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Red Brugmansia

Brugmansia sanguinea

Please take your time removing your plant from it's packaging.

Your plant was grown in filtered light, not direct sun, so it should be acclimated to direct sun slowly. I recommend growing your Brug in a larger pot for about a month, so you can gradually give it more sun each week -- otherwise the leaves may wilt or burn.  So start your plant with 1-2 hours of morning sun per day for the first week, followed by an hour more sun every few days. If the leaves should wilt, simply give it a little more more shade until the plant grows more roots.  

Before removing your plant from its pot, give it a watering, so the soil doesn't break apart, which can damage the roots. 

Container size -- A 1 to 3 gallon size pot is perfect for the first 1-2 months. When the roots poke out of the bottom of the container, you can plant it in the ground. If you choose to keep it in a container, i recommend at least a 20 gallon size if you plan on letting it grow big. Avoid disturbing the root-ball whenever you transplant, as they are fairly touchy.

Soil -- Most high quality potting soils should work.  Brugmansias like moist, rich, well-draining soil.

Watering -- For the first month, ensure that the original soil ball remains moist (but not soggy). Brugs do best with regular, deep waterings. I recommend using a moisture meter probe, which you can get from most garden and hardware stores for about $5. You simply stick the probe down to where most of the roots are and read the needle. I water when it's about halfway dry or slightly less.

Fertilizing -- Brugs like more food than most plants. Any balanced vegetable fertilizer should work. When your plant starts putting on rapid growth, you can increase the feedings to slightly more than the label's recommended dosage (about 20%-30 more). Cut back on the feedings if your plant goes through a dormant period, and increase the feedings when growth is quick. It's normal for Brugs to shed some of their older leaves throughout the year, but excessive leaf yellowing and shedding is often a sign of not enough fertilizer, particularly nitrogen.

Placement in the garden -- Full sun is usually too much for Red Brugmansia, except in cool, coastal areas like California. The ideal would be either filtered sunlight the whole day, or morning + afternoon sun, with mid-day shade.  It flowers best in cooler temperatures, so give it mid-day shade in warm areas, and don't plant it where heat can collect, like near a wall.  Keep the roots cool if necessary with a thick layer of mulch.  It can tolerate light frosts, but try to provide overhead protection and also mulch well. If the freezes aren't hard, new growth will emerge from under the mulch in the spring.  

Pruning & shaping -- You can prune your plant to any shape you wish.  Avoid pruning more than 15-20% of the plant in a week.  

Bugs to watch for -- Whitefly, spider mites (tiny "dots" under the leaves), Japanese beetles, aphids (green ones are hard to see), snails/slugs.

If you have any questions or problems, feel free to email me.

Enjoy your plant!

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