Hi Everyone! (Clem, those are spectacular looking brugs, congrats-a little late) Speaking of late, so the general consensus is Spring WAS late, so everything, including me is running behind, right? We're coming up on July 4th and I'm yet to get everything potted, planted and in it's place. My ee's in pots are just starting ot poke their leaves out... It's really okay they are late, except I kept thinking they died over winter... I'll be digging plants away from the foundation of my home on 2 sides, I need to have dirt hauled in to help with water run off... so, while I have more dirt, I'm building a berm to plant ears, canna, etc... so I hope to be able to have that completed before the end of July.... Still miss seeing the ear leaves, but they've finally started showing. Jan, you are leaving those canna's out year round? You must have a micro invironment going, it's like the north pole in Milwaukee, in winter... I have some next the the south foundation, but they seem to get smaller each year.. (of course those are being dug, as well) I still have some ROS seed for you, see I'm behind on EVERYTHING... I'll try to get them packaged and out of here this week. I need to win the lottery or something so I don't have to have a j-o-b, I'm missing out on some gorgeous weather for working outside the last couple of days... overcast, slight breeze, 70-80's, and low low humidity... but, I'm sure by the time this weekend gets here, it'll be back to the more "normal" conditions that I'm used to... (90 degrees +, humidity 85% and hot bearing down sun... yeah!!! that's more like it... When the "power surges" come, it's just like an expensive sauna, think of they money I'm saving on a gym membership! lol Kim, those are some pretty blooms!
Baby Brug Seedlings...continuation
Hi AuntB, welcome back 'stranger' :)
I dug all my canna tubers up last year and the "special" ones (Tropicanna, Black Leaf, Banana Leaf/Musa Folia...) I took 'special' care to wrap them in newspaper. I had so many extras of my Richard Wallace canna and a NOID large red canna that I just ended up just putting them in a box w/o any kind of special care. The 'special' ones looked like they were dead as they were all dried up. The RW's and the red (that didn't receive special care) were already sprouting new growth when I looked in the box I had them in stored in---go figure!!! Anyway, I still planted the dead-looking special cannas and some of them have started growing (Banana Leaf and the Red Stripe). I sprayed the deadish tubers with Messenger and, wow, I will swear by that stuff!!! I had a couple of tiny 3"-4" brug cuttings that weren't mushy but didn't have any growth on them either that I also sprayed with the Messenger. Two of the tiniest cuttings are now growing foliage!
Hi Jan,
The only 'Messenger' that I'm familiar with was a type of herbicide. Lately, I've seen people talk about it as a miracle growth concoction for all type of plantings! Care to share more about that product?
Most of my babiez-seedlings are growing well. Now, I've ton of stray seedlings of datura to transplant, single white and double purple. Gardening is like a 'Cowboy's job -- it's never done'. lol,lol.
Thanks Bonnie, I'm so pleased with my brugs this year. First year with so many blooming brugs early in the season, then all the seedlings. ^_^
Kim
Hi Kim, I found you again, good luck with the brugs!!!! Clem
Sorry Kim! I meant to send you the link to the Messenger site yesterday...oldtimers :)
http://www.edenbio.com/garden/
Jan
This message was edited Jun 19, 2008 9:54 AM
I have a question, since you are all talking about digging up for the winter. I live in Texas, and I have my first brug, thanks to JanLynn. Does it need to be dug up or brought in for the winter? I leave all my canna's and bulbs in the ground year round here, as we hardly ever get a deep freeze like most of you do up north.
Linda Kay
Hi Linda Kay,
Brugs are root hardy here even in my zone. However, I kept some of mine in large pots last year for the first time in order to nurse them to be bigger and produce more blooms. My brugs planted outdoor begun to sprout up from the ground since May, the one that I overwintered in side, already up and running with several flushes of blooms. I hope that helps.
Kim
Well, while I'm waiting for my little seedlings to grow up. I need to upgrade their small pots to a size bigger soon. At the mean time, I've this little currious plant pops up in the garden. It's a bulb from Janlyn. Jan, could you correctly I.D. this 'lil darling among other maple-like leaves planting that I've surround it? Thank you Jan, I just love those thingy.
I have to share this picture with you. I put the brug cutting I got from JanLynn, in the soil about 4 days ago, and look what I have growing. I went out this morning to check on it, and oh my, it has 3 little leaves coming from the bottom. I am so excited. I can't wait to see it bloom. I know that will take awhile, but I just had to share the good news.
Thank you
Linda Kay
Lily_love Kim---
Could that be the little Voodoo Lily bulb that I sent you last year??? I'm thinking that it may be due to the "splotching" on the stem. I can't remember if I sent you 2, or 3, little bulbs but it's neat to see it growing for you!!! Keep us updated!
taters55 Linda Kay---
Way to go on the brug. It's an above the "Y" cutting so you should see blooms this year...now's the time to start a feeding/fertilizer regiment.
