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Brugmansias in Big Pots
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Author:  Newt [ Thu Oct 21, 2004 6:20 pm ]
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Pambi,
Great shot! I love it. Oh, and I noticed you are in Tx. :D I had finished writing that post when I suddenly realized that there just might be more than one Arlington, especially since this site is located in Texas! :oops:

Newt

Author:  Pambi [ Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:13 pm ]
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Way to go, sweetscent !! Do you have any way to show us some pics of your yellow brug?? Sounds like you gave it the perfect spot !!!
I have a few buggies on mine once in awhile, but I simply look on the undersides of the leaves to discover just which BENNY is about to have dinner... love to see the Green Lacewing eggs.. hehe.. so cute :)
Thanks for the compliment, Newt. In the soil around Frosty's 3gal pot, I also planted purple lantana and pink begonias... they made for a lovely treat, all season. It took me a full year to discover that her favorite place is on the north side of the house (that window faces east) where she gets mostly sun in the AM/shade in PM. My yellow (CG) prefers much stronger morning sun (then PM shade)
As far as the zone I'm in (Texas) perhaps Kay can help me out... I keep telling folks I'm in 7b/8, but that might have changed. Any help there, Kay??
WOW! It sure is great to get to know some brug growers nearby !
Every brug bud I've ever seen is a yellowish color while still curled and not fully opened. Then the excitement begins !! :) If your blossoms do not seem to have much fragrance, be sure to sniff them AFTER DARK !! (just in case no one had told you this before) Most will fully open during the nighttime hours as well... fun to watch when you have some time to spend outside. Newt is correct.. diff varieites have diff fragrances, and some are virtually non-existant.
Kay, I'm assuming that the pots yours are in would be too large to bring indoors for the winter? Frosty had ONE bloom yet to open last year when the first frost showed up... she opened up while in corner of our living room !! Take about an air freshener !! (Then, I had kept her pot in a bright, otherwise unused room for the winter)
Apparently Newt has no problem over-wintering them up yonder, but are those in the ground, Newt? Could you offer advice? Do you mulch them, cut them back, etc.?? Maybe I'm just a big scaredy-cat about leaving them out in the cold...hehe.
There are several yellow varities that could be considered very pale, but there are also a TON of brugs sold without complete certainty of what the plant's first blooms will look like... even 2 yellow parents can't guarantee a yellow-blooming 'baby brug'. These plants can only be propegated by cuttings from the parent plant or by hybridization between two varieties. Go figure. Some of this year's crosses are absolutely breathtaking (not yet named, registered, or for sale yet)... see here, the very FIRST U.S.A.-bred DOUBLE-PINK Brug !! I'm so proud of the folks breeding these !! http://tinypic.com/drytl
Believe it or not, that same bloom surprised everyone a couple of days later, and dropped another skirt, becoming a TRIPLE-Pink Brug !! see: http://tinypic.com/drw54
Oh, I'm sorry to get on such a "roll", here... this just happens to be one of my very FAVORITE subjects ! hehe.
As soon as the weather gets cooler, I'll take Frosty Pink cuttings (my 11yo granddaughter is soooo excited to help !) AND I may have enough to share with my new friends here :) I'll surely let you know... must wait and see. Frosty is a fairly common variety, but I consider her very beautiful and a marvel to watch as she grows.
Blessings, Pambi

Author:  Pambi [ Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:43 pm ]
Post subject: 

Oh, my bad !
I just re-read the posts and saw that Newt had given up on over-wintering brugs.. sheesh ! Sorry !
Newt, the first double-pink was raised in Woodsville, NH !!! Unbelievable, eh?

Blessings, Pambi

Author:  Newt [ Thu Oct 21, 2004 10:26 pm ]
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Pambi,
It was a decision I had to make at the time. We were doing a total house and garden renovation and living in the house at the same time. I really needed to scale down. I had 500 perennials potted up that had to sunk in the ground over the winter and 28 other houseplants that needed to continually be moved as we replaced windows, etc. It just became overwhelming, especially when they kept getting whitefly! I'm certain that I can get more and start again.

I got to see these lovlies growing wild in the Andes Mountains in Peru last year and they were absolutely gorgeous!! I shall try again some day.

