Help------I have been anxiously watching a seed pod on a potted brug that I am keeping on my enclosed porch where the temperature stays about 60 degrees. All the leaves fell off, but the seed pod remained----and, I have been carefully watering the plant and watching the pod. BUT, this morning I discovered a small hole in it and a green worm on it. Of course, I immediately squashed the critter-----but, what are the chances for the seed pod? Will the seeds continue to develop----and, is there anything that I can do???
Shirleyd
Zone 7b
Seed pod with a hole
Hummm, wondering what kind of caterpillar that was. Sorry Shirley that spoiled the fun. How big is the hole the critter has left behind? Hopefully the pod will survive if the damage isn't extensive. What kind of brug was it that bears the seedpod? I've a Sauv. white that has 3 healthy pods that are nearly ripe. I can send you some seeds to experiment with if yours should fail.
Since you two have pods, I'd like to ask a question. A brug needs to be pollinated to make a pod right? What do you do with the spent flowers on unpollinated blossoms. Cut them off? This is my first brug and it has seven blooms and one is starting to wilt. There are no other bloomimg brugs around here that I know of.
I know this is off topic, but you have pods and seemed like the most logical choice to ask.
Thanks
The spent bloom will be self-terminated by the tree itself. It will wilt and fall off on it own without intervention from us. Most brug cultivars we're growing are self-sterile. Unless you've another different brug blooming in the area. Bees and nocturnal moths can cross pollinate them -- as in the case of my seedpod above. The plant is very fertile. I didn't hand cross polinate those while they were outdoor, blooming concurrently with other, thus it was resultant 'open pollination'.
*Open pollination = pollination done by insects in the natural setting. (these took place roughly last Sept.-Oct. in my zone -- currently my brugs are sheltered indoor in greenhouse).
Thanks, that is what I thought.
If you can't handle wilted blooms on your Brugs, a slight quick tug on the spent bloom takes it off. My mother kept complaining about how much trouble Dr. Seuss was when in bloom. I finally figured it out last November when I went back to California for a visit. As soon as the bloom wilted, she was out there with a pair of pruning shears. She preferred to do that than to bend over to pick the spent blooms off the ground. She didn't even wait until a tug would take them off.
I tried a little tug but she wasn't ready to give it up, so I'll wait. It doesn't look all that bad. I think I'll just let it drop off. Must be nice to have so many blossoms you have to pick them all up off the ground. ^_^
Thanks Lily_Love for the advice. It is just a plain unknown white one ------so I will just wait and see what happens.
Shirleyd
You're quite welcome, Shirley. Texasgrower, with little patience. With the on coming years, as your Brugs get established, they will reward you with that many blooms too.
Happy gardening everyone.
p.s. Thanks Veronica for your input too, I personally have learned so much from your generosity on sharing your knowledge on brugmansias.
Thank you, Kim. I learned a lot from other Dgers, too. I'm just passing it along. :-)
Tex, I prefer to pull them before they get to looking like dirty, limp dishrags hanging there,. I am not compulsive about it but I like to remove what I can reach after they wilt (a few days to a week depending on the weather) so it looks nicer. I end up with a nice bouquet of limp, pretty-colored flowers that I can't think of anything to do with. Maybe pressed flowers, but again what do you do with them after you press them? So far, I just toss them in the compost pile.
Linda
Shirley, I found a very interesting old thread posted by Calalily back in 2002. In it she writes about using a Band-aid and New Skin to close an opened seedpod. It should work on a small hole provided there aren't intruders in the pod.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/194617/
Bettydee----thanks a million for the idea of a patch on the pod. I may try scotch tape----am headed out right now---
Shirleyd