and report back on how they do. And Kris, if I get these bad boys to grow then I will take you up on your offer for more. One of my best friends lives in Rowlett so I make the long hike out that way every now and then. :) I am about 5 miles south of downtown in the Winnetka Heights Historic Distric. That's quite a drive to Rowlett. Anyway, thanks again for the welcome and the brug advice! Jamie
Hi Jamie and welcome to the Brugforum. You have received some very good advice here. It won't be long and you will have a yard full of brugs.....it is very addicting.
Sounds great..I sent email with my phone number...
Kris
Just an up-date on the seeds from the above datura...this is how they look now, Dec.5th....the pod is split, but seeds are a very llight brown. I put a stocking over the pod to catch seeds, but I don't know if it is too late for them to ripen this year. They are outdoors and we have had some frost for the past week.
I will keep you up on how it is doing & if I can send seeds that I had promised! I thought they would be ripe and ready long before this.
Margie
I would say those are ready to go. Many are light brown in color. They range from that to black, depending on the variety.