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Why is my brug not blooming this year?

shp123
10 years ago

This is the third year since I purchased this plant. Last year, I have two rounds of spectacular flowers, once early spring and a second time just before Hurricane Sandy. Because of my zone 6-7, I dug up the plant and stored in the garage every winter. This year, my plant did not even set any flower pods, not one. Can anyone tell me what I did wrong? By the way, I just dug it up again. Thanks.

Comments (11)

  • diane_v_44
    10 years ago

    Hello I have been growing Brugmansia for years here in Ontario
    Some years I have more bloom than others.
    And I have found that growing the same plant one year right in the ground and another year in a large pot makes a difference.
    In the ground I might get bloom
    but if next year I might have it all summer in a pot have no bloom
    Then another plant might be visa versa.
    Seems they need lots of fertilizer to get bloom.
    More than one would give most plants
    I did this , more fertilizer this year, and have a fair bit of bloom Actually some good bloom on most of my plants
    Mine are yet in the ground or in their pots. No frost yet here and I find they seem to bloom best in the fall . Maybe it is just that they need that much time.

  • sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
    10 years ago

    How was the foilage? Did it make lots of large green leaves or were they sparse, yellowing and falling off? IF you have plenty of sun and lots of big green leaves but not many flowers, you may have too much nitrogen in the fertilizer and not enough phosphorus, or potassium.
    If you have weak or yellowing growth and plenty of sun then it could be just not enough fertilizer in general.

    Brugs are big fertilizer hogs. As long as they are well watered, they can take quite a bit. As mentioned, make sure they are getting plenty of sunlight. Also you didn't mention whether your brug is a tree form or a shrub form. Shrub forms usually have more branches which equals more flowers.

    Also check for root rot, if the roots are not healthy then the plant will not be either. The roots can sometimes rot if standing in water and sometimes if the plant and pot is sunk into the ground and the roots fill up all the holes they can kinda plug up everything and water and nutrients can't be absorbed.
    If it was planted in the ground without its pot I would check the area for drainage.

    One problem I have noticed here but you might not have there is, sometimes they really need to be cut and started over. I have root nematodes in our sandy soil. Brugs are very susceptible to them. If I notice weak dwindling leaves and dying off stems I immediately will check the rootball. If I see knots of damage I will restart cuttings and keep those varieties in pots from then on. I notice the yellow brugs seem to have the most problem with this here but a few of the whites do as well. I think this is worth mentioning because I kinda had to learn the hard way lol.

    This post was edited by sultry_jasmine_night on Sat, Oct 19, 13 at 15:44

  • amhkgn
    10 years ago

    They really do like a lot of fertilizer. Weekly I apply 1 tbs Miracle Grow and 1tbs Staygreen Super Bloom mixed in 2 gallons of water, and I get a ton of buds. I also periodically spray them with 2tbs blackstrap molasses and 1 tbs Epsom Salt per 1 gallon of water, and they seem to perk up after this treatment.

    I have 4 plants in the ground that come back from the root here every year, and 6 in pots, which do get taken to the basement before the 1'st frost. The plants in the ground are much bigger. I'll have to make more room in the garden next year to get some of the potted plants into the ground.

    I've now stopped fertilizing since we're heading into colder weather, starting this week with some nights in the mid 30's. I've got a ton of buds on the plants now, which I hope to see bloom before we get frost.

    This post was edited by amhkgn on Sun, Oct 20, 13 at 16:52

  • amhkgn
    10 years ago

    Here's Klein Lady today with a ton of buds. I hope I don't lose these, we're getting down to 33 degrees this coming Friday night.

  • amhkgn
    10 years ago

    Another view of Klein Lady.

  • amhkgn
    10 years ago

    Savoy Truffle buds, this plant is around 3 ft tall in pot, and this is the 3rd round of blooms this year. It has at least 7 buds.

  • amhkgn
    10 years ago

    My pink noid in a pot, 3rd round of blooms today. This plant is also in a pot, and has at least 7 buds.

  • amhkgn
    10 years ago

    Fleming Island Rachel buds today, in a pot. This plant and Angel's Honeymoon are the furthest behind in blooms for me.

    Next summer, I'm going to start my fertilizer regimen with MG and SGSB earlier in the summer to see if I get blooms sooner. I initially fertilzed the plants with granular food when they first came outside, and I'll have to do better with the Epsom salt and blackstrap molasses. I should have sprayed the plants weekly, but that didn't happen.

  • amhkgn
    10 years ago

    My yellow noid, this plant has been coming back from the root for years. I do mulch it with pine straw once the top growth has been killed off by the cold weather sometime in November or December. This is the 2nd flush of blooms this year.

  • amhkgn
    10 years ago

    This was the 1st flush of blooms of the yellow noid.

  • diane_v_44
    10 years ago

    was enjoyable to see your garden space and Brugmansia plants and read about your toughts in heavier feeding
    I can see that as well that they really are very heavy feeders.
    I recall seeing in Dominican Republic , while visiting a daughter who lived there at the time. In the interior and we where taking a scenic drive across the country
    I came across a number of actual small trees of them growing just out in the countryside Not it seemed on anyones property nor any little shack around. Seemed they where just growing sort of in the wild. Full of bloom. Gorgeous
    I wanted my daughter so we could get out of the car and have a closer look,but we had other people in the car and she did not.
    Is one of those scenes, I will always remember.
    No one looking after them just growing on their own and beautiful.

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