Happy to share the nana tip : ) It's one of the best of the golden nuggets from my gramma. My #1 fav is to use a couple pinches of salt for smelly hands, like from onions. Get hands wet, rub with the salt, rinse & hands should be un-stinky if you rubbed all of the spots where the odor was hiding. Oops, off topic, but at least I'm saying that I've done it.

Tiffany, thank you for the banana tip. Will definitely apply it to my Burgmansias. Yes, the sedum is loving the new location, full sun.

Karmahappytoes, I wish I knew which variety is it. My plant ID app is showing as Brugmansia Suaveolens? When I've compared mine to some I've come across on the web, and it does share a resemblance…the shape and specially the leaves. Here's a pic of a cutting from last fall so it's a first year plant. Growing very well in part sun…gets morning sun till about 1pm.

JoeBrug, looks like it did better in that spot last year.

purpleinopp said: That happens to my plants almost every year. Always a bunch of blooms when the first frost comes. I've only seen buds abort from thirst, but I'm sure there could be other causes.

Hi Tiffany, I don't mean to continue to beat this topic, but just noticed that in this previous post, you mention that your Brugmansias put out a bunch of buds late in the year but no blooms. Is that correct? Do you know which variety you have? Have your Brugs ever bloom? If so, how do you overwinter them?

It's mid August and I'm at my wits end. Not sure if I should start backing off the fertilizer/bloom booster and start preparing them for dormancy. Or is there still hope?

Thanks and sorry for the many questions.

JoeBrug,
Beings you are in Chicago, I'd start to cut back on the fertlizer to half strength starting the 15th and start getting them ready to come in. When does it get cold there? It's been unusually hot all over and they really are taking a beating so don't be to hard on yourself. You are trying and learning!

Karmahappytoes,

Thanks. It usually starts to get cold in October when temps drop below 50 degrees.

We had a miserable heat waves in June and a shorter one in July where temps where in the mid to upper 90's and heat indices where at 106 degrees. So that may have stunt their progress. ☹️☹️☹️

I will be back at em next year!!!

Thanks all for your replies and help.

JoeBrug, you are so welcome!! We are to have another heatwave out here so I truly
understand! I just put 100 of them back in the front yard! I've stripped all but the top leaves in hopes to get them settled again. Oct. is when we also move them in. In a couple weeks I'll be working on the Brug House, where we house them all during the winter months. I have spent the past week working on the greenhouse, where the ones from the driveway will go. So, if I disappear you know I'm super busy. You can treemail me or at my blog.

Joe, my plants are B. suaveolens. If I said buds but no blooms, that's not what I meant. Just that they are usually full of blooms when frost comes. That seems to be a time of year when there is reliable blooming.

For winter, I don't do anything but take cuttings to propagate more. The roots are hardy but the above-ground parts get zapped.

I'm not convinced that high heat inhibits blooming. We had about 9 days that were over 100 here, and buds formed during this time. Then a couple weeks later, the best flush of blooms I've ever seen. There's a pic from a couple weeks ago if you want to scroll back. It's always almost that hot for 4-5 months every summer, 92-98 every day, low about 73. Plenty of water seems to be the factor I've noticed in getting more blooms.

For plants in pots, if they are in the sun, that's always likely to make roots hotter than a lot of plants would prefer. Darker pots will be the worst for that, white pots the best defense.

I have Brugs in 2 pots that are in the sun most of the day and they look terrible compared to my ground plants. Not going to repeat Brugs in the 2 big sun pots next year.

Exposure could be a factor also. My ground plants are all in a lot more shade. Most of these plants that I notice around my area are in the shade. Not deep shade, but "high shade" under very big trees with wide open spaces underneath.

In a pot in the sun most of the day:


In the shade most of the day, in the ground:

Tiffany,

I don't know why I thought you were in a similar zone as I am , Zone 6a…that's why I thought you were having a similar problem. My Brugs were full of large buds in October but none bloomed because it got too cold.

I've read so much on brugmansia care and many suggest full sun except in locations with extreme heat. Many suggest a shady spot. Or Morning sun is best. So Last year, I placed a brug in each location to see which one gave me the best results. Well, they were all full of buds but none bloomed. However, the ones in morning sun (4-6 hours) looked the healthiest or seemed happier.

