For Sal, Brugmansia Mobisu

Sal and I have been having a chat aboput the cold group of Brugmansia's.

And Sal has asked me to post a picture of my first coloured flower of the year from Mobisu, I've attached a picture of her from last year too. I've had a flower from my Arborea, and have a bunch of buds coming too.



The warm Brugs are starting warm up developing the first leaves, so I'm giving them plenty of soil enriching feeds. I am using a molasses, kelp and humic acid mixture with water to get the plant moving, give it the best start possible.

Hope to post more pictures soon, and look foward to seeing everyone's Brugs this year.

Wayne

 

Thank you , wayne , I hope that other peoples will enjoy this pictures as well ,
this is why my obsession with cold group brugmansia , while the warm group are developing the leaves , the cold grup are paying you off with flower ....

This year it seams we all have problem to wake up plants
could you tell us more about the molasses?
will it work with other plants as well?
thank you again

 

I'm no expert, but I have read and listened to some experienced Brug growers that swear by the stuff.
What I've read and can explain go's like this. Again I'm just learning, there will be better qualified people than me that give a good explaination, but here's mine;

Plants take their nutrients andconvert them into sugars,which is their source of food.
By using unsulphured molasses(sugars) they can skip the conversion and utilize the sugar from the very start. That saves them energy, and that energy goes right into cell developement and growth. The kelp strengthens and enlarges their cells and greatly enhances their growth,and the humic acid kicks everything into gear by stimulating soil microbial activity, and acts as a chelating agent.

What I mean by chealating agent , is that it it binds the beneficial nutients together and releases into the plants. If you start reading into "feeding the soil ", you can discover some really rewarding stuff. I've starting to read about the benefits of Humic acid for plants. Also by looking at your plants you can judge what they need, such as adding epsom salts to make them greener, when you see yellowing develop.

I plan to switch to foliar spraying in the summer proper, again it's been pointed out to me that the plants take up to 70% of nutrients through thier leaves. So it makes sense to apply molasses/kelp to both side of the leaves to give them energy and turn them into tough, pest resistant plants. Healthy soil/Healthy leaves= Healthy Plant.

I still plan to give them a miracle grow crystal/ tomato feed drench for root waterings, when they start to bud.

Honestly, all this is pretty new to me. But the crappy winter and lack of gardening made me research how I could help get my plants going. I've giving molasses/sea kelp/humic acid to dahlia's/Canna's and Eucomis so far. They are all just poking their heads up, with the aid of a heat mat too. Well, you don't think the english weather did that

Ohh, how may times do I feed them when in proper growth, what's that saying " weekly but weakly", I tend to do it almost daily in summer in the evening's when it's cooler for the plants and for me!

Wayne

 

Could we have a bit more info about warm groups and cold groups?

I'm rubbish with brugs, none of mine are remotely visible as yet (quite possibly for ever) and they never seem to grow lushly. The last lot got some kind of pest which put paid to some promising buds.

 

I have some Lyles treacle..would that be as useful as molasses?

 

I'm afraid Lyles treacle is less refined than molasses. Molasses is obtained from the drainings of raw sugar during the refining process and treacle is made from the syrup obtained from the sugar.

You can find Molasses at Horse yards, health shops like Holland and Barratt for quid. Just need a tablespoon in a watering can , warm water to start the melting process and give it a good stir.I really would recommend some seaweed extract/kelp. Really helps.

I have some warm brugs that are just putting out leaves, it' still early yet, and it's warming up.

Wayne

 

Cheers wayne Got some seaweed and will get some molasses
Might add a sprinkle of rock dust when i repot aswell
My horses never minded whether they got molasses or treacle so i didnt think theyre was a lot of differance

 

Hi Wayne - it must be Brug time again. Currently I have a sanguinea and a seed grown (from the warm group - but not quite sure what it is) in flower inside the house. The great benefit of having one inside the house is that in the evening you get this wonderful perfume.

Arborea seems to be ahead in starting into leaf of the plants that overwintered frost free. The rest have done very little yet.

I am most interested in the feeding aspect. I try to feed with high potassium - viz Miraclegro with added Potassium sulphate on a daily basis in the summer, which seems to produce good results. But last year was terrible - I suspect that temperature is a major factor. Is there a single good source of info on the subject of feeding - or is it just bits and bobs from many people?

