| At some point in the fall, usually during late October or early November, you will notice your plants aren't really growing anymore or putting on new blooms. As a matter of fact, it's been raining so much and so chilly, they just up start dropping their leaves (they tend to hang on to the flowers). Now, it hasn't frozen yet, and there is a possibility we'll squeeze in one or two more days of 60 degree+ weather, but it's not likely. It is time to make a winter plan. If you have a greenhouse, it's easy. Just put the plant inside. It is okay, at this time, to trim the branches way back, or even off, to help it fit into the greenhouse. Yes, it really hurts to cut off all those flowers and buds, but it needs to be done. All the leaves will drop off anyway, before long. In areas where they grow year round, they don�t shed their leaves seasonally ' just periodically. Here, with our chilly, changeable fall weather, they will respond with leaf drop. It is possible for your plant to get nipped with a frost before the end of October. This can happen without it killing the plant, if it�s not a true freeze. If you have a vigorous hybrid, and mature plant, they can endure a light frost like this without immediate death. However, they can�t endure day after day and night after night of temps between 35 and 42, which is kinda the norm here in Western Washington during November. That will kill them as surely as one night at 28 degrees. So, although you may get away with making it through one or two frosts, don�t tempt fate. Take that as a message to tuck your plants in for the winter. If your question is, "Will they winter over in an unheated greenhouse?", my answer is, "Yes, they can." Notice, I did not say they will. This is one of the sketchy areas that depends on where your greenhouse is, whether it is plain plastic or is double wall, how close you live to salt water (which keeps you warmer), what your altitude is, and, most importantly, how cold of a winter we have. I have successfully overwintered Brugmansias four times, in nine years, in an unheated greenhouse. Twice the entire trunk stayed alive and sprouted leaves in the spring. The other two times, the main trunk died but a new one sprouted up from the base of the old, when it started warming up. One problem with complete die back of the main trunk, followed by resprouting from the roots, is that it's just like starting over again from a baby plant and takes quite awhile for flowers to start forming again. My greenhouse is a covered with heavy greenhouse plastic and I add a second layer in winter. I plan to transition to a double thermal wall one before next winter. Because of too many uncertainties, my greenhouse is now heated, during the winter, with a small Buddy propane heater. This creates the problem of too much heat at times, and the plants trying like crazy to grow, when there is not enough light for them. I overwinter my main mother plants, in the huge pots, in my garage. It maintains temps between 42 and 52, which makes them want to grow a little, so I also give them a little florescent light. I have read many places where you should let them dry out and barely water them when they are being stored at between 40 and 45, but I do not agree with this. I find they still need to be watered to the point of feeling moist. Just be careful to not over water in these conditions. People that grow their plants in the ground will dig them up in the fall and put them in large pots or, even, large plastic garbage bags. With the plant mobile again, they can move them in and out of shelter, as needed. Though this works fine for most people, it does put a plant under additional stress, as digging them up can shock them. Care must also be taken to not let any exposed roots dry out. If you don�t have any place, such as a garage or basement, that you can reasonably keep your large plants at over 40 degrees, you have a couple of other options. You can just let it go and start over again in the spring. You can also cut some of the stems off and poke them in pots, which you would keep at a minimum of 60 degrees, to sprout new plants for next year, over the winter. Some people overwinter cuttings in containers of water, taking care to change the water frequently. There is an enormous wealth of information on the internet about growing Brugmansias and overwintering them. Most people deal with winters far colder than ours, but any place that has temperature averages at and under 40 degrees, for days at a time, has the same situation calling for protection of Brugmansias. One thing you probably should not do is bring the plant into your living quarters for the winter. First, it is a shock for the plant to go from outdoor humidity, to indoor humidity levels. The other problem is, if kept day and night at 65 degrees or more, the plant will want to grow, but because of a lack of light it will become very leggy and the plant�s leaves will turn white. This weakens the plant, over the long haul. It is better to put it into a semi-dormant state, holding it at much cooler temperatures than our winter living space. Finally, Enjoy Your Show!
Brugmansias don't need fussing over all the time, but they do require some time given to them daily. If you pay attention to its requirements, you will ultimately be rewarded with a fantastic show of blooms. Every evening, as the sun nears the horizon, the flowers will begin filling the air with their wonderful fragrance.
You will have an awe-inspiring, focal plant, dripping with huge flowers, that will stop people in their tracks and they'll say, with great plant envy, "What on earth is that plant?" | |
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