WOW, what a show stopper. Very pretty, I just love the white's. Georgia

Looks fabulous!!!! Thanks for sharing the photo.

Hello,

Here is a picture of the same plant from a year earlier, August 2003.

{{gwi:495851}}

Wildcat

What do you do with something so big in the winter? Do you dig up all the roots and transplant it into a pot? or is it already in a bucket with holes in it?
I would love advise on achieving growth like that in a seasonal zone 6 climate.
Whats your secret???!!!!

Hello Xeriscape8321,

Yes, I have 5 big brugs and a large plumeria in my yard planted raised bed gardens.

I am in Zone 5, so they only spend about 5 months in my gardens, mid-May to Mid October.

The plumeria is the only one I leave in a pot as it suffers more when you disturb the roots than the brugs.

In the last week, I planted all these plants into my gardens. The plumeria was in an 18" pot but I repotted it into a 24" pot (they type that you buy trees in) as the plumeria is 7 feet tall and has 24 tips. 4 of 5 of the brugs are 7 feet tall as well.

I did go to a hardware store and buy some large hollow drill bits so I could drill some more holes in the pot. I used the 1 1/2" drill bit. This 24" pot had about 8 3/4" holes on the sides right at the bottom. (But no holes on the bottom itself...which is very good. If you sink any pots into the ground, you do NOT want any holes on the bottom of the pot, only on the sides!!! If you pot has holes on the bottom, seal them up! NEVER have holes on the bottom of any pot you sink into the ground!)

I enlarged the original holes to 1 1/2" and then drilled 8 more, centered between them but about 4" higher.

But I digress, back to the brugs...LOL!

My brugs I plant directly into the ground. They need so much water and a large root system to grow to their best performance. (Plus, they never get bothered by bugs in the ground, only when I have them in pots Wintering them.)

After planting, I generally have to soak them nearly every day for a month while they develop a larger root system.

And I fertilize them every week, with lots of fertilizer. They cannot get enough! Sometimes dry, sometimes the blue powder you mix with water. When I first started growing brugs, I did not fertilized but once a month. Wow! When I fertilize them heavy now, it really makes a difference!

Since I do not trim back any Winter growth, I get some flowers right away, as I currently do now.

I dig them up up in the fall, usually after the first light frost (to get rid of some of the leaves). Of course, the Plumeria, I dig up a couple weeks before any chance of frost...not good to freeze your plumeria!

I do not even try to dig up the entire root sytem for the brugs, heck, I'd need a backhoe for that...hahaha.

First, I get out my big pair of lopers, or as I affectionately call, the "toe nail clippers". And then I cut off every branch at about the 5 foot high level. Unfortunately, since the plants at this time in October can ber 8-10 feet tall with an 8-12 foot spread, this means that I have to cut some branches that are 5 feet long and bushy-bushy. You should see the brumansia brush pile I leave in the street for the city to pick up, about the size of a car. Truely, a waste. If they need any brugs for the greenhouse for the next year, I'll salvage some, but the last two years, they did not need any.

Then I use a flat spade to dig them up. I may buy a spade with jagged teeth this fall as the roots can be a bear to cut through. I cut a circle in the dirt as deep as the spade will go, only about 6"-8" away from the base, but at least a 12"-18" deep.

This is enough of a root ball and with the branches cut way back, the plants are nearly manageable...LOL!

I put them on the back of a truck or trailer and take them to the greenhouse and pot them into 20"-24" pots for the Winter.

I thkn that about explains it, if I forget anything, I will post some more.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask and I will adress them.

I will try to post some pictures of my other brugs when I get a chance.

Wildcat

Thanks for the info! The next time you cut back those brugs and have a pile if branches I'll be glad to send postage for a nice sized box to be priority mailed back to me with some of those branches!!!! Keep me in mind!! LOL

Sure, that would be fine, I would be more than happy to send them to you.

Wildcat

Wow, hearing about the pile for the garbage is going to make a lot of people cry. I know myself that I am just getting to the point where I can share some cuttings with others. One man I know only slightly from a community event came over to get one lonely cutting I could spare right now. It's his second variety (first was from me last year) and he loved it so much he wants more. I'm hoping I can get to the point that I can cut back several this fall to offer for trades.
It seems I might have better success if I plant them right in the ground. For the first time I put 3 cuttings in and am anxious to see how much difference it makes. Here in southern Wisconsin our season always seems to short, but these plants make a difference.
I may contact you this fall....

