Hows Your Brugmansia

[GREVILLE]

All mine inside still at full height and not showing signs of slowing down. The greenhouse is much warmer this year.

[sanatic1234]

I can't wait to buy one of these this year from my local GC they sell them at £6 for a round 6 inch (15cm) cuttings. I missed out last year when i went back to get one they had all gone. is £6 a good buy for a 15cm cutting, they had the colors of pink, yellow, white and one that produces half yellow half red flowers. I hope they stock them again this year.

[Kristen]

Sounds all right, so long as it is a cutting taken from flowering wood, and not taken from immature wood. Best bet would be to buy one in flower, then you know the wood is mature

Personally I would prefer to get a named variety, and now only grow Good Do'ers as although many have magnificent flowers etc. I have found lots difficult to grow and get flowering well.

I reckon named plants on eBay will be around 6 quid ... so might be worth having a look there when they come available in the Sheds.

[sanatic1234]

I did see some on ebay last year kristen but once the p&p was added on the price was a round £12 for a cutting. so double i would of paid at my local GC. How do you tell if the wood is mature would it be brown? these were green stems a round 1 1/2 cm's thick.

They do have some more mature brugs there priced at £59.99 if i can remember rightly but don't hold me to that as i was looking at a lot of plants that day so may be getting mixed up with another plant. certainly not getting it mixed up with a Dicksonia antarctica as for a 2ft one it was price at £185.

[Dave Brown]

Sounds all right, so long as it is a cutting taken from flowering wood, and not taken from immature wood. Best bet would be to buy one in flower, then you know the wood is mature

That is the opposite of what I look for.

Flowering wood will do just that, and not grow any height. A flowering wood cutting is fine if you want to lay on the floor to see the flowers. Most cuttings are flowering wood as easy to take the tips off. Vegetative wood is more difficult to get as someone has to cut the whole thing down to get it.

I discard all flowering wood cut off, only rooting the vegetative

[Steph]

I reckon named plants on eBay will be around 6 quid ... .

What I have seen sold as named plants on Ebay haven't always been 100% correct, in fact I wouldn't rely on the name bit at all.

[Kristen]

Indeed, caveat emptor, but there are folk on eBay who sell lots of Brugs - more chance of getting what you expect from them I reckon (than from someone who just sells the odd one).

[RozDevon]

My 4 brugs are in pots in the garage by a window. Temps in there are a couple of centrigrade higher than outside.
The two biggest are suffering dieback on the top branched stems.
Shall I cut back to good wood or wait till spring?
Will cutting back now stop it progressing down the stems?
Not sure what to do for the best.

[otorongo]

The two biggest are suffering dieback on the top branched stems.
Shall I cut back to good wood or wait till spring?
Will cutting back now stop it progressing down the stems?
Not sure what to do for the best.

IME the dieback on brugs doesn't progress, it stops at the nearest branching point.

[Kristen]

I cut mine back when I bring them in, in Autumn, so that when they sprout in the Spring they don't hit the roof too easily! I figure if you leave it, and cut them back later, then the buds lower down have to fatten, and then break, which takes time.

I don't remember getting dieback (in previous years) on relatively thick wood that I cut back to. I haven't done enough, nor for enough seasons, to be sure, but my gut feeling is that the thicker, more mature, wood will be better able to cope than the thin tip-stems.

[Steph]

Indeed, caveat emptor, but there are folk on eBay who sell lots of Brugs - more chance of getting what you expect from them I reckon (than from someone who just sells the odd one).

Or don't buy on Ebay, buy from the plant breeders, there isn't much difference in price........

[RozDevon]

Thanks for advice.
I was trying to keep the height, they're about 5foot, and the branches.
I'll keep an eye on the die back and see if its creeping along. It is the thin top branches getting it, so as long as I can keep most of the height with good solid stems that will be OK.

[Dave Brown]

My big one that had a Brug fest back in autumn is just about to start again

[Kristen]

Or don't buy on Ebay, buy from the plant breeders, there isn't much difference in price........

I'd prefer to, but whenever I have wanted to there was a significant difference in price, so maybe I just wasn't looking in the right place.

In fact I think I only ever really considered Jungle, and they were always expensive (never had any problem with the quality of the plants I got though). Now they aren't doing plants any more what's the best place for Brug plants?

The Flower Dream I got from them a couple of years ago was £16, and the Brugmansia volcanicola I got last year was £25 (that's RRP as both were bought cheaper in their sales) - shipping was a further £8 or £9 ...

I have a note that http://www.otherfellow.co.uk (who does an excellent range of Fuchsias) had Grand Marnier for £3.75 (but can't see anything other than Fuchsias on his site just now)

I got a Brugmansia sanguinea off eBay for £5.19 + £3 P&P and I thought I had a couple more Brugs off eBay for £6 or so ... but if I did I can't find it in my notes, otherwise I'd be able to give you the Sellers ID

[otorongo]

My brugmansia is growing better than anything else in this dry weather. It must have grown an extensive root system now. It's been in the ground for over a year. In the winter, which saw -6C, it didn't get more protection than a cloche and a single layer of fleece. They're much tougher than they're made out to be.