Newt

Author:  Dirt Doctor [ Fri Oct 22, 2004 6:02 am ]
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Excellent shots! Mind if we put them on the web site?

Author:  Pambi [ Fri Oct 22, 2004 6:59 am ]
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Good morning, Doc !!
I have no problem with your using the two pics from MY own home, but almost couldn't get to sleep last night wondering if I had crossed a copyright law by including the others!! Yikes! Hope I haven't, but I'm simply not certain, and would like to avoid THAT, certainly. Those pics would be of the double/triple pink, and the pink one from seed.
I can contact the site I'd copied them from and ask for sure. Will be sure to let you know IF your site is free to post them.
Obviously the website of the all-natural dude (Bruggyman) is fair game ... did you get a load of those chronicles??? Truly an awesome testimony to organics !!
Blessings, Pambi :)

Author:  Pambi [ Fri Oct 22, 2004 7:10 am ]
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Oh, I forgot (sometimes I press send before thinking it all thru..hehe) The night pic with the flashlight glow was taken by my DH and I... you're free to use that one if desired.
Blessings, Pambi

Author:  Kay Young [ Fri Oct 22, 2004 7:50 am ]
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Pambi,
I have always heard that we, in east Dallas, are in zone 8. I never heard whether that is 8a, 8b, or just plain 8. I do know the line wiggles around in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, so your zone may be slightly different.

As I said earlier, my brugs get afternoon shade, but every afternoon they look slightly wilted, then perk up every morning. They are potted in fast draining soil, so we water them daily. They never sit in water, as the pots are slightly elevated. We may not be fertilizing them enough. How often, and what kind of fertilizer do you use (besides epsom salts)?

I haven't actually seen bugs on the plants, but the leaves are definitely being munched.

Before winter, I am planning on using a hand truck to transport the brugs into an unheated, but protected building. When you bring yours inside, do you let them go dormant, or pretty much treat them as houseplants, and continue to water and feed them? Do you cut them back at all?

Thanks for all the good information.
K

Thanks for all your good information,
K

Author:  Pambi [ Fri Oct 22, 2004 11:00 am ]
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Hey, Kay !
I think that moving yours in, will make you happier than losing them to the cold, and you sure know how PREDICTABLE our winters can get !! Arrgghh! I'm waiting for the temps to reach a nearly CONSISTANT 40-degree overnight level before I actually bring them inside.. Ahhh, the gardener's life ! hehe. :roll:
Brugs can be allowed to go dormant, and still be fine: I keep mine indoors, (with closed heater vents) but that's mostly so I can observe them... I'm too curious to just set them aside for complete dormancy..hehe. Have had spider mite problems, tho. Root rot is EASY to find, indoors ... I think I might have used a cup of water every couple of weeks ! Leaf drop will always happen, so don't panic from that. Without lighting from windows, they can/will simply go dormant, which is perfectly fine and expected... even less water, perhaps, if that's your intention.

Fertilization is an unusual thing for me to discuss, since this is my first year of experimentation. I've had to play around quite a bit, since my favorite organic BRUG source deals with HUNDREDS of brugs, and all I have are 7 ! hehe.

Finding that my supply of the Doc's potting mix (http://www.dirtdoctor.com/view_question.php?id=94) is getting low (stored in a large container in our shed) can actually send me into convulsions !!! That's how much I LOVE the stuff... ALL of my potted plants go into it, and I find that additional fertilization throughout the growing season is only required to bring about a faster, or more specific, desire. Additional goodies I've used are simply 2 parts of worm castings as I create the mix, and then only a seaweed/fish emulsion solution during the growing season, and perhaps only every couple of weeks.
The sprinkles of Epsom Salts (kept in an old parmesan cheese shaker.. haha) was sort of a surprise. I'd read it recommended to someone whose leaves were looking pale (as were mine at the time/no bugs) and WHAMMO !! And all of a sudden, even my MIL's brug which had not shown any buds in 2 years was in bloom !! Maybe I'm completely nuts to associate the two (the Doc would know better ;) ) .. but I'll swear by it's addition, now (and it seems to have jump-started buds on my apricot brug, too). Hmm ... I wonder if I should add it to my potting mix?? Might experiment with that in the spring ;)
The drooping leaves in the PM is annoying and scary, but, I've heard that it's actually the plants' attempt to minimize evaporation. Even if that's true, I do my best to give them some water before any sunshine hits them in the AM. For me, at least, drooping leaves in AM sun equals dead leaves in a few hours ! ;)
Gotta run... sorry SOOO long :oops:
Blessings, Pambi