Hello Deidre,

I know what you mean about the growing season.

Yes, contact me in the Autumn.

What colors of Brugs do you have?

I am driving up to the Wisconsin Dells Saturday morning. Are you near I90 at all?

If you are interested and wanted to meet me on I90, I could bring a cutting of you of one of my whites, it actually has larger and nicer flowers than the one above. Maybe a pink cutting too.

Also, if you do not have a variegated gold one, the nursery where I Winter mine has ones that are flowering for $20+tax.

Let me know as soon as possible.

Wildcat

I love being able to read forums like this because there is so much valuable information!
Do you have any suggestions for someone who is just now starting with their first brug? It will arrive today or tomorrow. This will be a container plant continually, since I have no yard, only a balcony, it's home will be a 24" ceramic planter.
I am zone 7, with very mild winters for being so far north. I thought about putting the planter on a wheeled platform so it would be easier to bring inside later on.
What should I expect to do with it when it starts getting colder, and how cold IS cold to a brug?
Thanks for your help.

Hello BJWSea,

Welcome to the wonderful world of Brugmansia.

What type of Brug did you get? How big is it supposed to be? Where are you getting it from?

Does your planter have drain holes?

You are sure starting off the best possible way having made the right choice in going with a large planter, the more these plants have room to grow, the better off they are.

A wheeled planter will be another smart call on your part. Go fo it.

Buy good quality potting soil for your planter, not topsoil. Personally, I do not buy the "Moisture Control" stuff as I do not want to rot the roots in the Winter. Usually, I buy the potting mix that has fertilizer in it already as these plants really love fertilizer.

Since your plant will be much smaller than this pot will accomodate, when you fill it with soil, do not pack the soil in there. Do not fill the planter to the top either, you will need room to water, say maybe, 2"-3" from the top.

When you buy powdered fertilizer, the blooming fertilizer works the best, like 10-50-10, high second number which is phosphorus.

After your plant is established in your planter and growing well, you can start fertilizing. You probably do not need to fertilize right away if you buy soil that has fertilizer already in it.

Hopefully, your balcony gets sun, as they need sun to flower their best.

Too cold is heavy frost, which will kill the branches. A light frost will kill only the leaves. However, if you bring it inside before the lows drop into the upper-mid 30's, you will probably still have flowers when you bring it inside.

I am sure others will chime in with other good ideas as well.

Enjoy!

Wildcat

To all,

Here are some pictures of my pinks back in August 2003.

Wildcat

{{gwi:495852}}
{{gwi:495853}}

Here's a picture of my gold brug from 2003 as well.

Hopefully, this year, I will get some nice pictures of my plants.

Wildcat

{{gwi:495854}}

WOW! Your Brugs are just Fantastic! I lived in NW Indiana
for several years, and I bet you stop all the traffic in your neighborhood... You just never see something like these Brugs in that area... Please put me on your list
for a Brug cutting when you give them a Hair cut..

Great Pictures & Beautiful Brugs I just turned Green with Envy! LOL

Your Brugs are just beautiful. I have four great pink bushes here in Orlando
and would love to send postage for cuttings of your white and yellow brugs. Gwen

Hello Karthartis and Ponion,

Sure, I will post before I go to cut them back and let everyone know who wants some cuttings.

Yes, when they are flowering and I am mowing the lawn, I usually have to stop and answer some questions...it's nice break when I am mowing.

Then there are other time when people stop and ring to the doorbell to ask.

You do not see these in yards up here, especially as big as these are.

Wildcat

Hi Wildcat...fab pics. Im a novice when it come to Brugs..and have just been given three seedlings of a variety called Rasberry ripple that are now about 9 inches tall....all in same pot as they have just been repotted and given to me...will Bruggs flower in the first year when grown this way from seed?. and when should i pot them up seperatly?? any tips.
Colin.

Save those big bushy pieces!!! They can be rooted just like a small cutting. Strip off all the leaves and trim back most of the green wood. (Leave a little to die back and seal over. Place them in a bucket with a few inches of water and keep it fresh. These will put on roots faster than most small cuttings. They next spring you have a nice 5-6 foot tall plant to start off with. Or to give away. (Or even sell..)

