I see a lot about these plants but wanted to hear from northern growers. Can you put them into dornancy in the winter? are they easy to grow? Don't turn me over to the brugmansia forum, please.I really want to hear from cold weather gardeners. thanks
anyone growing brugmansia in zone six?
I had one last year. I did fine - got mites like everything else. Always funny that they get mites since they are poisonous. I tried to overwinter mine on my unheated porch which got down to about 10 degrees. It didn't survive.
I overwinter mine in my basement..It is a little warm and I have to water from time to time and they get the mites or something but they do survive and I put them out in the spring.......I had some over this past winter in the smaller garbage cans with some potting soil dumped in and the rest are in pots.....
I overwinter mine in my basement bulkhead, on the lowest step. It gets to be about 45 degrees in there on the coldest days. Brugs will die at 32-40 degrees, so I cut it a little close. When you overwinter Brugs, you have to periodically water them- just a few splashes to keep them alive once a month or so.
Depending on the temperatures, I usually bring mine in late October. I strip the leaves, rinse off the plant with the hose and let it sit in the garage for a day to dry off (and out) a bit. Then into the bulkhead. One of the problems with overwintering in basements is that it's too warm and too light for complete dormancy. They have to be in a cool, dark place that's not too dry. I think it was about mid March that I noticed buds and a bit of leaf sprout. I waited until April and fairly constant outdoor temps in the mid 40s, and moved it out onto the porch.
Some folks go so far as to pull the plant out of the pot, rinse the roots and repot in fresh soil to prevent mites, but I don't.
If your Brug is on the small & young side (like a good sized cutting you started in August) you can treat it as a houseplant and put in an eastern window and battle the bugs and worry about the dropping leaves- so long as you don't overwater (and don't try to feed it) it should make it and perk up in the spring.
Some folks bury the pots so they're easy to pull up in the fall. Some cut holes in the pot, others don't. Another method is to plant directly in the ground and dig up, root prune, and repot in the fall. They're remarkably tough, and can take a fair amount of abuse.
Brugs are big feeders and drinkers. If you have it in the ground it'll be a bit less high maintenance than if it's in a pot. But you'll still have to water and feed it periodically. And keep an eye out for mites and the occassional hornworm (which you'll just relocate and not kill since they turn into magnificent sphinx moths, ok?)
So don't be daunted. You can have them year after year if you don't mind a bit of bother and have a decent overwintering space. They're so worth it.
I bring mine in for winter. Last year I brought it into my guest bedroom. This year I brought them to my porch (covered with plastic). Did fine last year. Seems to be recovering this year too. But mites - gazillions!
Thanks everyone for the good advice. My basement only goes down to about 60 degrees because of the heat pipes. Is that too warm? As northerners know, garages get too cold and it's hardd to find a happy temperature medium.
My basement that I put mine in is warm and they do fine...haven't lost one yet.....
Mites? Is that the brown stuff I find on the leaves? What do you do to combat mites?
That's it! you are BRILLIANT, Victor. Thanks a gazillion!
I had cuttings last year... they grew like crazy... HUGE leaves... they are outside in the shade getting used to tons of sun... tons of little new leaves.... covered with polen last week.. so I had to wash every leave!!!!! today they will get more sun than ever before...
when are they supposed to bloom in our area???
Brugs are my favorite plant....must be the challenge of growing them in zone 6, lol, or the scent. They do very well here in the northeast, you've received a lot of great information so far. You can winter them over at about 60 degrees, I don't think that temp will invite the mites to stay active. I keep mine at about 50 in an unheated stairwell.
Mites, especially spider mites like it warm and dry. Those who winter over as a houseplant in a sunny window can attest to this. Dormancy really seems to control them better. They let you know on their own, like nedweenie said, when they want out.
Try to give them afternoon shade...they like it the best, and it cuts down on the mite population.
Good luck!
I just order this from Wayside (buy 1, get 2 free) I figure all survive, I can give 2 away :-)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/3045/index.html
oh that's great to know... I will change them to get afternoon shade... I really hope they bloom....