datura/brugmansia

[lozzzz]

Last year I was given a datura,it grew to about 6ft and flowered,in my ignorance I left it out all winter and it died,or so I thought,so I hacked it back to the stump and re potted it and to my amazment it shot up again this summer,it hasnt flowered this year(which is understandable)but its about 5ft and has 4 thick leafy stems,what should I do about it this winter,I dont have room for any kind of greenhouse to overwinter it,if I do what I did last year then its never going to grow enough to flower next year.Is there anything I can do,I cant transport it anywher because its far too heavy.

[andyjevs]

If your only option is to leave it outside, i would personally put it in the most sheltered part of the garden, cut it back to about 12" and cover the plant in fleece, hessian sacking or straw. This will provide the roots with some protection. Keep it on the dry side if possible too....Do this as soon as we start getting frosts (can be after xmas in southern UK) Next spring, un-cover it and begin to water and liquid feed it making sure that any young growth gets covered at night if you were going to get a frost. Keep them in a hot, sunny position and keep feeding throughout the summer....probably weekly with a liquid food. One last thing....Daturas are deadly poisonous so please be careful if children are around.....they can, and have killed before, but will only be of danger if ingested. Hope this helps

[Impret-Sir]

I grow a new one each year from a cutting, its very easy. Take a good sized cutting from a non flowering stem, about 10 inches long is fine, just under a leaf joint, dip the end in rooting powder and plant in normal garden compost. Keep moist and put a clear polythene bag over it and stand on a warm, well lit windowsil. I have grown a new one every year, plus others for my family, with this method, for the last four years. I overwinter the best of this years in my garage in its pot, come the spring I stick it back outside during the day, and put it inside at night, then gradully leave it outside as the weather improves. They like a mulch of well rotted horse manure by the way! Then you dont have to feed them all summmer, but they do need lots of water.