biggest brugmansia

[parkeey]

which is the biggest flower on the brugs

Kongmansia or supernova, cant decide which one to go for lol

[Steph]

Get both you know you want to... there are plenty of others!!

[parkeey]

dont know were to buy these plants though other than ebay,? if anyone has a cutting spare pm me

[Andy P]

I`ve been wanting to get hold of some Brugs too.
Found this site....
http://www.guardiangardencentre.co.uk/p ... ansia-red/

[billo]

The Brug on the guardiangardencentre website is taken from - jparkers.co.uk, the website of JParkers. Go to the website & look for 'Exotic patio Plants' on the left. You'll find various Brugs along with a range of other exotics.

I would describe Parkers as mostly 'cheap & cheerful'. I recently bought a couple of Herbacious collections from them. The plants were supplied as Jumbo plugs but had superb root systems & are growing away extremely well.

[Andy P]

Cool. cheers for that billo

[Dave Brown]

All Brugs have huge flowers compared to the average, but that can have some down sides. As brug flowers can only be seen at their best from slightly below, the bigger the flower, the taller the plant has to be to be appreciated.

I have Charles Grimaldii and Yellow Bird, and these need to be about 7 feet plus to look their best. To achieve this they must be overwintered with previous year's growth if summer flowers are required, or they will get to flowering size around October.

[Steph]

Or you have to raise the pot off the ground... I use chimney pots.

[The Codfather]

If I plant a brug out.....aere the easy enough to lift for winter.

[khaskings]

Dead easy to overwinter.

They do flower very late despite being tender. I wait until the first frost has damaged the leaves to maximise the flowering season, then cut off the main stem just beneath the first 'Y' (NOT a leaf axil), trim all the other leaves off, dig out a manageable rootball and stick it in a pot.
Keep it free of freezing (not optional) and dark (optional). Freezing temps will kill the plant. Don't water unless the roots get really dry, then only water sparingly. In the dark, if you keep it (relatively) warm around 10C they continue to grow a little but the growth is very pale and weedy and you'll just end up removing those leaves come the spring anyway.

I understand (and it's my experience) that they go pretty much dormant in a cool dark place. They still tend to suffer from greenfly and that moth whose caterpillar wraps the leaf around itself. As soon as the risk of frost has gone, bring them outside again. The sun will likely burn any existing pale leaves but the new green growth will be fine.

Or,

...cut the plant into around 12" sections and leave them in water (free from freezing temps) to develop roots. In a cool conservatory I did manage to maintain a batch of rooted cuttings all over winter in water with a tiny drop of Baby Bio added. By the end of February the roots were plentiful with little top growth (ideal combination for winter storage).

[Mr List]

Or you have to raise the pot off the ground... I use chimney pots.

i have put mine on top of an old upsidedown plastic dustbin this year,
the 'ground level' is at shoulder height.

i have no idea how i will get it down to over winter

[Kristen]

cut off the main stem just beneath the first 'Y'

Naive question: would not "just above the Y" be better?

I am thinking that above the Y any new growth in the Spring will be "adult", whereas below the Y the plant may make new, immature, growth in the Spring before it then forks and produces mature, flowering, growth

[khaskings]

That is a good point. My intention was to increase overall height each season, so below 'Y' cuts is the order of the day for me. I suppose when I reach a reasonable height I'll be cutting like that myself

[Kristen]

Ah, OK, that makes sense. Mine (grown from seed) didn't fork until 6' - 7', so I guess I haven't got to worry about that!

[Bob]

Luckily mine branched at around 6ft last year, so I'm hoping for the full 'umbrella' effect this year.

Getting an airing: