Brugmansias

Have you go an overwintering plan sorted out?

Now is good

Note (in case new to you?) that from seed they need to grow to maturity before they will flower. "Maturity" comes when the plant forks naturally and typically that takes most of a season and plant may well be 5' or more by then. A cutting taken above that Y-fork will be on mature wood, and will flower without having to grow to maturity, so you may be better off scouring a cutting, rather than growing from seed.

Having said that my main ones were grown from seed year-before-last ...

 

I assume then that there's not much chance of mine flowering now?

 

I think it would have done by now, if it was going to (unless its a winter flowering type?)

If it is not in a conservatory then bringing it in may help it to start flowering. If you haven't got a conservatory them by the time you have built one ... its probably going to be a bit late

Remind me Freddy, is this from seed?

 

Kirsten has got this spot on! Abie the Y are your best chance for a early flowering plant. But older wood is great but you have to wait until the" youth grows into a adult".
Also look for stems that look bumpy with white semi nodules, this is a sign that they could root easily.

The Cold species Arboreas, Sangs for me are devils to root. Some people are very sucessful with rockwool,etc. I've grown the cold species from seed and find them easier to over winter than my favored warm group.

If you have'nt got a conservatory or greenhouse it's difficult. But placed somewhere like a garage with good horticultural 30g fleece could help.

Good luck!

Wayne

 

Hiya Kristen and Wayne.

I bought it as a rooted/growing on cutting, above the 'Y'. As to whether or not it's a 'warm' variety, I don't know. It's 'Angels Phanomena', a pink double. The plan is to keep it in the greenhouse, frost free over winter. As for cuttings, is it just a case of taking off the top 4"-6" next to a leaf joint and immersing it in water to root? I assume it, once rooted, will need at least some warmth? Or, is frost free sufficient? I'm quite happy to keep my greenhouse propagator running over the winter if necessary if some warmth is needed.

Cheers...Freddy.

 

Freddy, you have a Brugmansia that is in the warm group. So it is a good idea to take a top cutting as abit of insurance??? It would be just toasty in your prop. You could have two nice plants, or give one away.

I have a Hot Tray that I have for my seedlings and cuttings. I strap bamboo canes to the ends, and hang fleece over it. It seems to work well with the bottom heat.

This weekend I'll be insulating the greenhouses. Armed with UV Big Bubbled bubblewrap, Polysterence sheets and Horticultural fleece. Wish me luck, I'm going in!!!!!!!

Wayne

 

Give it warmth, I don't think frost free will be enough (if it is no actively growing I think the fragile roots are likely to rot).

It won't grow much, so just left on a windowsill over winter and potted up in the spring should be fine. Watch out for bugs like Red Spider indoors though ...

 

Hiya chums, thanks for the replies, but what about the cutting/rooting technique?

 

In water until the nodules (on the bark surface) start to expand, then into a pot of free draining compost. Personally I put everything, including Brugs, into pots (and tie a plastic bag over them to keep the humidity up) - saves transitioning the roots from Water to Soil - but rooting in water for Brugs is common.

 

Excellent, thanks

 

Oh, one last thing. The length of cutting? Should I take out the lower leaves of the cutting? (That's two things isn't it)

 

You can have a Brug cutting as long as you like (literally), although tall cuttings can be hard to support / prevent falling over, but they will give you a decent sized plant sooner, and if you have to overwinter your brugs as cuttings them a pot full of 2' or 3' "sticks" is going to be better, come Spring, than cuttings that are only 6" tall.

Take the bottom leaves off, and make a clean cut just below a leaf joint.

Free draining compost:

I would use 50:50 Multi Purpose and Perlite (by volume). I find 50% perlite is a lot, so if it looks too "white" then use a bit less. Depends a bit on the size of the Perlite; Hydroponics tends to use P45 (Super coarse) whereas I favour P25 (Medium) as a Multi Purpose Compost additive.

(P25 means graded particle sizes 2mm - 5mm, and P45 is 4mm-5mm)

 

Thanks Kristen

 

I have 2 choices.,
1... put it the shed
or
2...put it the living roon and disguise it with my xmas tree
My plants have buds on so i cant take cuttings yet

 

Here a pic of 2 of mine last yr that sal sent me freddy