Avoid these care mistakes

Avoid this mistake at all costs

Overwintering trumpet trees: care tips

It has large, impressive flowers and a fruity aroma: angel’s trumpet is a popular potted plant that requires special attention in autumn.

Angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia syn. Datura) is one of the most impressive potted plants. It’s also hard to miss: its characteristic funnel flowers can grow between 15 and 30 centimeters and show colors from white, to yellow, to red. The flowers bloom from June to autumn. The plant itself can grow up to two meters high – very attractive for gardens and terraces.

There are different types of angel trumpets. The most famous include:

But even though the flower colors are different, trumpet trees should be treated and cared for in the same way. With the following tips you can take good care of your angel trumpet and keep it cold in winter.

The most important care tip is: always water the angel’s trumpet abundantly, even several times a day in hot weather. The substrate should not dry completely. Therefore, you should always plant angel trumpets in pots that are as large as possible and can store sufficient water. “In principle, the soil should always dry out before you water it,” advises Anne Kirchner-Abel, angel trumpet breeder from Duisburg. Because plants react sensitively to waterlogging.

A suitable location is a bright spot on a balcony or terrace, but not necessarily in full sun. If you have a garden, you can plant angel trumpets in the summer and repot them in the fall and let them overwinter indoors.

Nightshade plants such as angel’s trumpet have high nutritional requirements and are heavy feeder plants. Therefore, you need fertilizer every week, and often in large quantities. “The usual amount of fertilizer means malnutrition, double the dose is appropriate,” explains horticultural engineer Maria Sansoni. Long-term fertilization is optimal, although breeders indicate that a nitrogen-focused supply is necessary early in the season when the leaves and crown are growing. Then apply flower fertilizer.

Limes are also important for nutrient availability, Kirchner-Abel says. If the irrigation water is soft, gardeners should add algae lime. “If the front of the leaf becomes bright, it means there is a lack of nutrients,” explained the breeder.

Hobby gardeners can quickly propagate angel trumpets using cuttings. The herbaceous parts of the shoot tips of the plant as well as the woody parts of the lower parts are suitable for this, explains the North Rhine-Westphalian Chamber of Agriculture. They are simply placed in potting soil. Cuttings form roots within two to three weeks at an air temperature of 18 to 20 degrees. The young plant is then placed in a larger pot with conventional potting soil.