So my Brug cutting grew like crazy this year, but it didn't bloom! It is located in full sun, on my deck. It's in a large 15 gallon pot, underplanted with heliotrope. I watered daily and fertilized weekly with 20/20/20. Now it's almost October and no signs of any buds. What did I do wrong? Next year I'm planting it in the garden and hoping to overwinter in the ground. It's frustrating because last year Joe on SSI gave me this cutting, unsure of the color, and now, a year later, I still don't know what color it is!
I think Joes are a sort of pink colour. Brugmansia are nitrogen-loving plants. Not only do they tolerate high salt concentrations from fertilizers, but they prefer an abundance of nutrients when growing and flowering. In this regard, however, one must consider certain differences among the species and hybrids. B. aurea x B. suaveolens exhibits the strongest growth, often forming leaves to 24 inch (61 cm) length; accordingly they clearly need a higher supply of nutrient than B. vulcanicola, which ranks among at the slowest-growing Brugmansia. Generally, one can recommend fertilizing Brugmansia in the following manner: A water-soluble, mineral and nitrogen-rich fertilizer (complete with micro nutrients) is particularly suitable. Such a fertilizer should contain approximately 12-20 % nitrogen, 3-6 % phosphorous and 8-12 % potassium. During the summer main growth period the plants should be fertilized twice a week. A solution of 4-6 g of water-soluble or 4-6 mL liquid fertilizer per liter of water per plant should be applied each time. These relatively high nutrient applications should be reduced however, if · a rather weakly growing variety is to be fertilized · young plants are being cultivated · it is winter Fertilizer rates must be adjusted for the time of year, particularly for container plant culture. Before winter dormancy, in which the plants are to grow as little as possible, fertilizer amounts should be gradually reduced. During the winter Brugmansia should be fertilized sparingly. The dose is then raised slowly again at the beginning of spring. Brugmansia that do not receive sufficient fertilizer exhibit slow growth, have light green leaves and produce few blooms. That the leaves have become a light green color becomes particularly evident after administration of a liquid fertilizer. After no more than three days from fertilization, the youngest leaves at the branch points become noticeably darker than the older leaves.
Carol's right ... These are heavy feeders and need it to flower. A "bloom booster" type fert will help it along. For some reason, pink seems to be a big time bloomer for me this year. I have some planted out. Those are slow to start and don't emerge until late May, often going un-noticed. Here's 2 types, yellow on the left (just setting buds now) and pink blooming for more than a month) A pink heavy bloomer my neighbor picked up from me. And finally a variegated one (potted) just in theearly stages of setting buds. Cheers, LPN.
After seeing your Brugs LPN, I see that I need to be much more aggressive in the fertilizer department. It's getting late in the season for fertilizing...do you think I could still give it a heavy shot of fert. or should I call it a year and taper off? I've decided to cut holes in the sides of my pot and dig it into the ground in the spring. This I hope will allow the roots to spread into the garden and let bruggy grow LARGE with less watering and I should still be able to dig 'er up in the fall (with root pruning). I'll leave the "in ground" trials for my cuttings!
palmera ... I don't think it's too late. My belief with these is "get what you can, while you can." Afterall, unless they're potted and moved, frost will knock 'em down anyway. My 'Yellow" hasn't been given the best of attention until well past May. They respond quickly. Cheers (& thanks), LPN.
