Hi jvbs - you might want to stop hacking it...most brugs, as yours sounds like, HAS to Y, as in develop 2 branches out of one end of the main branch and all forthcoming blooms will also come from the multiplying of branches, Y'ing.

You could hack it one more time if it's too tall and allow only 1 branch to grow from it...when it Y's you'll get a bloom.

You could also make more trees out of what you hack off. 3 of mine took 3' to grow before Y'ing. So cut it according to the height your going to want. All subsequent branching is much quicker to occur after the first.

If you've already got a Y, it's just not getting enough light or water (it'll droop to let you know) or a light fertizing. I've heard kelp, fish emulsion, miracle grow among other fertilizers are used on brugs. I use miracle grow but that's for outdoors.

There's lots here to read on brugs so do check out some links. Others will come to read and add anything they feel I left out. It's ALWAYS good to get confirmation from more than one member for any advice. If all is said, sometimes you won't get any confirmation but as I've invited some you'll probably get it.

- Sandy

Well, when I've been cutting it back, I've left it so that there are actually 7 branches coming out of the top. I'd read that about the y'ing someplace. I'm trying to find my camera so I can post a pic of it, maybe that will help some.

Thanks.

jvbs, when you say you've had it by your west facing kitchen window all this time, do you mean you've had it inside? If that is the case, it has not been getting enough light. Brugs need to be outside during the frost-free season.

My question is what have you used to fertilize this said brugmansia? How hot have you kept this and is this correct it's not been outside? How much sun or heat?

It's been inside all this time, I've fertilized it with Jones Houseplant sticks, those time release stick you put in the dirt and they gradually dissolve. It's in a window that gets sunlight all day long, facing southwest. It's too heavy for me to move, I've got a bad back. My house generally stays between 68 in the winter and 80 in the summer. I water whenever the soil feels dry the length of 1/2 my finger down, roughly 1.5".

I really appreciate any suggestions. I'd love to get this baby blooming next year.

I think your plant is going to need to be outside to bloom. If that's not possible maybe you could get a full spectrum grow light. It sounds like it's becoming lanky because it's constantly reaching for light. Even though brugs can get quite tall and just form a canopy of leaves on top the sparse foliage and the fairly thin trunk can be indicators of a lack of sufficient light. Like someone mentioned in a previous post the constant pruning is removing any potential branches that will form buds. If it's too big for you to easily move why don't you take some cuttings and plant those in something manageable. I'd also give it a water soluable fertilizer April through Sept. in addition to your plant sticks. I hope you are able to get your brug to bloom. The flowers are so beautiful and have a nice scent.
Karyn

Thanks for the suggestions. Would it be ok for me to cut it back to about a foot high for now and let it grow over the winter? How tall should I let it go?

Jvbs, I wouldn't touch it right now. Like everyone is saying, take it outside after your last frost date. Water and fertilize a bunch and it'll bloom. Oh, I see you wrote that you have a bad back...Can someone else move it out for you in the spring? Where are you anyway?? What zone?

I'm in Zone 5a. Last frost here would typically be around Memorial Day. Do you think it would be ok in an unheated but insulated garage in the spring? I could get someone to put it on a wheeled dolly and get it into the sunshine as early as the beginning of April and just wheel it into the garage for nippy nights and days. What temp range is good for them?

Hi jvbs,

A little extra information....brugmansia are heavy feeders. Not just a feeding every couple of weeks, but every three days is best, in my opinion. I use anything similar to water soluble Miracle Grow. The big box stores carry good lines of fertilizer. If you keep up a good regimen of fertilizing, you should be rewarded with lots of blooms. I've grown them for over ten years now and have had good luck fertilizing this way...

Thanks.

Anyone have any suggestions about keeping it in my garage in early spring?

Just keep in mind that any below 0 temperatures (32F) will cause tissue damage and likely kill the plant.

I'd just cut it down, I'm probably going to do it to mine. I've 2 with double main branches and there gonna it the light which won't be able to be raised any higher. Mine are sitting on a 2' filing cabinet (can't get rid of it). More importantly, I need to lower my light for my shorter brug cuttings and I've got a long winter here for growing...another 5-6 mos. Nice to know the trumpets are out all year round though.

Does somebody else cut theirs down to grow inside for the winter? I've done it to softer green branches or some tip leaves but this time I'd have to remove the area where all the leaves are. I'm reasoning that the basement/hibernating ones would have to grow this way next spring.

There are at least 2 1' stalk plants from each stalk x4 stalks out of a cut down.

My branches are 1/2"-1" thick but the roots are vein thin so in with me they had to come. They're practically all hard wood where I'd be cutting down to. -Sandy

Ok, so my sheltered, concrete block garage will probably be ok if the temps stay around 30 outside. I could insulate it with a blanket like I do my other tenders that I put out early to lengthen the growing season.

I dragged my monsters inside at the end of October. They were sitting in an unheated, no light area where I thought they would go dormant.

I have some really crabby white NOIDs that have been problem children from day one. (Bugs, broken branches, refusing to bloom, or blooming late, etc.)

I went in there to find after 4 weeks of no food, no water, no light, no heat, one of them has buds on it. Jerks! I figured it would drop the buds due to lack of support for them. But, one of the blooms is emerging from the bud. So they're in the green room now - fully heated and lit. Guess I'm going to marginally water these now - they're awake - but keep them slow. (Can't believe these whites refused to go to sleep!)

You'd be surprised how much they'll handle and still perform. Just don't let them freeze.

Tweeb, I've done the same as you have with storing my brugs
for winter rest...for four years now, I've put them in
the unheated part of my garage without ANY light and
no more than a cup of water per month. I pull the buds/leaves occassionally and they come out just fine. I
don't know THAT MUCH about them, however, this works for
me. Like you said...they're tough as long as they don't
freeze. The three varigated ones have leaves as big as
my hands..don't know what to do about those...thinking of
moving them to the light and letting them have their way.
Any suggestions are appreciated!!

Margaret

Margaret - I'm lost also.

These jerks just won't go to sleep. I was gonna yank all the leaves but I think I'm gonna do what you're doing. Just let them do what they want.

It's not a big deal, I'll just drag more water out there. I've got my antistress spray for mites - I've mosquito dunks around here somewhere so I can do Karyn's suggestion for gnats - but other than that - I'm lost. (And my neem oil.)

I don't have a clue. I just dragged the rest into the heated area - no point in using that much space. I'm going to water all of them marginally I guess. If they want to coast - the room is between 72 and 75 - that's fine. I won't feed them - just give them water. There are some grow lights in there (need 3 more) - and I'll let them "rest" until spring.

The cuttings out there get misted every morning. Was considering a small vaporizer to keep the humidity up a little higher for the cuttings because it's so dry here in the winter.

If you have any suggestions - I'm open to them. I just don't want to fight with these crabby whites any more. Should have composted them.