{{gwi:495855}}

One of those turned into this plant last year.
{{gwi:495857}}

From which I then took these trunks from last Fall...
{{gwi:495858}} That's a full sized Dodge pickup, by the way.

Wildcat, you said not to drill holes in the bottom of the buckets.....can you explain more on that? what type fertilizer are you using? I know you said bloom booster but any particular brand? Your brugs look awesome! Sandy

Hello Sandys_Garden,

Sure. If you have holes on the bottom of your large pot (especially 18" and above - currently my plumeria is in a 24" pot), when you go to dig them out, it creates a great problem. The roots grow out the bottom and into the ground.

So to cut the roots off to dig up the pot, you have to get your shovel under the pot to cut the roots. Hence you have to dig a giant hole to be able to get your shovel under the pot. This takes much time, is very tiring, and makes a big mess.

The larger the pot, the worse the effect.

However, if the holes in the pot are only on the sides and/or on the sides at the bottom, all you have to do is slide a flat spade down the side of the pot and "snip-snip" the roots are cut and the pot can be lifted out with a minimal of digging and physical work.

For example, see the pictures below, my friend in Arizona didn't listen to me and had holes on the bottom of his big pot. Look at the size of the hole he had to dig to get under the pot to cut the roots. Man, I mean it is like a crater!

{{gwi:495859}}

{{gwi:495860}}

{{gwi:495861}}

See what I mean? LOL!

Wildcat

Here is a link that might be useful: Barringer Meteorite Crater

Wildcat - you are toooooo cute! love it!

Thanks for the info - makes perfect sense. You didn't tell me what fertilizer you use or how often.........:)

Hello Sandy,

Thank you...LOL!

I find that visuals help with understanding.

I learned by trial and error, not every one else has too.

Generally, when I plant them into the ground, I use about 1-2 lbs. of Osmocote. Then, about every two weeks I through about a lb of some 10-10-10 garden fertilizer under the plant. But this sometimes burns other plants in the area.

When I am not being cheap, I buy the blue powder stuff that you attached to the hose and spray for about 3-5 minutes under each plant every two weeks.

I also have some Expert brand 10-52-10 I generally use by mixing 2 TBLS in a 2 gallon watering can, mostly for my smaller potted plants and sometimes for my big brugs and large plumeria. I put on two gallons per plant. I am not too brand loyal when it comes to fertilizer...other than only using Scott's for my lawn.

I have a few flower on all five plants right now, but mid August is usually the big show here in my climate.

But remember, my plants do not look this nice or full when I plant them in late May. Here is a picture on the big white brug in the first two pictures when I planted it 5 weeks ago. It is about 7 feet tall, but not bushy...yet!

{{gwi:495862}}

Wildcat

Thanks for all the info Wildcat. How much is a lb of 10-10-10....about a cup?

Sandy,

Hmmm...I don't really know, but probably more like 2 cups per lb. I usually through 7 or 8 hand scoops down around the plant, but I don't count, could be 6, could be 10.

This dry stuff can burn other plants in the areas though, so it is safer to use the blue powder stuff you put in a sprayer and attach to your hose, then hose it for 4-5 minutes per plant...if they are big like mine.

Also remember, I have 4" of bark mulch on top of my garden soil so that helps it not burn the plants too.

Or if they are smaller in pots, 1 TBSP of the blue powder per gallon of water every time or every other time you water during the growing season.

Personally, I recommend anyone else use the blue powder stuff, whatever the type and brand, over the dry white pellets.

The dry white stuff can and will burn some plants...but sometimes I am cheap and use the pellet stuff. But I have burned other plants in my garden this way, even this year...maybe I'll learn...LOL!

Wildcat

I was given rootings when I was in Florida the other day. I thought I would put them in a 24" pot, leave them out this summer, then bring it in in the fall. My question then is this: Should I bury it next spring, then harvest seeds, or what? I don't have a big place to overwinter the big ones like yours, but I don't know if they would flower growing from seed every year. What ya think???

Hello Col_UK2,

I would separate them and pot them in their own individual pot right way.

Yes, they can flower the first year if they get a lot of sun and do not dry out. Best to not to have a bottom or or tray under the pots as brugs do not like to sit in water. Remember to fertilize too especially as they get bigger.

Good luck!

Wildcat

Hello CsrLiz,

How big are your rootings?

How many do you have?

I will only grow 1 plant per pot, otherwise the plants will compete for water and light.

