I cut it back, followed the directions on the tag. Took it outside in the end of may (cold spring here). I water it daily and fed it some but it still looks the same. How long before I should see something. What should I be looking for? This is a large yellow (don't know the name), it was about 5 feet last year with loads of flowers. I really hate to loose it but I've never tried to keep one over the winter and don't know what I'm doing. Any advice would be appreciated.
I kept one from last year and need some help.
Donna, it will be fine. Descride how it looks now. Was there die-back from the tips? Does it have leaves? How big is the pot? How much, how often and what are you feeding it? What sun exposure is it in? All day, part day? Sorry so many questions, but they are very hardy, forgiving plants, so we can get your's perked up and responding in no time.
Donna, it would be helpful if you provided more information or a photo or two. You mention feeding it some fertilizer. Brugs are heavy feeders. Feeding it once a week or more often might help. Did you repot or replace the soil? They have large root systems and need to have the soil renewed.
One thing to remember for this coming winter: You don't have to cut it down to overwinter it indoors. Some Brugs have a bad habit of dieing back, sometimes all the way to the soil, I've lost a few to this die-back.
Anxiously waiting photos too..
Sounds like you are a good brug mom!
Thank you so much for responding. I don't have a picture but I will take one tomorrow and send if I can (oh my, I'm still on dial up). It looks like it did when I cut back but no leaves. It's in a large pot about 24" in dia. about 3' high. I have not change the soil, I water it heavy every day (at least 1"). I gave it some miracle grow but only 2 times. It's in the sun for 8 hours a day from 10 - 6. I'll give it some more miracle grow and see if I can change some of the soil. Will planting it in the ground help? Is there a better food than miracle grow for it?
If you are watering it every day, and it has no leaves, I would pull the plant up and check the roots for root rot before I did any thing else. If the roots are creamy white, they are alive. Any other color and the roots are dead. You can also use a fingernail to scratch a small section of the remaining branches to check for any green.
If the Brug is still alive and depending on the size and condition of the rootball, you may want to cut back on the daily watering until the plant is actively growing again. Check the top 2 inches of soil before watering. Let us know what condition the roots are in. You may have to repot the remaining rootball into a smaller pot.
Here is a pic from the top. I took it out of the pot for the shot.
Now for the roots. They look pretty white on the inside. The ones on the outer edges are off white or cream.
This was taken last Aug. Ohooo how I want it to come back.
If it doesn't come back soon, contact me. I can send you a cutting from something quick growing so you'll have blooms this year. I grew up in Rhode Island, and still have a lot of relatives there.
Mary
sorry to say your plant looks dead, how much did you cut back, I hope you did not cut off the top as that is where it Ys and without that you have no flowers, possibly you cut back too much.
The tag said to cut it down to 15", I think I cut it to about 18. I beginning to think all is lost, but I'll leave it for a while longer just because I don't want to give up too soon.
Thanks for the offer Mary, I'll contact you if I don't see any life in a week or so. Where in RI are you from. I grew up in East Prov., but I love Charlestown for the woods and beaches.
the roots dont look dead though.... do you have to cut it back every year?
I grew up in Riverside. Have relatives and friends in Narragansett, and Smithfield. If it wasn't for the weather I'd still be there.
Mary
Hi cupcake,
This is a first for me, I thought the roots looked pretty good too. They are almost white and to me looked like a normal root system. There was no nasty smell, no
bugs or anything weird when I took it out of the pot. The top on the other hand has no sign of life.
Hi Mary,
That is so weird, I grew up in Riverside also. I lived there until 2001 when the taxes got to high and my house got to big so I packed up and moved south where the weather is better (ha ha).
There's always the chance a new sprout will come up from the roots. You just can't count on it 100%. I've had it happen when we had an unusual frost a few years ago. I'd given up, and had tossed the pot over to my potting area, planing to use the pot for something else later on, but being too lazy to empty it. Didn't water it, and got the surprise of my life when it came back to life in July. Now it's a big healthy plant. Love surprises like that.
Mary
Looks like we cross posted Donna. I just turned 60 - Don't know if we're in the same age group that I would have known you. Went to AM Waddington Elementry, then on to Riverside Junior High, and then East Providence High School. Small world. I wasn't the least bit interested in gardening when I was younger. Got hooked helping a friend buy plants.
Mary
Hi Mary,
I'm not far behind you, I'll turn 53 in July. I also went to Waddington, Riveside JH and EP High. I also did some time in Waters, Platt, and Meadowcrest. I didn't move around alot but being in the babyboomer era the schools got to small and they kept moving us. I've always done a little gardening, but after moving to Charlestown I was bit hard by the plant bug. I've got a large wooded yard and I just keep planting. I'm still hoping my burg will suprise me too. I'll keep it in the sun, water it some and pray alot.
Donna_11
dont give up...... I'm a long sufferer how about you?Ü
I'm not giving up, I'll wait it out. Lots of room here on top of the ground. Digging in is another story. I live in the land of rocks, most of my gardens are raised beds.