Have you and Sal come to any conclusion about vulcanicola - ie why does nobody seem to grow it?

Its been so cold in my house over the last few months that most of my seedlings and cuttings have done really badly. My Cannas seedlings were suffering and I lost a couple, which doesn't normally happen. So I put some in a heated box; a transparent storage box with a heating pad and another box upside down on top. Its really just a heated propagator but with over 2 feet headroom. The effect on the Canna was massive - they have really taken off. I have loads of Brug cuttings that are struggling too - so I should be doing the same for them. But it all comes down to space.

 

Like the Brugmansia's, I've woken up too!!

I agree Pete without the heat mat/prop, I wouldn't be seeing the growth I have. Plus I treated myself to a small heat lamps for some very special wild Aurea seedlings I have. It's kept me busy and happy to see things moving. I have some Canna's moving too. Last year was too wet and crappy, nothing except my T-Rex did well, but I'm full of optimism for this year

But now with have temps like today's, near the 20's we should start seeing things push on!!

Now as for Vulcanicola's, I've come to the conclusion that there are expensive , therefore rare, and pain in the arse!! They would love our current conditions, but hate the summer. I believe there is alot of cross breeding going on, such as Arbo Vulsa's( Arborea & Vulcanicola ) trying to make something stronger and less virus prone.

But hey if it's an obsession, what can you do. We all have to try something once or maybe twice to learn what the limit's are??

Wayne

 

Worth a new topic I think ?

 

I think so too. Always willing to learn something new.
I got my info from a fella in the States who learnt his trade in a nursery. They are nuts over there, make compost tea's with beer, manure, kelp,molasses,huimc acid and keep it bubbling with a pump to keep it all " ALIVE".

I'm taking it steady and slow. Infact I'm experimenting with good old Hermasetas sweetner's mixed with water as a foliar spray for my seedlings. Over on the BGI forum someone did it last year and the diffeences with seedlings was great.

Over here, we need any advantage we can get with our weather

Wayne

 

Wayne - I have just put some comments about molasses frrd on this thread http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/phostrogen.51182/page-2

The person I was speaking to didn't like the idea. But the read evidense must come from Brug enthusiasts - so I am interested in how you get on.

 

That was really interesting..I had'nt thought that the outer cells walls would not be penatrated by a foliar feed. I got a lot on info from this site. I can still the sense in the soil drench giving the plant the best kickstart possible.
http://trumpetflowers.com/text/foliar-feeding-zone-9b.htm

Well, I always prepared to learn, but last year this chap I know in Basingstoke did a side by side comparison of foliar feeding with one given normal feed, the other wih molaases, kelp,etc. The results stood out, literally.

I'm on a crusade now to learn more about this, I can see his point. As photosynthesis happens within the plant, nature doesn't spray them with sugar. But I am, like other's , desperate to get a head start and have the best plants possible, using every trick in the book.

Wayne

 

Maxicrop (seaweed) have been promoting their product as a foliar feed since I was in short trousers ... before then even, probably ... so if it was "Molasses plus Kelp etc" then it may have been the Kelp, rather than the Molasses, that did the trick?

 

• 1 teaspoon peroxide
• 1 - 12 oz can of dark beer
• 1/2 cup household clear ammonia
• 15 drops Tea Tree Oil
• 4 drops Superthrive liquid (optional)
• 1/2 white aspirin tablet, crushed
• 1 Vitamin B tablet, crushed
• 1/4 cup unsulphured blackstrap molasses

These seemed worthy of some discussion, the rest I was comfortable with


Tea Tree - for immunity perhaps? Might be worth putting some Neem in too if going to the trouble of spraying the leaves top & bottom as the Neem would give you some bug killing benefit too.

Peroxide and Ammonia??

Aspirin? I've heard of it being used to extend cut flower vase life. Perhaps the Salicylic acid has a benefit? Does that come for Nettles too, or am I dreaming? Yew maybe?

Beer and Molasses assumed to be doing similar jobs? (Sugar for bugs?? as raised above sceptical that plants will absorb complex sugars from their leaves; aphid "sugar mess" just causes moulds to grow on the leaves of my plants ...)

Superthrive is a vitamin supplement (designed for plants) - in case it saves anyone looking it up

Personally I wouldn't use household soap ("Lemon Dish Soap" was mentioned), I only ever use horticultural soap for that purpose (i.e. as a wetting agent)