Jan...blushing from all this 'attention' :)
(I have to add: I would not have been able to send the brug cutting to Linda Kay if it hadn't been for a VERY wonderful DGer who offered me cuttings of her brug for postage. The generosity of ALL DGers is awesome and it's really a neat feeling to be a recipient and then passing on to others...I LOVE DG!!!)
This message was edited Jun 23, 2008 9:10 AM
What do I fertilize with and how often do I fertiliz? I think I read it before, but I can't find it now.
Thanks for the help
Linda Kay
Linda Kay, I fertilize mine with a balance fertilizer, 20,20,20. There is a 'recipe' thread by Kell on this forum which is very good for brugs and other tropical so I've read.
Jan, that's the last bulbs that you've sent me. The giant bulb. Actually that was one big bulb with two growing tips coming out of them. I've a small sprouting that is following suit. Are those called 'Green Dragons' voodoo? I've picture of the first that you've sent. It's about a foot tall now.
Lookie, lookie, this is one of my brugmansia seedlings that I germinated this past winter. Here is the 'lil darling growing up.
Can you list that link please. I am not finding it.
Very nice brug growing up. Do you know what color it is?
Does anyone know if they have a purple brug?
Thanks
Linda Kay
Here is the link, it's from Kenboy:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/803019/
Brugmansia are perennials and they only produce white/pink/yellow and somewhere in b/w these mentioned 3 colors, such as pink to red hue.
Datura, an annual produce white/yellow/purple. And their trumpet pointed upward instead of down pointing like those of brugmansias. I hope that would sum it up. Enjoy, Linda Kay.
A wonderful DGer in this thread has sent me a package of Messenger to try out. Many, many thanks, I'll try it out and post result. Jan, you shouldn't have. But dangit! You guys never cease to amaze me as how we run into wonderful people at DG!
I work so much I hardly have time to do much reading here on Dave's. I am so impressed with the progress of the seedlings and cuttings you all are having. It is so good to see so many loving brugs and gardening.
My brugs are all so tall and hug now I plan to spend much of the summer taking cuttings from them to start over with new smaller plants. I will need a step ladder to collect pollen and pollenate most this year.
I wish packing and shipping was easier. I hate standing in lines at the post office or I would share far more then I do.
Last year I ended up posting here for local gowers to come take plants away. I did get some takers, wish I knew how the plants did. Several truck loads left here. I have had no response from them.
Congratulations all of you for doing such a wonderful job and sharing with so many others.
Thank you for the link to the recipe. Sounds a little wierd to give them a beer mixture, but I will give it a try.
I have another question for you. How do I pollinate them like theraglady is talking about?
I wish I was here last year for some of her cuttings! Sounds like someone made out pretty good, but not gratefull enough to come back and say thanks.
Thanks for all the help and getting me hooked on brugs. I will most definately get more of them when I get the chance.
My Insignis pink has about 5 leaves on her, and growing pretty fast. I hope I have blooms this year, but if not, I know she will show off for me next year.
Have a great day
Linda Kay
Linda Kay,
You need to check on the brugmansia forum for many helpful posts on how to pollinate brugs. Here was my adventure last year, this was how I began, and I did successfully with some of us here helping. I thank you, again everyone. Indiana_lily, ZZ and many others especially brugies.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/774232/
Brenda, I don't know what's it with those folks that we shared with outside of DG, they don't hardly ever keep touch to let you know how their gifts turned out. Here, it's wonderful we do keep touch and keep one another updated on our progress. Speaking of which, the seeds that you grand daughter has shared, I've had one germinated and it's doing great, I'll post more pics. later as I find the 'PB x EP' seedling. It's about the size of the one that I posted above which was my own cross last Fall.
Kim
Lily_love Kim :)
Glad you liked my little surprise!!! The Messenger goes a long way, just be sure to keep the pkg tightly closed...I store my opened packet in an old prescription pill container. I add 1/8 tsp. to my 32 oz. spray bottle and foliage spray my plants weekly.
The small VL bulbs that I sent you earlier were from another DGer and I don't know what the "true" name is/was. Then the HUGE VL that I just recently sent you is also an "unknown" ID (from another DG trade) but that bulb sure was/is huge---hey?!
Just "ME"...Jan :)
Lily_love, Thanmk you for the link. I did not know they were sterile, and to pollinate with another plant. Hopefully someone in the neighborhood has one in bloom? If not, I guess I am going to have to get more.
This is my Insignis Pink brug as of this afternoon. She is growing pretty fast.
