Toni Thanks, and yes, there were 23 open at the same time. Plant was outside whole summer, and it bloomed but only 4 to 7 flowers at the time. When it started getting colder, it still had over 30 (!) buds, I put it in the garage where all the leaves fell off. I didn't water it for 6-7 days, planning on 'putting it to sleep'. But then I drag it inside, since the buds were still there - within a day it started perking up, in couple of days few flowers opened up. These were very pale in color (remember, plant was in the dark garage for almost 2 weeks). After that with all the heat inside and more light/sun, all the buds started to open (today, there is still 19 opened, but there are no more buds). The branch I cut off is also inside, in jug of water. Within a week the leaves started to grow (there were just few 'minis' on top to begin with), and a bud appeared. Today, there is another bud coming on. It did not root within that first week, today the stem looks like this (see photo) - very soon there will be lots of roots. I find them very easy to root, in the water. I also prefer tree-like, and just rubbed off couple of new branches that were trying to develop earlier in summer, and cut & rooted few bigger branches. I have 2 tall trunks (plus branch I cut off), that are 3' & 3'7" tall before they split into 'y' (visible in 1st photo). I probably divide them into 2 separate pots, & see what will happen next spring. I do like the scent...Rina

Welllll, "expert" may be a considerable overstatement. I seem to change what I do every year a bit (but then I like to think life and my garden are all part of a big, fun experiment). I do several things re- overwintering my brugs... 1. Rootballs - I dig them in as much of a 'ball as I can then trim them down to fit in a 3 gal nursery pot, lug them down into the coolest corner of my very old basement and give each a couple cups of water every couple of weeks to insure the root ball doesn't dessicate. I'll probably bring them into light around mid april then we're off to the races again. 2. Tops - I'll strip leaves off one big trunk of each and put in a 5 gal bucket to root over the winter in the basement....search for 'bucket o Brugs' method on the brugmansia forum for lots more info or email me 1:1. 3. Smaller plants - I have a variegated brug that only got @ 2' tall this year. I'll carry it over in an easterly window this year. I nursed one along for 2 years before it decided to 'take off' for me. I recommend carrying over the rooted cuttings I brought to the swap in this manner as I'm not sure they are ready for a dormant season. As to feeding, YES! I tend to add osmocote when I plant in containers or into the hole in the ground. Periodically sprinkle 10-10-10 (yep, I'm cheap) around the base and scratch in, and, if time permits, give them miracle grow twice a week. A lot of growers in more southerly areas talk about partial sun for their Brugs but I find they can take our So MN direct sun just fine....but do require lots of water. Hope this helps a bit, Will, mantorvillain

Yes - you can prune them now if you wish, but I would treat the aphids and let them leaf from the top. I removed all of the emerging leaves on the stem and ende up with a tree shape. If you want a shrup "vase" form, prune them back hard (to 12") and you will get good leaf emergence. Be sure to root prune and pot up to a larger pot. These suckers can get huge.

I'm in zone 5, yes i do have a greenhouse but this is what I have noticed in the 5 or 6 years that I have grown them. by Oct. 15th i dig them up out of the ground ( they grow much better and bigger in the ground! ). I cut all the branches off so all that's left is the trunk maybe 2' tall. Knock off about half the dirtball then put it in a tub to hold the plant with some soil. The trunk will always back-bud, so by spring ( May 15th ) they will get planted back into the ground. Yes my greenhouse is barely heated, just so it doesn't drop below 38 degrees. I don't know how well storing them in a dark basement is but they love to grow. My burgs trunks are all about 3-5" across. I just cut my salmon colored burgs down, my yellow one blooms a little later. It's peaking in buds right now. All the burgs will get to be about 8-10' tall with a width of 6+ '. Want more cuttings in the spring for summer blooms, take loppers to any brnch and then shove it into the ground and keep moist for afew weeks then let it grow.