Brugmansia

[DiCasS]

First year of overwintering and keeping the stem here. It's been in the garage all Winter, no water, no leaves, but still alive. I was looking at it yesterday and decided it must be time to get these started again. If I wanted to keep it in the same pot, is it just the matter of trimming the roots back, giving it some new compost and start watering?

Any help would be great.

Di

[Steph]

Fresh compost helps, but you don't need all the old roots - hack off upto 50% and then repot.
People with large plants manage to keep them in the same pot year on year.
Start feeding & watering, in the light you'll see some action in no time.
Mine are growing nicely already.

[DiCasS]

Thanks Steph. It looks like it wants to grow now, there are small leaves sprouting, so as being as the weather is going to improve now will bring it outside and chop some of the roots off and put it into the same pot again. I was pleased with my 'first timer' last year but in hindsight could have left it a bit longer before I put it away for Winter. I reckon I put it away about a month too early.

Di

[Steph]

I haven't put mine outside yet, if you put them out too soon, it slows the growth to a halt.
Ideally the same temperature as the garage but with light.

[Dave Brown]

Put my biggest one outside today, it is in a tub against the south facing kitchen wall where it was until early December last year. Been left in the Lunar Module over winter dry until about 3 weeks ago when I decided to water. Temps in there have gone down to around 2C and until last week were struggling to reach 10C, so to me 15C days and 6C nights outside will be fine.

I don't have plans to to cut roots or replace compost as they are so hungry that you have to add loads of feed anyway.

Here is a pic of mine taken just now. Not many leaves on it yet, and the single stem to the right will be cut off and used as a cutting to place out the front in early June. The single stems like that are vegetative growth so will grow tall, as opposed to forking growth which just flowers and forks.

Her it was last October in full flush

[miketropic]

anything you do special for the cuttings Dave. I found a var. one at my greenhouse I will buy but my grand mother has one Id like to take cuttings from.

[DiCasS]

If there is no real need to cut the roots, then I don't think I am going to. I was watching a video of a guy in America chopping his roots, but maybe that was more for storage purposes. Night temps between 6 - 10 degrees are forecast here for the next few days at least, so am tempted to leave mine out now.

I'm just amazed how fast these grow in one season if well watered and fed regularly.





Di

[Dave Brown]

anything you do special for the cuttings Dave.

Not really, the main thing if you want a standard, as opposed to a bush, it to get an upright, non forking (flowering) section. Either root in water, compost or perlite. Most of mine have been rooted in water

[derrick]

Mine also outside from today not much leaves on it 3 plants mix together

[Dave Brown]

I'm just amazed how fast these grow in one season if well watered and fed regularly.
Di

Yes, a new shoot appearing at the base in early summer can make 6ft by the end of the season

[Mr List]

surprised by how small the pot is for yours Dave.

I plant mine in a big pot in spring and dig out to a little pot each winter.
the big pot is always full of roots.

[Dave Brown]

surprised by how small the pot is for yours Dave.

I plant mine in a big pot in spring and dig out to a little pot each winter.
the big pot is always full of roots.

Because it is grown in light, if that is what we call it in winter I can keep mine growing if warm enough, so don't downsize the pot. Next to the conservatory door, it is watered every day, and will be a prime candidate for the washing up water this summer

[otorongo]

Mine was outside all winter. It lost its leaves and the tips got mushed by the frosts, but 90% of the trunk survived. I'm not cutting them off though, they dry and seal over themselves so the rot doesn't spread down the stem.

I planted it in the ground a week ago, with plenty of blood, fish and bone and extra bonemeal. It's putting out new leaves. I'm going to feed it like crazy in this lovely 'heat'

I hope to get the trunk to grow to a decent thickness and become woody, to get more trunk hardiness. I've seen some really thick trunks in Costa Rica and Spain.

[Steph]

Anybody else got flower buds?
Salmon Perfektion, Double White & the Arborea...

[DiCasS]

Flower buds Steph, your kidding, all I've got is a stick

Thought about trying mine in the ground this year, another option, as I had trouble before the end of the season in keeping it stable, and ended up having to tie it upright Are there any other advantages being in the ground as opposed to being in a pot, apart from the stability.

Di