Good night
Linda Kay
I killed my two seedlings! I was trying to get rid of spider mites and finally gave in and used insecticide.. made it too strong.. defoliated everything.. which was good for most but my seedlings could not tolerate that. Nothing growing on them now.
Tammie
Tammie, sorry about your lost of the seedlings. I too found out the hard way, some insecticidal stuffs, I used a granular type that proven to do more harm than good for mine. I vow from now on, I'll use preventive measure with neem oil sprays before I bring my brugs back indoor. Indoor is the only time I had any problem with spider mites. Once they're back outdoor, the elements took care of those critters, or simply hose them down with stream of water.
Yes, the elements usually take care of them here too but we have had so very little rain since december it is miserable. Plants are stunted this year with temps over 100 already 18 days in June. The bugs are having a field day with it so hot and dry. I had spider mites on everything! They were just living it up. I tried spraying as often as I could with water but it dried up within minutes of spraying and did not bother them in the least. That is when I gave in to the insecticides.
Tammie
Wow Kim, thanks for sharing that link, can't wait to put my hands on my first bloom this week and try to collect some pollen! Clemen
Clemen, yes you can! If I can do it, anyone can. ... Here is an example, this brug is a seedling from my own cross this winter....I sow the seeds indoor, then gradually acclimate them (seedlings outdoor). The left one is my seedling. The right one is a 1-year old cutting. The shrub is a dwarf crepe myrtle.
JanLynn, this is my brug this morning. She is about 8 inches tall. When you say they grow fast, you really mean it. Wow. I don't see a new y yet, but I will keep a close eye on her.
Thanks again
Linda Kay
Linda Kay! Look at that growth!!! And in less than 2 weeks! Your raising that youngin up right! So healthy looking, too! In zone 9, You WILL have blooms on her yet this season, I just know it!
Linda Kay---I can't wait til your brug has blooms, thanks for keeping me/us updated with the growth of your *very first* brug.
Lily_love Kim---OMG!!! the big cutting you sent me of your pink is HUGE, and Y'ing...watching daily now for bloom pods to form!!!
This years Tropical Garden is really gonna be awesome with Gladiolas, several diff Cannas (including "Red Stripe", Tropicanna and Musafolia), Pink, White, Peach and Yellow Brugs, Red Castor Beans, EE's (several diff types!!) and my 'Mama' Banana (RIP) gave birth to 3 new pups that are getting huge!!!
Jan
Congrats Jan.!!! Wooohooo, it's making Y-branches. You're going to see something like these blooms in several weeks. I'm happy to hear your other tropi-bound plants that doing so well in your climate....it's AWESOME!!!
Kim
Thanks JanLynn for getting me hooked. I now have 9 plants, and lots of seedlings. Keep watching this thread, because if they all keep growing, I will most definately share. When a brug finally does bloom, do I leave the bloom/seedpod alone and let it dry, then pick it?
Thanks
Linda Kay
Linda Kay,
Usually a brug's blossom doesn't automatically yield seed. Because most of them are hybrid thus sterile and need another brug's blooming at the same time to cross pollinate. If you're interested in "hand pollinate" your flowers later. I'd be glad to walk you through it. A Dger named brugie who taught me how to last year. I haven't seen her posting lately. I'd be glad to pass on what I've learned to another DGer. Also there maybe classic threads if you search, you can find many posting on how to pollinate brugmansias.
Kim
Linda Kay, AmandaTaylor7 lives down by Houston, Zone 9, I think... you might track her down and ask how she cares for her brugs, they are in the ground. (she posted today on the hottie thread, d-mail her and tell I recommended her to you for help) She'll get a kick out of it, cause I gave her some tips on her brug last year. I saw pics of it this year and it is really blooming up a storm.
Hand pollinating is very easy to do for anyone interested in trying it. I have successfully crossed two sets of brug seed pods. My latest just ripened. I crossed a Pink Beauty bloom with Whiskers pollen. I wonder how the blooms will turn out? Has anyone crossed different bloom colors of brugs before? If so, is the pink the dominating color? Whiskers has yellow blooms and Pink Beauty of course has pink flowers! :-)
Hi Becky, I don't have the answer to your questions. But, I do have one of your seedling of P.B x Whiskers seedling. I'll post picture as its coming along just fine at the mean time. Thank you, again for your sharing of your cross.
Kim
Kim - The seeds you got from me were Pink Beauty X Ecuador Pink. I haven't shared any of these new seeds (PB X Whiskers) with anyone yet because I just collected them. So your blooms will definitely be PINK! LOL! But I have no idea what these newly collected seeds will produce? I only got one seed pod this time so don't have as many seeds from my newest cross. If anyone wants to try some of those seeds, let me know. The seeds are very fresh!
Hotties, you have to go here and look at gordo's 4 year old brug...
Linda Kay
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/884066/#new