Brugmansia Hardiness

Discussion in 'Outdoor Tropicals' started by Carol Ja, May 15, 2006.

  1. Carol Ja

    Carol Ja Active Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    672
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Salt Spring Island
    Has anyone on the BC coast tried to overwinter outside their Brugmansia( any of them). Some of the people in the UK have been able to keep thiers outside with it dying to the ground, then coming up in spring.
     
  2. LPN

    LPN Well-Known Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    1,525
    Likes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Courtenay, Vancouver Island
    Yup ... although you'll find that many times the growth starts late and never reaches a sizeable enough state to flower by late summer or fall. This is true in mine and several others experineces here. Maybe a primo location in the garden with the right fertilizers could push them along. Again, "maybe".

    Cheers, LPN.
     
  3. bcgift52

    bcgift52 Active Member

    Messages:
    298
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    BC, Canada
    My experience exactly the same as LPN.
     
  4. Carol Ja

    Carol Ja Active Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    672
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Salt Spring Island
    Good to know then, I'll keep it in the greenhouse for winters.
    Thanks Carol
     
  5. LPN

    LPN Well-Known Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    1,525
    Likes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Courtenay, Vancouver Island
    Carol ... If you see Banana Joe around town, ask him. I know he grows his out but I'm not sure how they perform or how much bloom he gets.

    Cheers, LPN.
     
  6. Carol Ja

    Carol Ja Active Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    672
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Salt Spring Island
    Good show, he works at the park today, thanks I'll go ask.
    cheers.
     
  7. brugmansia

    brugmansia Member

    Messages:
    15
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver
    I've had the opposite experience actullay. Mine have done just fine, but I keep them under the overhang of the roof and wrap the stalks in facing over winter. They usually bloom by July and have about two or three sessions of blooms.
     
  8. LPN

    LPN Well-Known Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    1,525
    Likes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Courtenay, Vancouver Island
    If you take the trouble to ... "keep them under the overhang of the roof and wrap the stalks in facing over winter" ... then yes, you stand a better chance of success. Planted out in the open, unprotected, you'll get a slow start and less growth overall to produce flowering stems in our PNW climate.
     
  9. brugmansia

    brugmansia Member

    Messages:
    15
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver
    I started a Double Ballerina White datura in March and it's just had it's first bloom a week ago, even though it's only a foot high.
    Not a brugmansia, but close.

    The stalk of my brugmansia ususally starts to get foilage in March/April and blooms by July or so. It's covered by the overhang but still exposed to the cold.
    Anyhoo, just my 2 cents.
     
  10. bcgift52

    bcgift52 Active Member

    Messages:
    298
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    BC, Canada
    So what exactly did you cover it with - I did try it one year, built a little wire hut, stuffed it with leaves, then wrapped in burlap and put an umbrella over the whole - the brug died (maybe got too hot).
     
  11. brugmansia

    brugmansia Member

    Messages:
    15
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver
    I wrapped it in facing.
    Sewers use it to stitch lapels, etc.
    It's a stiff, white see through, cotton like material.
    I just used it because it was the only thing handy at the time.
    I've grown them for nine years and only lost one, about 2 or 3 years ago when it was quite cold. Because it's under the roof eaves, it also needs to be watered about once a month. In that cold year I didn't water, so I've always wondered if the cold killed it or the lack of water did.
    I should mention that they are also in clay pots.
    About 24" ones.
    Put the pot on a rolling pot carrier ($2.00 at Diaso in Richmond) and just wheel it to a more protected spot come October.
    Remember though that they hate afternoon sun, so in summer keep it in a spot that get morning sun only. And they hate wet feet, so easy on the water.
    Hope that helps. :)
     
  12. bcgift52

    bcgift52 Active Member

    Messages:
    298
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    BC, Canada
    Oh I thought you had it in the ground. I keep the potted ones in the basement or garage and they do fine. It's the ones that I try in the ground that don't do so well, although this year they're doing much better but then again we didn't really have a winter. I was going to try that silver padded insulation stuff this year (a neighbour used it to wrap his bananas last winter and he has fruit forming - we're all watching to see if they will ripen on the tree) - but I might try one with the facing. Did you just use a single layer or several times around ?
     
  13. brugmansia

    brugmansia Member

    Messages:
    15
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver
    I'm sorry BCGift, I should have said that first off. I've never grown any in the ground.
    I wrap the facing around the stalk about three times.
    Maybe the insulation stuff and a set of Christmas lights around it for warmth?

    And just as a reference, I ordered a variety of brugs seeds from seedman.com.
    They have a great selection and they arrived pretty quick.
    If your neighbour get bananas, please post a picture!
     

Share This Page