In more than 10 years I have been growing brugmansia, I have never had a seed pod grow. So, bringing the plant in or rooting cuttings is the best way for propagation.

Now, datura are another story. They seed quite easily and ingeneral can be considered annuals up here.

Are you sure what you have received? What color flowers is your plant supposed to have?

Can you post a picture of the plant now or e-mail me a picture.

Personally (although others may disagree with me) I think it is ideal to save the rootball with part of the plant.

I cut my plant back to 5 foot when I bring it inside. I know of others than cut their plants back to near the ground all the way up to 3 feet high too.

Wildcat

Hello TNGreenThumb,

Great pictures!

Have you ever dug up your rootballs and potted them for the Winter?

My 5 big brugs are all that I can handle. I do not need anymore.

However, being that you have a pickup truck, you are more than welcome to come up to NW Indiana and get all the big brug branches you want.

Wildcat

Hello all,

Here are a few pictures from the last couple days.

We had a weird cool spell a few weeks ago, 5-6 days with nights in the 60's and 3 of them in the upper 50's. So, my white brug set buds early and I am impressed with 100+ flowers in July.

Wildcat

{{gwi:495863}}

{{gwi:495865}}

{{gwi:495869}}

Amazing just beautiful!

Wildcat-

Your brugs are gorgeous! I have a question for your about overwintering them.

This is really my first year growing brugs, as last year, I just stuck mine in the ground and it did not really "grow" but rather survived, thankfully :). It got to be about 2 ft. tall and not very heathy looking. Considering I didn't give it extra water or fertilize it, I shouldn't be surprised. Luckily it came back, b/c I had no idea they were so sensitive to cold weather until I found this forum.

This year it was not doing so well either, so I potted it and have used much of what I have learned from reading this forum. It is now taller than my knees! Which I am very excited about - no blooms yet, but down here in south TX, I've heard I may have to wait until the fall.

I read about the "bucketing technique" which I'm confused about. Is this what you use? I have never overwintered anything b/c 1. I am new to gardening and 2. I live in the hottest part of the nation!! Do you store the plants inside? W/ the "bucketing technique" are they in soil or water? Should I trim mine back since it is not very tall?I have heard there are ways to keep them growing over the winter, and I would very much like to do this if possible. Any suggestions? I don't know if it makes a difference, but I /have a peach or pink brug. Variety unknown, but am hoping to identify once it blooms.

I would also love to send you some postage for cuttings when the time comes!

Thanks for all of your help.

Krissy

Wildcat
Ok,please send me some of your blooms and I will scotch tape them onto my plants,as mine aren't even offering to bloom.They are growing taller every day,and have lots of large leaves but thats it.I am only fertilizing with miracle grow,every few weeks, and gave them bunny poop once.I have some rose food 6 12 6 do you think that would help?These plants are in large buckets and are in full sun most of the day.
Another thing I don't understand is the "Y".One of my plants had a "Y" last year and it had faded blooms when I got it but it didn't bloom again.I put it in the basement for the winter and all the growth died to the soil,so I cut it off at the soil line.Now this spring I got this one growing again and it sent up shoots from around the cut off stem.Now my guestion is, does the new growth have to "Y" again now, before it will bloom?Also, my other one did not "Y" last year nor did it bloom.Same as the other one,cut the dead growth back to soil and new growth came up from the roots.Now this one has a perfect "Y" very low on the plant and it is not budding up either.Now to confuse you more a lady I talked to had one in bloom, it did not have a "Y" but she said it was a rooted cutting from a "Y" and that is why it bloomed.
Now I have confused myself! I don't remember "why" I started this post.Oh yeah,because you have all those beautiful blooms and I have the scotch tape ready.
Bloomless,and clueless in Ontario, Molly(sigh)

Hey Wildcat.
Did you see my post? (above)

Hi Molly, kmstx, and StarLucid,

Thank you for the kind words.

Hopefully, I can answer most of the questions posed in the above two posts.

Although I do get occasional flowers now and then, I find cool nights are what set the buds for my plants and some of my plants need cooler nights than the others, for bloom bursts like the pictures above.

For me, fertilizer always helps...I have now switched to the green powder stuff you apply with your hose...I soak each plant for 2-3 minutes with fertilizer...remember, my plants are in the ground and now 8 feet tall. I do this every 6 days or so now and they are really responding much better than throwing the dry fertilizer on the ground around the plants.