Author:  Pambi [ Sun Oct 24, 2004 6:53 pm ]
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Oh darn, ya'll !!
While I was checking into photo permissions, I was corrected about something I'd posted here earlier.
I had declared that double-pink as USA-bred, but that is mistaken... sniff. Turns out that the hybridization had taken place in Europe, and the resulting seeds produced this plant for a gardener here in the states. Well, at least the hybridizers and THAT grower know the precise cross...hehe... so far there are very few around who actually do.
SOOO, please do not be misled into buying anything that some huckster might tell you is a pink double brug .... there are only about 7 American growers with this cross to begin with, and they've all stated that it could be several years before they will make it available.
I certainly did not intend to mislead; sorry.
:oops:
Blessing, Pambi

Author:  Pambi [ Tue Oct 26, 2004 8:57 pm ]
Post subject:  yay !

Just an FYI: I found 2 brugs @ Redenta's in Arlington today !! I was so excited about that (first time I'd seen them there) I brought home a peach one, with a single bud yet to open ! If I get a pic, I'll start another Topic :)
I do have an apricot opening tonight, but it will be a day or two before she'll show her true form/color.

Blessings, Pambi

Author:  Kay Young [ Wed Oct 27, 2004 9:12 am ]
Post subject: 

Pambi,
From what I understand, since Redenta's bought Kings Creek Gardens, who propagated many of the plants they sold (including brugmansias), Redentas is now offering some plants we aren't used to seeing there.
K

Author:  Pambi [ Wed Oct 27, 2004 9:34 am ]
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Cool beans, Kay !
I hadn't seen them at Kings either, but I'd only gone there once ... hehe.
That's great to know.
:D

Author:  Kay Young [ Tue Mar 01, 2005 10:40 am ]
Post subject:  Brumansias

Pambi,
Well, here we are at the (almost) end of winter, and my brugmansias have overwintered indoors, in an unheated building, with minimal watering. They lost their leaves, which I expected. Now I'm wondering if I should prune the branches. I haven't brought the pots outdoors as yet because it is a real chore to do as they are very heavy, and I don't trust that mother nature is finished with winter as yet. I will probably move them outside in the next week or so. I assume I should fertilize them, but maybe I should wait until they show some signs of life. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thx,
K

Author:  Pambi [ Tue Mar 01, 2005 12:02 pm ]
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Hi, Kay... it sure is an exciting time of the year !! :D
Well, as far as trimming the branches, it is not necessary, for them to do well. A good rule of thumb, tho, is to visualize those branches laden with blooms... do you think they are thick/woody enough to maintain their weight? Last year, one of mine was NOT. :cry:
If you believe they should be trimmed, go for it, and leave one node for new growth ... AND place those cuttings into a glass of water for a few days to a week, and VOILA !! More brugs ! hehe. These are just about the easist plants to propagate by cuttings :) (I have about 30 cuttings rooting right now... soon to be potted and gently introduced outside :) Lots of new colors for my yard ! :)
I have begun to fertilize mine with a weak seaweed solution, in fact that's all the fluid they've been getting for about a month, now .... maybe once/week. This has begun to "wake them up", and new growth has been encouraged. It's not too soon for that.
Sounds like you've done everything perfectly :) What a fun year for brugs !! :)
Oh, and I bought TWO more from King's Creek last fall.. one of them is variegated, and I'm excited to see what the blooms will be like. I'll need to experiment a little to discover it's true identity, but I'm gaining confidence, so I'm willing to attempt it this year.
I have discovered that keeping the roots wet IN THE HEAT OF THE SUMMER has NOT encouraged root rot, so most of my pots sit in trays, and that can help the afternoon drooping. Simple attention to the weather conditions is something we gardeners learn from day one, anyway, eh? hehe.
Good luck, Kay ! I am SOOOO ready !!!!!! :lol:

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