Hey group....I have been a member of DG for almost 8 months now. I don't write too much, but now that I have a camera I plan to be much more active here. Anyway, attached is a pic of my poor Ecuador Pink. Last year this plant did very well and almost stopped blooming in late January. Now I am wondering if the plant is just worn out from all the blooming or do I have a problem of different sorts. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Hi neighbor!! Great you have a camera, we love pictures.
It looks good to me though thirsty. What are the problems as you see them?
From here it looks like you are getting older leaf drop and maybe your leaves are a tad light. First I would remove all the older leaves for cosmetic reasons. They are going to fall anyway. Did you repot it or at least change the soil early spring this year? In a pot that size, new soil yearly would be helpful if you are not going to pot it up to a bigger size. In spring I cut my roots by half and add new soil then I trim the canopy too to compensate for root loss. Now it is a bit hot to do that unless you keep it in shade.
Also frequent fertilizing is good, esp in a small pot. What are you feeding it? Brugs love a foliar feed too, perks them right up.
Did you re-pot it this spring? They produce a lot of roots and need to have the soil renewed or be potted up to a larger pot. If yours grew all last year and through the winter, it's probably ready for a larger pot.
I've had a few wilt that way from lack of water. I noticed that the pot it is growing in a redwood pot. Maybe the Brug is drying out too fast. I find mine grow best in plastic pots.
No....didn't repot this spring. I guess I was concerned because it hasn't bloomed yet and at this time last year I had a lot of blooms. Also, many of the new leaves are wilted. I will definitely repot. My pot for this brug is relatively large (i.e., 5 gallon). I guess I have to go up to a larger size. Thanks for the info/feedback.
Frank
Veronica, great minds think alike. LOL
Frank, how tall is your EP? I go the first year from a 16 oz cup to a 5 gallon at least. In the second year I transplant into a 15 gallon. I may go up to a 25 to 30 gallon by midsummer if the stars are aligned right. If the plant is a favorite I will definitely go to a 25 to 30 gallon by the spring of the 3rd year. Once in that big a pot, I start root pruning every early spring and just repot it back in the same pot.
If I have no room or want to grow it in the garden, I take a 15 gallon pot and place it where I want it and let the roots grow thru the bottom holes into the ground below. That lets it really take off. Then I just cut those roots and cut the canopy to compensate and can move it wherever when I decide to.
I used to plant the 5 gallon pot buried totally in the ground or even half in the gound. Makes it so easy to pop them back up when you are done with the brug or if you want to take it in for the winter. But then I got lazy. Or I should say my DH did. LOL
I have even had 1 gallon pots root thru the holes and grow 10 feet and flower well. Again, lazy.
If I can hurry it along I do and pot up faster. But usually I am lazy and do not fertilize enough. Some here start their seedlings right off in a 30 gallon pot and say it really makes them grow fast. I haven't done that yet because I have too many seedlings.
Kell, it's good to see you posting again. I hope that means you are over that bad cold you caught in NY.
Frank, another benefit of letting the roots grow through into the ground is that pots and plants stay upright on windy days. We have a lot of windy days here and that really helps — no broken branches or trunks from falling down.
It sure looks like it needs water, and I would give it a good dose of Miracle Grow.
Doris
Thank you for all the great advice Kell and bettydee!
Erick
Hi Erick! How are your plants doing this year? Are you lining your stairs again this year with brugs. It looked so great last year all in bloom?
Thanks, Veronica. I am so much better. I was so sick, it is hard to remember how bad I felt now. Thankfully, my husband never caught it. I hope you are doing great!
