Brugmansia 2

Looks a good specimen, a little leaf scorch but considering where it came from you're lucky it is that good. Walnut will advise on care.
This is what it could grow into!!! (This was taken in Tenerife).

Should grow like the clappers.

 

Walnut, my fast friend .... you put me to shame. Here I can grow them outside all year round and they look like cr*p compared to yours. In saying that, I have many, many buds on mine but many, many, many, many yellowing leaves .... do I need to put more iron on ?????? I will have beautiful blooms with no foliage .... same with the Cestrum and Ioantha at the mo .... any thoughts? x

 

Thanks Strongy will look through the thread and I'm sure dear Walnut will come along and help me out me being a Newbie and all and him being a darling.:D Hel.xxx.

 

Hi Hel,looks good your variegated goes by the name of sunset (sometimes called maya) they are one of the same in my opinion,it is a rooted cutting and so it will flower this year,it will grow quickly so be prepared to pot it on regularly mine end up in 18"pots so be careful if you have to move them or better still get someone to move them for you, they are thirsty and sometimes on very hot days need to be watered a couple of times a day,feed once a week a handful of chicken pellets in a watering can works wonders (leave them overnight to disolve)They don't need full sun in fact I prefer part shade for mine they don't dry out as quick,you can cut them down to 6" at the back end of the season using all you cut off for cuttings they are very easy to root,we can go into this in more detail later,well done.

Here is mine just one flower at the moment which will turn more orange,I pollinated it yesterday with a cultivar called "joli" a deep pink to see what turns out.

 

My dear lady yellowing of leaves on brugs is a natural process daily you get the odd one dropping off but from the sound of it yours seems to be excessive and not limited to your brug which would indicate a collective problem, yellowing of the leaves or chlorosis can have many causes specific deficiencies (often aggravated by high soil pH) produce chlorosis, which may be corrected by supplemental feedings of nutrient iron, magnesium or nitrogen compounds in various combinations.Test your soil pH get a kit from your local g c you should aim for a soil pH of 6.5-7 slightly acid to neutral, are you still growing it in a large pot ? if so ensure the drainage is good although they like plenty of water they don't like to stand in it (another cause of chlorosis) a common problem with potted plants,Sequestered iron is a good tonic you can give now and then and occasionaly I give mine a soluble lawn food which is usually a fast acting fertiliser 30:5:10 and contains Ureic Nitrogen and Ammoniacal Nitrogen which serves to Green up plants,hope this helps.

 

Thanx Walnut you da man! :thumb:

Seriously though thanks a lot darling I'm so looking forward to this monster of a plant to get going I'm really glad I went back for it and that's a very nice surprise to know that once it's season is over I can take cuttings as you say (hopefully it will be easy) and maybe if I get lucky with the cuttings I can spread the love by giving some plants away.

Taking notes of all you have told me Walnut in a little note book so I don't forget:rolleyes:
Bob's happy by the way as at least it's one plant he can water to his heart's content.Hel.xxx.

 

I didn't realise they grew soooo fast, I repotted mine(from march cuttings) from a 4" to a 6" pot two weeks ago to stop it drying out so quickly and there are roots at the botom and around the top already. Looks like it will have to go into a 8 or 10 " in a couple of weeks and the other two aren't far behind.

 

I put my datura (is that right?) outside a few weeks ago now, as it has out-grown it's spot on my windowsill! It has done really well - grown a good 6" from when I bought it, in width and height lol!

Reading that they are loved by slugs, I am using a large water-tray moat (it sits on top of a brick in the middle), which worked well, til today. The breeze must've lifted, as when I went outside, I noticed it had fallen over. My initial panic was quelled as it seems to be completely unharmed (phew). Maybe they have strong stems? I was expecting to find it snapped - or in some way damaged - even nibbled by passing slugs!

Anyway, I have tempororily looped some wire around the pot, attaching it to my wooden garden tidy - but this is obviously a temporary measure. Anyone any suggestions as to how I can stop it blowing over? I know they are thirsty - but would it complain if it was always in the water ie. off the brick?

 

JarBax I put bricks or part paving slabs on top of some of my big pots to anchor them down, when they have a lot of top growth they are prone to being blown over,you can half bury the pot in the ground put a couple of copper bands about 1cm apart right around the pot if you want to deter slugs.

 

Thanks Walnut - hadn't thought about weighing the pot down with slabs/stones etc - will do that right away!

I don't have a place in my beds where the leaves would be far enough away form other foliage to sink it into the ground. The spot I had first earmarked is now filled! Is there a cheap place to buy copper bands? Keep looking out for it - but without joy.

 

Oh my God, you lot did it, now I want one too! :-(
How do I tell my husband?
Walnut your plants are faboulous.
Where I lived, in Italy, there was a huge, really huge datura in a garden on the main road, that behaved like a deciduous perennial. We had wicked freezing winters (north of Italy ain't the Mediterranean)every year it started from zero, but by october it would get out through the bars of the fence and spill over the footstep (2 meters wide footstep... and it would be mostly covered). It was a real stunner, especially by moonlight.
Oh dear I am babbling, sorry, good looking plants have that effect on me.

 

J B Wilkinsons have the stick on copper tape for around you pots you will get a season out of it and it's not too expensive.

 

Hi Walnut, whats the hardiest Brug?

I have something I want to try.
I want to plant one in the garden and protect the roots with straw through the winter.
The race would then be on to see if it could get big enough to flower the following summer.

I've managed to overwinter plants of sanguinea in the ground for the last two winters, but they dont reach flowering size.

 

Good luck, Pete. I tried it with a Sauveolens last winter but it didn't make it!

 

How did you protect it caj?