Yes, if your plant died back to the ground or you cut it back, it will need to "Y" again (I really dislike using that term...however, I cannot come up with a better one...LOL!) before it flowers. Mine do and I cut them back to 5 feet tall in the Fall.

For over-Wintering, in my opinion, I truely think it is best to bring in your pot (or if your plant is in the ground, dig up the rootball and pot) and place near a sunny window and continue it to grow during the Winter. Even if you do not have a nice sunny window, good bright light will help.

The larger plant you save without cutting back is best, say if your plant is under 4 feet tall and you can handle one that size in your livingroom, dining room, or a bedroom.

If you trim yours back as I have to do to mine, then only trim back as minimal as you need to...remembering that in may grow 1-2 feet in the Spring prior to weather allowing you to take it outside. If you saw what I did to my plants with a big pruners, you'd weep!

(Also, if you cut it back so there are little or no leaves, realize that it will not need frequent watering until it leafs out again.)

Will it end up dropping its leaves? Yes, in time. Will it make a mess, probably. And it may even end up looking bad and go semi-dormant during the dead of Winter. And in February or so, you may get "blessed" with a ravaging infestation of spidermites and whitefly!

Water sparingly over the Winter, but do not let it go bone dry. You need to keep the roots alive. When I water in the Winter, I soak my plants thoroughly but do NOT let them sit in standing water in a tray. Then I let them go until the soil is dry on top or they look like they may wilt. It can be a couple a weeks between watering.

In the early Spring it will start its growth again and you will have a plant that will have a few flowers when you put it outside, if not a few inside. As they grow, your watering may need to increase some.

The larger the pot your brug is in the better, brugs need a good large root system to perform well in our hot Summers. If you have good soil, then in the ground will be even better for the Summers as mine are.

By the way, I do not even attempt to dig up the entire rootball...I am not totally nuts! You can read what I wrote about that early in this thread.

I have not done the "bucketing" but TNGreenThumb outlines it above in this thread.

Hopefully, I have covered everything...if not, ask away.

Wildcat

Gorgeous brugs!!! You put all of us to shame. I don't even have to move mine due to mild winters and they are nowhere as nice as yours. I bet people stop all the time and ask you, 'what the heck is that?'!
Thanks for all the usefull information. I plant tropical plants in pots here that I later put in my mini greenhouse and I didn't know about the holes in the bottom. I don't want that crater in my field. Very funny! ROFL
You are inspiration to us all!

David, just found your pics of your white burgs. what is that tall green under your 1st pic ,white burg? thanks ahead,molly

Aye Molly,

They be 'Irish Bells'.

I had originally bought a seed packet from one of those racks.

Usually they self seed every year, but this Spring I covered all my gardens with 4" of mulch and they didn't return there. Too deep I suppose.

Wildcat

Hi,
Just wandering through the forums and found these pictures. Cool! I now have my inspiration for next year.

I had two brugs a few years back but they didn't survive my stint in home renovation (they froze while the heat was being installed). One was a nice sized tree so I was sad to see it go but things happen right? Luckily I was generous with cuttings, so I know just where to go to get back some new plants!

Which is your favorite? I like the multistem look of your plants, I might try that this time around.
Thanks for the pictures!

wildcat,i'm stillllll enjoyn' your pics of brugs,but lost your pic of hoyas, could ya,would ya repost,.you'd think it would DEpress me to look at your pics but nooooo,i really enjoy them . you must have the just right temps,moisture,heat, for most plants.you sure do a bangup job.thanks for the pics.remember me when you start trimmin.see ya later,molly

Hi Molly,

If you go to the Hoya Forum and look for my post, "My Blooming Hoya Compacta", you will find my the pictures.

It may be on page 2.

Wildcat

Gorgeous blooms, I have several plants now that are full of small buds, hope they make it before the first frost around the end of this month. Anyway, wondering what the plant is that is in the last pic on Friday June 3rd. It is the large green leaf plant on the right of the beautiful brug.

Hello Spagel,

In the left is Lamb's ear, then the plant you are asking about is a pumpkin vine, and to the right is Russian Sage.

We had several nice large pumpkins frome that vine. However, pumpkins are very susceptable to a vine borer so we had to dust and spray the pumpkin vine every 4 days or so all Summer.

Wildcat