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whimsicalkate

Brug Newbie Questions

whimsicalkate
13 years ago

After years of wishing, I finally purchased my first brugs -'Super Nova'. They arrived in dreadful condition - none dry in almost folded in half.

They are in 6" pots and gradually being acclimated to the sun, after their journey in 4" pots.

My first question...they do not seem to like the sun. It has been more than a month, and any hint of sun completely wilts them. They bounce back happily as soon as the sun goes down, but am I stressing them? I have two outdoor options...full sun or full shade. Sadly, there is no morning sun/afternoon shade option.

Should I be concerned? Just how much sun does a brug need to thrive and bloom? They will come inside for the winter.

I am assuming that a bright, south window will do the trick?

Second question...I went from a 4" pot to a 6" pot. Should I have gone directly to a 20" pot? Should I transplant before bringing them in for the winter?

Third question...the taller of the two is about 2' tall. Anyone want to hazard a guess about what year I might see the first bud?

Someone else posted a photo here of their first bud. Be still my heart...this is the first time I have ever swooned over someone else's bud. I do hope to be able to reproduce the same result here, so any and all advise would be greatly appreciated.

Comments (3)

  • seamommy
    13 years ago

    Welcome to the addiction line, Kate. Most brugs will wilt in direct sun and bounce back pretty quickly. If yours are already stressed from their 'trail of tears' journey, you might want to limit the direct sun they get. The ones that I have in full shade look as good as the ones that get sun, so the shade won't inhibit growth or blooming. None of mine bloom until the weather cools off in the fall anyway.

    A 2' tall brug will outgrow a 6" pot pretty quickly because they can develop enormous root systems. Couple years ago, I put a 2' cutting in a 12" pot and set it in a shady flower bed all summer and it grew through the pot drainage holes, went into the ground about 2-3' and grew into a regular monster. It didn't bloom that summer, but I put it into a 15 gallon pot and put it in the garage for the Winter and it bloomed like crazy out there non-stop until Spring. So, my vote goes to the 20" pot. Make sure it's a strong one.

    Cheryl

  • whimsicalkate
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thank you SeaMommy. Onto the covered porch and into 20" pots!

    A strong pot? Any suggestion as to what material constitutes a strong enough pot? Am I guessing correctly that the roots are going to split the pot?

    Unfortunately, you've added a new worry...addiction. Early this season, I gave in, and started to expand my collection of hibiscus. If I develop the same passion for brugmansia, I will need a bigger house for winter and more land for summer.

  • karyn1
    13 years ago

    I disagre that your brugs will bloom well in complete shade. The sun in MD is much less intense the the sun in TX (even though we've been averaging around 95 since May). The optimal exposure is full am sun and filtered pm sun. Can't you keep them in am sun and move the pots in the afternoon? Because it's been so hot some of my brugs begin looking a bit limp around noon but revive at dusk. On the few cool (85 or lower lol) or overcast days we've had they don't wilt at all.

    I have no idea how big your brugs were when you got them or how big they are now but you don't want to jump from a 6" to a 20" pot. Once the roots begin to show from the drainage holes bump up to a 10 or 12" pot. You don't need to go up in size any further this season before you let them go dormant. They don't make great house plants and are bug magnets. You can keep them in a cool dark basement or your garage over the winter. The best thing to do next season would be to sink the 10 or 12" pots they are in directly inground in full sun. Remember to feed often during the growing season. Mine are fed 1x/wk.

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