How to go on with this Brugmansia

Dear all,

I am Dutchman, having a first try at growing a Brugmansia. Two year's ago I bought a plant and had it in a pot in the garden in half shade, where it flowered nicely (yellow flowers with a reddish border). In winter I took it inside at a temperature of 10 - 20 "C, where I kept it dry and it lost all leaf. This spring I brought it outside again, this time fully in the sun. It made a lot of leaves, but did not flower. (maybe because this summer in Holland was rather cold and wet). End of October I have taken it inside again, where temperature presently is 15 - 20 "C. Until now I have kept it watered and it is keeping it leaves (see picture) The plant is stannding before a window, but of course has less light than outside. There are small flower buds, but they seem to dry out.
My questions:
# Is it feasible to have the plant flowering this season when it is kept inside. If so, what should I do to get flowers now ?
# If flowering now is not feasible, is it advisable to go on watering and keep on the leaves until next spring or should I let the plant dry out and loose it leaves ?
# What should I do to get flowers next year when the plant is outside again.
# Do Brugmansia's require large pots?

Thanks in advance

Louis Harmsen

Hi Louis and welcome to Brugmansia & Friends!! I am a newbie, from Arkansas, and this will be my first winter with inside brugs too. I'm sure someone that's way ahead of me will come along to answer your question. Delighted to have you join us!!!! SherryLike

This message was edited Oct 27, 2004 3:11 PM

Once it is inside, it will be much drier air, will not have big flushes of flowers, but should produce a few blooms.

Do you fertilize everytime you water in the summer? They love to be fed. Your plant looks nice and healthy, if no mites or bugs, it should produce flowers. Slow down some on the fertilizer in winter months. Hope this helps.

Welcome.......

yes brugs need big pots. they eventually get massive root systems.

my knowledge is limited but may help and someone may come along with better advice.

there are a lot of thread on over wintering brugs here on the forum but this one comes to mind. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/455306/

It's normal for them to shed some leaves, in some cases all of them, but that doesn't mean they are dying. Usually a few more will come out during the winter.
I do not try to keep mine blooming, just trying to keep them alive. I have them in a basement with light on. I hope they make it, but they did OK last year.
For most of mine, I just took cuttings and rooted them in water and started all over again in the spring. Lately, some of the growers explained that if you take cuttings above the Y, you will a shorter, bushier plant that will bloom earlier. If you take a cutting below the Y, you will get the tree form next year but it will be a little later blooming. Good luck.

Welcome Louis to the brug forum and to Dave's! It looks like you have some sort of sanguinea there, maybe a sang cross. They like it cooler than most brugs. It looks healthy enough, maybe a bit sprawly but some of my sangs get like that also.

I can see a few subequal leaves there, so it must want to flower. I wonder if you put it on a tray of water to increase the humidity if it would help. I think you need our resident brug expert Monika. I wonder if Tonny would have a similar climate to yours, he has some sangs.

Brugs love big pots. I grow mine in the biggest pot I canhandle then every spring I root prune mine and then trim the canopy by the same amount so it fits into the same big pot year after year.

I always wanted to see the great big amaryllis flowers from the huge bulbs I have seen in pictures of your bulb markets. Spring must be pure heaven there!