Hi,
I have written before but never had pics, so please be patient if you have replied before. My brug won't bloom, and I have faithfully fed, watered, etc. I bought it last year and it wintered in our basement, and has lots of growth, but obviously bug and other problems. Any words of wisdom?
Full size... about five feet
One more... what are these spots?
Janet,
Brugs will not bloom until they have transitioned from vegetative growth to reproductive growth. The production of a "Y" signals this change. Each cultivar dictates how tall each shoot must get before it "Y"s. Your cutting must have come from a basal shoot. There is nothing that can be done except wait until it "Y"s. You can make sure it does so by fertilizing at least once a week and keeping it healthy.
Looking at the leaves, the leaf edges on either side of the petiole appear to be even. This supports my guess that your plant is still in the vegetative stage. After the branch forms a "Y", the leaf edges on either side of the petiole will be uneven. Scroll down to the Leaves section in the following link to see leaf attavhment differences.
http://www.abads.net/Anatomy/
The white spots are too blurry and too far away to ID. Are they stationary? Eggs are normally laid on the underside of leaves. That's also where you would find whiteflies, but whiteflies would fly off when disturbed.
This message was edited Aug 4, 2008 6:41 PM
The spots look like what I had. My spots were thrips.
Hi Bettydee, when you say a Y I assume you don't mean the trunk. That has divided twice now...
Janet, For several years I had a problem with very little bloom production on my brugs. This spring I started using "The Recipe". I started out with a weekly feed, now only use every two weeks, plus a monthly feed of composted horse manure, bone/blood meal. Works like a charm for blooms/growth. I'm forever testing out different fertilizers and so far this has been the best combination feed for my brugs to have an all around healthy appearance/growth.
Dollie
Janet, take a look at the point of leaf attachment to the petiole. If the attachment is uneven, then, you have a "Y" and you'll have to look at how you are feeding it as a possible reason for it not blooming. If the leaf edge on either side of the petiole is even, then what you have are side shoots and not a real "Y" and You'll have to wait a little longer for it to "Y".
Help. I have been growing brugs for several years with only moderate success. I have one in a pot that is sickly----and several outside in my garden. Unfortunately, the garden ones get full summer------which in Starkville, Mississippi is a bit much for them. One group of plants just put on blooms, and within a day they were a sad sight! And, there is nothing I can do about their location------but, I do try to root some each year and place in pots for friends (and me). I have a question-----would someone explain the Y terminology to me? Is it the trunk of what? I have never heard of that until I encountered this forum. I am 76 years old-----and, I am hoping you can teach an old dog new tricks.ShirleydZone 7b
Shirley,
Brugs grown from seed or from a basal shoot will grow as one tall stalk sometimes as tall as 6 or 7 feet. If you take a look at a leaf in this stage of growth the leaf edges where the leaf joins the petiole will be, when compared to each other, even. This is the vegetative growth and no flowers are produced. Once the vegetative growth is complete, the tip of the shoot will produce two identical branches. This is called a "Y" because it usually splits into two branches. Some cultivars produce three branches. Four are rare.
Any chance of finding a spot on the east side of the house for them?
after vegitative growth do they evey loose a lot leaves real fast then put on new ones real fast. I had two that have done that. The one is covered in buds now?
Brugmansias aren't the bushiest of shrubs so it is possible for leaf drop to happen as you described. Some environmental change could have caused the leaves to drop.
Shirley, When you have a lack of trees for shade, using shade cloth to grow your brugs under is a good option. In the summer I grow all my German Imported brugs under shade cloth. Works well, and I have no wilted foliage.
Thanks for suggestion of shade cloth. Will try it.
Shirleyd
Your welcome Shirley.
