Raised Beds for Brugmansia's

Having increased my collection of Brugmansia's from last year, I suddenly realised just where the bloody hell am I going to put them??

Well I had already three area's, a slab made raised bed, a decking made bed 3 ft x 2 ft, and another foot deep bed near my decking area.

But was that enough, nah!! So with the help and wood skill of my brother Steve, made a new decking bed 4 ft long x 3 ft wide x 2f high, and a coffin box 6 ft x 2 x 2ft. Spent a very pleasant day in the sun today staining the beds ready for a delivery of top soil to fill them. Anyone want to help shovelling???

I will still have Brugs in pots around the patio, and pathway, as well as a test bed for some new crosses that I am growing out. Here's some pictures to show the method in my madness!!

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Wayne , what would you suggest to a brugmansia novice like me , what`s the best way , keep them in a big pot or in the soil and dig them out in winter or just keep the cutting?

 

Wayne - I think the idea of raised beds is excellent. So you have found a space for three Brugmansias - but what are you going to do with the rest?

I have some raised beds (raised on one side so stepped would be a better description). But they are already full of hardy perennials. I am a tempted to lift the perennials out part way through the year and plant the Brugs directly in the soil. I would love to see the effect of mass planting of Brugs.

I am sure you can answer Sal's question better than me. But its my understanding that Brugs are quite tolerant with regard to being dug up. However conveniance is another matter.

Do you have any idea how long you can keep Brugs? My original yellow one is now entering its fourth year. Its already very woody at the base, with stubs of broken branches - being that it is so brittle. I feel that they do need renewing fairly often.

 

Thanks for the reply's.

Sal73..for me I've used a reasonable sized pot's and then sunk them either into the ground or in the raised bed. It's a good idea to make lateral holes in the pots for the root to spread out also. That way they get stability in bad winds and moisture from the surrounding earth. In the winter you just trim the roots and overwinter them, instead of humping massive pots in.

When plants get older, and this is informartion I've stolen from people who have more knowledge than me, is to take a forked cutting. The forked cutting will produce a smaller flowering plant. Of course, it's different if you want to train a standard??
I always take a few smaller cuttings, you never know what's going to happen, and you can always give them away.
Hope this helps?

Wayne

 

Wayne ...thank you so much , this is something really smart , I`m using a lot the sunk pot trick for my bananas , bamboo and tender , but never tough about the side hole ....you just solved the bananas overwinter problem and at this point will use the same system with the brugmansia ....and yes someone already told me about the forked cutting , apparently if the plant is not forked will not flower at all .

 

sorry for my ignorance but has anyone tryed to overwinter brugmansia outdoor? I`m sure the roots are hardy then -5 , when they reach the woody stage sure the plant is stronger , my aunty in Italy has a massive brug tree and last February they had snow and a -5 (record) , seen recently picture and the plant still there .

 

I overwintered sanguinea one year, it looked great by August, but was slow to recover.No flowers before first frost.

I did try Arborea seed grown plants also, with a mulch, but they died.

 

has anyone try to get the root dormant? I`ve tryed years ago with a tomato tree and it worked , I recently both many plants in a complete dormant state , even ever green plant can get dormant , plant like bananas , heliconias , tacca and most of the rain forest plants , it has something to do with the dry season and the natural protection .
I`m not say it will work but if we have to leave the plant to die at this point will worth a try , roses are ever green and you can still sell them as bare root.

 

I don't think they will not flower, its just that they will have to grow to "maturity" before they flower, so by taking cuttings above the fork you get a palnt that will flower when it is physically smaller. The Brugs I have grown from seed are a good 8' tall before they flowered ... heopfully the cuttings I have taken will flower at much lower than that

 

Just to be technical, if a Brug hasn't forked its a matter of HASN'T flowered yet rather than CAN'T flower.

Brugs flower on apical buds. Its because the first flower starts to develop at the top of the stem, that it forces the plant to fork. As flower buds take quite a time to develop you tend to notice the fork before you notice the flower bud. Its then a matter that anything above the fork is an adult and capable of flowering, but anything such as a cutting from below the fork is juvenile and not capable of flowering till its old enough to be adult.


This picture of a Datura shows the apical bud aspect quite well. Later buds on Brugs are still apical - but you would never believe it as they seem to be shoots of a single stem.

 

Sorry, I meant to say a fork from a flowering branch. That way it think's it's a adult plant and produces flowers quicker. Years ago I nearly lost interest in Brugs because I used to cut them down to a stump and got frustrated at the length of time they too to flower again . Now I've learnt from other's, I've got two blooms already, I'm much happier.

Wayne