I found this seed in 2003, several of my co workers want to spread " the seed " in North West Indiana " any advice?
I wouldn't recommend spreading seeds of a non-native plant in areas that are not cultivated / gardens.
I have this variety of datura and I am having trouble getting it to bloom. It is an indoor plant and one I took (cutting) from a much larger plant that I had. The original bloomed like crazy almost right after I got it (it was only about 2ft tall and a single stem when I got it), but now it doesn't bloom at all. The cutting is now a fair size and I have re-potted it twice over the past 5 years. I have nourished it with a good bloom feed in the spring and summer and it has good soil but still no flowers. What am I doing wrong. I miss those huge flowers and the fragrance of the blooms.
Blooming in containers is achieved by, and equates to these things : Age, "happiness", and regular watering. Brugs have to be old enough, mature enough, to bloom. In size, this usually means a plant needs to be 4' - 5' tall before it will bloom. You can see that it's trunk will bulk up, and usually be at least about 1" in caliper before it is blooming size. I have brugs in pots that have 3" - 4" caliper trunks at the bottom ! ( And as long as you keep them growing and happy, the trunks will continue to get larger). So, the point is that you need to be patient, and just keep the plant happy and growing well, and then, usually surprising us, it will all of a sudden have little buds appear ... usually about a month after we are giving it the "WHERE"S THE DANG BLOOMS?" treatment. : ) And you just keep watering your plant, and keeping it happy, and watching it grow, and you will see your blooms in due time. Occasionally, a brug will bloom at a small size, in a small container, but that is not the norm. Another key to knowing your Angel's Trumpet is close to blooming size, is the "above the Y" factor ... when a plant branches, off it's main leader trunk ( forms a Y ), then you are getting closer. For the most part, you will not see flowers below the "Y" ... sometimes the reason a plant blooms at a small size, is that it was a cutting taken above the "Y", and this helps it bloom as a small plant. But this is not always the case ... for the most part, you simply have to let a plant get some age / maturity / size before you can expect blooming. Don't get all hung up on getting plants that are "above the Y" cuttings ... just grow your plant big, happy, and with regular care, and you will see the big flower shows we all want. : ) A small plant, even if an "above the Y" grown cutting, will only possibly pop off a bloom or 2 ... brugs must be large and have some maturity before making a big flush of flowers. Another term for this "above the Y" principle is to say that your Angel's Trumpet has begun it's lateral branching, and your first small flower buds are likely to appear soon !
Thank you so much for such a in depth reply. I shall, as you have suggested, be good to my plant, and wait patiently. Most appreciative for all the advise given!!!
Dear Maddar, We have quite a few 'brugmansia's' and enjoy them very much. I have had many questions about ours and have found this website to be quite helpful in growing them aswell as staring them. ( www.brugmansia.us/startcut.shtml ) Our brugs (4) flower every year, but they flower mid July - Aug. Have tried to get them flowering earlier, but not with much luck. I find with ours (two have a trunk of about 8" across), they have the original "Y" which is older growth (brown) and when the new growth starts in the spring, we do not see flower buds merge until there is a "Y" in the newest growth (green). The orange brug seems to take the longest to flower. I watch for the new growth to branch and as soon it splits into a "Y" there are flower buds merging. I know that fertilizing these plants is very important for growth, they are very greedy feeders. We use a Plantprod product that is for tomatoes and alternate every other time with a liquid kelp meal fertilizer. We have been told to fertilize them with full strenght once weekly rather than every two weeks. (package may say 5ml/4L every 2wks, we would use it every week). Watering in between with straight water. We water with a epson salts and water solution, probably atleast twice throughout the summer. (15ml/4L for large pots). I hope I haven't rambled on too much. I do not want to contradict anyone elses information. I have found it all very helpful in the past. Richard
Ramble on!!!! I enjoyed reading your thoughts and expertise on this plant. Much appreciated. I will follow through with your advice and hope for flowers this year. I'll check out the link you have provided too. They are such beautiful plants aren't they and they smell so heavenly too!
