Place the unrooted cutting in a pot, filled with quality potting mix. I make my own blend, which is usually a mix of quality commercial potting mix, peat moss (or coir), mushroom compost and a little perlite. Used in soil mixes, perlite will improve aeration and modify the soil substructure, keeping it loose, well-draining and defying compaction, which is important whilst your cutting develops roots, as overly damp soil risks the cuttings becoming slimy and rotting. Once potted up, water the cuttings regularly. Little white nubs, called lenticels will form in a few weeks, which then develop into roots. Do not fertilise your cutting, until it has a very well established root system. 

Note: I've also had great success growing in a commercially available soil blend called UltraGrow. 

Place the unrooted cutting in a glass jar and fill with approx 2.5 - 4 cm of water. If your water is chlorinated, allow it to stand overnight before placing your cuttings in the water.  Change the water every 1-2 days. Do not put the jar in direct sunlight. When you see little white nubs (lenticels) form, they are ready to be removed from water and potted up into good quality potting mix. I often wait until they form roots first, before potting up, however do check the cuttings progress, as they can be prone to going slimy and rotting, if kept in water to long... hence I prefer to pot them up the moment lenticils have formed, as they will continue developing their root system once in soil. Be careful not to allow soil to become overly wet, as this is the greatest cause of cuttings rotting. 

Do not fertilise until your cutting has a well established root system.

For those of you who've purchased bare-rooted cuttings from us, plant your cutting into a pot until established. You can then decide whether to plant out in garden beds, or larger pots.

Customer feedback tells us this will rarely occur, but should your cuttings arrive slightly wilted after their journey in the mail from us to you, particularly in the hotter months of the year, simply pop them in a little water overnight/until they pick up, before planting into pots. Do not leave them in water too long, as excessive water can lead to rot, which will spell the end of your plant. Don't hesitate to snip off the foliage if you deem it appears to be in too much distress, as it will quickly re-grow... the main aim is to ensure the plant is putting its energy into growing healthily... so don't let it waste energy on any foliage you find appears to be struggling. Don't fertilise cuttings, until they are established plants. Simply keep them well watered, but not overly wet.

​

Growing in pots or garden beds? It's up to you and your amount of available space will determine which options suits best. Brugmansia will grow faster, bigger and flower more often in ground. They grow well in pots, but you will need a large pot, well over 500mm in depth and width... the bigger the better. Be sure to pot them with quality, compost rich soil and top with mulch. They will need to be re-potted and roots trimmed back at the same time. Generally I do this twice a year, as these are fast growing plants.