need some help please first time of wintering my daturas

can anyone give me advice have 4 beautifull specimens all pink 2 different lost all last year cut them down put in garage for the winter bad winter in england as we live in the south have taken seeds this year? sounds complecated but am going to give it a go might bring my mature ones in doors would really like t6o keep them instead of having to re grow every year any advice would be most helpfull.fenton 13

I copied this from a member's post in 2008........
DATURA…..OVERWINTERING 40 degrees
They can also be potted in a 16+" pot if you have the room and a cool place to store them.

As the plant stops blooming in the fall when days get shorter, you can dig it up. (This year I waited to dig after first frost.) Remove all soil. Cut the stem back to 6". The roots are thick like a carrot, and finger-like at this point. They can be trimmed without harm. Leave small roots on the plant. Barely moisten some peatmoss (not wet) and put it around the roots. Put the roots in a plastic bag up to where the stem joins the root. Tie it loosely or use a rubber band. Or put the root in the bag first, then spread peat moss around the roots. Whichever is easier.

Place the bag with the roots in your fridge over winter, or someplace where the temp is similar. The plant will go dormant. It is a perennial in warmer zones. I believe they are hardier than people think.

I noticed in April, shoots growing at the base of the plant while still in the fridge. Also had formed new roots inside the bag. Life appeared to be stirring. How the plant knew it was spring while in the fridge, only It knows.

When you see this, remove from fridge, punch drainage holes in the bag and stick unplanted in a pot for support and water with plant food. Place the pot in a protected place with morning sun to harden off. Plant in the garden when it is past frost date in your area.

Treated as such, the plant grew huskier and bloomed earlier, than seed sown.

The pic didn't post so I looked for the post...and it is.....Daturas: DATURAS-how to store dormant in fridge over winter the url is http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1051779/

The post is by blooma and it starts the page. Hope this helps...IF...yours is a datura...BUT you just may have a brugmansia as I've not heard of a pink datura. Brugmansia hang down.....
Datura point up a bit. The pic I'm using is a dbl datura I have....notice that the flowers point a bit upish...
good luck with it.....gammy3

Here are the roots after I removed the soil and before it was tucked in a bag.
pic ic on her post....for each of the following also
Peat tucked around the roots in bag.

Bag closed up to the base of the stem ready for the fridge.

Here is a picture of one of my brugmansias...so compare the 2


Which do you have? If it is a brug let me know and I can refer you to brug info.
Sincerely, gammy3

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REPLY AND YES THE PICTURE IS THE SAME AS 3 OF MY PLANTS SO I HAVE BRUGMANSIAS THE OTHER IS DIFFERENT THEY WERE ALL SOLD TO ME AS DATURAS FROM LOCAL NURSERY IN ENGLAND DO NOT HAVE ANY SEED PODS AS YET OR AM I DOING IT ALL WRONG IF THEY ARE NOT DATURAS WHERE DO I GET THE SEED FROM AND DO I OVER WINTER THE SAME I KEEP THEM ALL IN POTS ON MY PATIO.

HI GAMMY YOU WERE RIGHT I DO HAVE BRUGS AND NOT DATURAS AND I THINK THEY DO NOT PRODUCE SEEDS FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND SO I AM GOING TO TAKE ROOT CUTTINGS AND HOPE FOR THE BEST ALSO WILL WINTER MINE IN GARAGE AS I DO NOT HAVE GREENHOUSE AM GOING TO COVER IN HAY AROUND ROOTS READ SOMEWHERE THAT THIS HAD BEEN SUCCESSFULL IN ENGLAND HAD FIRST OF THE FROST RECENTLY SHAME AS THEY ARE STILL IN BLOOM IF YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE I WOULD BE VERY PLEASED TO TRY.

Glad you reposted instructions. I dug 3 of my Daturas up and did as instructed and the are in the refrigerator.
So , you say they grow bigger and faster the following year right?
This was my first time growing the purple current swirl and the double yellow, They grew really to be really big for me, and I started them from seed late.

I still have some that I am waiting for the seed pods to dry out.
Question: Do you have to let the seeds dry out on the plant or can I remove them and dry them out my self?
I was wondering..I just pulled a couple off yesterday..I am afraid it might get to cold before the have time to dry..the ones that are busted and opened are moldy.

Thanks

i think it is best to let them dry on the plant, at least out here in calif. not sure about places it gets colder faster.

Some of my Triple Yellow brug seed Pods are deformed. They look like the elephant man. Why is that?? Others on the plant are normal and round just like the others.

Fenton, if you have Brugs, and it gets cold there in the winter, bring them indoors, did you know they must get a Y befor blooming, and then after they bloom you can get seedpods, if you over winter them inside you will have flowers next year a lot sooner.