I am confused,I have never heard of actually "cutting back" a brugmansia unless you are refering to cutting off dome side shoots, or branches,once you cut off the top you have to wait for it to Y again before getting any blooms.
Hi Karoke, I'm confused too. I still have the tag and it reads as follows "Overwintering - Easy, take plant and pot and place in basement or garage - above freezing. Cut back to 15" above pot and stop watering. In the Spring start to water it and place outside after frost. Start early, April 1, watering and setting out during the day and bring in at night." The name on the tag is "Sculpted Garden". I didn't bring it out until after frost here (5/15), I just couldn't do the in and out thing it's heavy and my back is in sorry shape.
Donna, did you stop watering completely? Did your plant overwinter in the basement or inside the house? Maybe someone who has Brugs up north can give you better advice on overwintering in your climate. My Brugs overwinter in a heated greenhouse with the thomostat set to 45ºF - 50ºF. They never go dormant so I continue to water them every so often. The growth slow down a lot, but there is some growth. Kareoke mentioned one reason not to cut below the "Y" — the plant will have to produce shoots that have to produce a "Y" before they bloom. Depending on the individual cultivar and how fast they grow Brugs may not bloom until late summer or fall. Some Brugs may not bloom until the following year. The other reason for not pruning before overwintering them is that some Brugs are prone to die-back, sometimes all the way down to soil level. I had two standards of the same cultivar die completely two winters ago.
No water at all? I think you have to give them a little bit even when dormant.Don't give up ...the soil may be water repellant after being dry for so long ...sink the whole pot in some luke warm water with a splash of seaweed tonic in it. Allow about half an hour (you may find the plant soaks it all up) then drain.If it is still alive it should start to shoot from the roots.I think I would cut that dead stuff off at the top ...scratch the skin off just a little to see if there is green underneath first ...if it is there is still life in the wood.
Here's one of mine that died back to the roots the winter before last. She's blooming today, and healthy as a horse.
This is Creamsickle, just beginning to get the blotchy cream color coming in. The bloom next to her looks green, but it isn't. It's just a reflection of light off the green leaves.
Donna, I overwinter in my basement. I've tried it different ways. But to get blooms before it's time to bring them in for winter, you need to keep them semi-dormant or green. I had pretty good luck with stripping the leaves and watering lightly on the holidays- (helps me to remember) bring them in around Halloween water at Thanksgiving, Christmas and sometime around Valentines then again at St. Patricks Day and by then they will want to wake up and start growing, so offer water a little more than once a month after St. Patty's to help them. I sometimes got die-back so I added more lighting and offered more water to keep them green. It's not always possible to salvage the bloom tips, as some grow 12ft or more taller outside (8 ft ceilings down there). I keep it above 50 degrees. I have whacked them with a long trunk and rooted the trunk in a bucket over winter... I think you will still get a start from the roots of that one. They usually come up around the old trunk. I'd offer water when it looks dry and warmth and see what happens. I'm starting to choose the smaller growing brugs just so I can fit their height inside and save those precious flower maker tips. I've also stored the pot from whacking it off at soil level, didn't water at all and still had new shoots coming up in Spring. It's favorable yours will start a shoot, but I really think you should try some other brugs, too....;)
I am afraid you got the wrong tag with your plant. I overwinter mine in the basement, and the garage, I water mine once a month, they don't even lose all the leaves,, you never cut back a brug, it takes too long to get the Y back, I am sure the ones that die back are planted in the ground in warmer climate but for us that have to pot them we are not so lucky so have more work to keep them healthy
Thank you all for looking into this. I did some scratches yesterday and there is no green. I'm going to try repotting and see if anything comes up from the root's
Donna
Thanks Kareoke, We must have crossed when typing. Next time I will follow the advice posted and not the tag. I had it my basement to overwinter and it does get cold down there, never freezing but about 40 in the coldest time. I have a raised cape so the basement is half out of the ground. I also have dogs, that have indoor/ outdoor access with a doggie dog which is open all day. I want to try again with a new one, is my basement to cold?
As long as it doesn't feeze your basement is not too cold. I give mine about a cup of water every few weeks. I have been doing this for several years and have only ever lost one. If they get too tall I cut the top 4 feet off in august so it can be well rooted before it goes to the basement. I hate wintering plants over in water. I don't like the gnats that seem to move in and then go after my seedlings and other plants.
I have done some cutting back in the fall if they are real bushy with thin branch ends. This avoids the die back you get with thin branches. Once some stsrt to die back it seems to keep moving. I do all of my cutting well before I move them in. I want cut ends to heal over before changing their enviroment. I brought in 87 brugs last fall and the only losses I had where on some seedlings I was trying to keep growing under lights.
raglady! 87! You're my hero! That is a tremendous amount to bring in... many cheers for you! Good luck, Donna we'll all be "rooting" for ya! In the mean time, I'm working on my brugs, I'll send a few cuttings to you for postage, if you'd like.