I have 4 Brugs in large darker pots but keep a good 2-3 inch layer of natural cedar mulch and water them daily and twice on hotter days. I have considered using white pots. Maybe next year.

Your brugmansia in a previous picture is beautiful. Wow…That's a show stopper.

Thanks for your help.

Happy to provide anecdotes for comparison. You'll find your groove. It probably won't be exactly the same as a regime that works in WA state or south AL.

JoeBrug, you need to figure out that works best there and I agree with Tiffany.

My bloom for today!!

karmahappytoes said: JoeBrug, you need to figure out that works best there and I agree with Tiffany.

My bloom for today!!

Beautiful!

It's been over two weeks since my last post. Just wanted to update you. Still no buds or blooms ☹️ Brugs are growing like crazy…they are enjoying the recent cooler weather. Lots of healthy green leaves , plenty of "Y's" and subequal leaves. Yet no blooms.

It's going to be a repeat of last Fall. Full of buds but too cold to blossom. I noticed that the plants grew well in June and July, but really took off in mid August just as like last year.

Maybe this year when I bring them in, I'll trim the top a little bit just enough so they fit in the storage room. I may have cut back a little too much last year. I cut about a foot above the first Y. They were about 3 feet or so

Anyway, thanks again.

purpleinopp and JoeBrug, have the cabbage worms hit yet?? We hit 100 degrees today and ya know that is to hot for Brugmansia. The Iochromas are melting in the heat and the little Daturas are finally out. In the 5th heat wave I started to just water the whole plant, leaves and all when I watered and what a difference. I do this also in the evening and if it's over 95 I will go out around 3PM and do it again. They were looking great until the green worms showed up!! I have tons of buds!! JoeBrug did you use bloom booster when it was cooler?

Karmahappytoes, sorry to hear about the cabbage worms and heat wave I know it's frustrating. No cabbage worms by me. I did see a few Katydids…I always called them grasshoppers. But haven't noticed any serious damage

I did not use bloom booster last year. However, this year I've used it about twice a week but have cut back to once a week in August. I'm thinking of applying it once week thru September on only one or two plants and see what happens.

I also water the whole plant, leaves and all specially during hot days. I use a mister for the leaves. My banana and elephant ears love the misting.

Beautiful plant, Karma!

There are probably cabbage worms, army worms, who knows what munching on my Brug leaves. They are always full of holes. I never pay any attention to the leaves.

I haven't been able to see any pattern to the blooming in regard to the weather here. We did have the stretch a little over a week of over 100 days, but otherwise, it's been the normal temps of 90-98 every day. The thing that has been different this summer is the rain. Since June, I don't think there has been a stretch longer than 10 days without rain, and that seems to have made a difference in getting a lot more blooms a lot earlier in the year.

I won't waste time putting any more of them in pots in a lot more sun, that has been a bust even though the soil has never run dry. If heat is a factor, it's only affected my potted plants. Those roots get a LOT hotter with the sun baking the pots most of the day.

It's too humid here to think about misting anything, but I never mist anything anyway except to spritz an air plant when it's inside for winter.

I can only speak about B. suaveolens, the only kind I have.

Tiffany,

That's so nice…love that color.

I think you're right. My 3 potted Brugs struggle with the heat even though the soil is moist regardless if they are in full sun or part sun. However, my only brug in the ground seems to handle the heat much better…and in full sun.

I was thinking of repotting to a larger pot. Maybe 22-24 inch pots? The two larger ones currently sit in 17" pots.

I have to work on my Brugmansia game for next year. Lol.

If only one of us had plant ESP... ; ) I really don't know, just calling balls & strikes, reporting what happens. The why is really a mystery.

I admire your gumption to try them at all at your location! Thank you for your kind comments.

purpleinopp, I hear ya on those black pots, that is why we sink the 5 gallon pots into
White pickle buckets. Also make for easy moving. Brugmansia are found in the mountain ranges of Centeral and South America so they need cooler temps. B. Frosty Pink can handle the heat and warmer temps. This one can grow in the ground if you mulch it and keep it warmer in some zones. Also give it a micro climate. Y'll will get the hang of it!!

Went out this am to water and this huge worm had eaten the double bloomer bud, let's just say he won't eat anymore!!