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devigardener

What's Wrong? How do I get my angel trumpet to flower?

DeviGardener
10 years ago

How do I get my angel trumpet to flower? I live in Southern Colorado and have had my angel trumpet for two years and it has yet to flower. Southern Colorado is a desert climate and I was wondering if humidity is the problem? During the summer temperatures can get as high as 100 degrees and is quite sunny. Should I add phosphorus and potassium to the pot in order to get it to flower? I over-winter the plant in the house.

Thanks!

Comments (10)

  • carrie751
    10 years ago

    I live in North Texas, and my temps sometimes get warmer than that................but they do flower best when the nights are cooler. How often do you fertilize????

  • DeviGardener
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    carrie751,
    I fertilize every week by using Miracle Grow and maybe a sprinkling of some homemade vermicompost and that's pretty much it.

  • carrie751
    10 years ago

    Try adding some tomato fertilizer and using it twice a week during the blooming season. This works for me. However, this has been an unusual year for me, and I have no blooms as yet. We had a roller-coaster spring, and then it turned hot, so they are just now adjusting. Most of mine are inground, so they are late bloomers as they have to resprout each spring. Hope this helps.

  • DeviGardener
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks carrie751! I'm going to buy some bat guano because it has high amounts of phosphorus and I would like to see that if I add that that it will help it get going. Regarding pruning, I understand that you are supposed to keep the stems in a V shape because the blooms come out of the V between the stems, is that correct?

    Thanks!

  • carrie751
    10 years ago

    Yes, they will bloom only after they have "y'd", but I don't find it necessary to prune mine. Dr. Seuss and a couple of others I have grow in tree form, and I just let them get as large as they like. The few I have in containers need no pruning until Fall when I put them in the green house.

  • oxmyxing
    10 years ago

    Hi

    You need to REPOT first; you're plants are week. Usually you will see bigger leaves, and very rapid growth first. From what I can see, they are not ready to flower.

    Use a big pot 16" 20" 24" (best)

    Oh yes `
    ~> I see you are hot! perhaps a bit of shade will do :)

    This post was edited by oxmyxing on Sun, Jul 21, 13 at 10:28

  • ruth_ann
    10 years ago

    Start by planting them in the soil/ground. This way the roots get all the moisture and nutrients they need but you also need to fertilize weekly with a balanced 20-20-20 formula unless you have greatly amended your soil. They are also MUCH easier to care for in the ground.
    I live in Zone 5b in Canada and only have mine growing outdoors from June to Sept and yet they bloom well because I plant them in the ground in the spring and pot them back up to over winter indoors in the fall after I cut them back to about 6" tall. It can be done so keep trying. :) If you can manage it, do not prune yours back until you get to see blooms.
    When it is above 80F, growth really slows down and buds wont form until night time temps get into the 70F range.

  • Jesse Ortiz
    10 years ago

    DeviGardener

    I grow all my brugmansias in big planters I use miracle potting mix that feeds upto 6 months it's the best solid I've used for my brugs and they thrive in it. some are as big as 8 ft tall or 9. I feed them every 2 weeks with miracle grow plant food. Looking at your pictures it seems that your brugs still need to grow but they usually very fast growers. Untill your plants grow they y's they will then start to flower. And when they start to flower and you feed them every 2 weeks you will have blooms most of the year. I live in california and this year my brugs have blooms almost all year long. You might consider taking them out and removing some solid from the rootball and add miracle grow potting mix that feeds upto 6 months and they should grow faster with that new dirt. And don't worry about hurting the plant brugs are very hardy I've done that tons of times removing a lot of the soil and adding new and they will rejuvenate. If you would like you can upgrade to bigger planters aswell. Well good luck on your brugs. Hope you have some blooms soon.

  • devolet
    10 years ago

    Mine are in the ground and the largest, a Frosty Pink, has a triple trunk. They tend to like a protected spot from wind with part sun, or they droop. I fertilize with fish emulsion and Osmocote. I get blooms summer through fall. They like lots of food while blooming. Weekly. You can also top dress with mulch or manure.

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