Question

Brunfelsia Photos 008.   QUESTION: Hi;
I'm up here in Anchorage, Alaska, &, I have both a Brunfelsia Nitida & Gigantea (thinking also of getting the Jamaicensis), but, I'm having a bit of a problem with these two.
I have them near my south window, good grow lights overhead, at 17 hours ON in Spring thru Autumn, 18 hours thru Winter, 23 1/4" tall, &, has been pruned down at least once, &, is in a 8" pot; While I have had the Gigantea flower a number of times, its growing tips start out good, then, soon start going brown, recovering & growing a bit more or flowering, the larger leaves curl downwards before that happens, but, I eventually end up getting a 'nest' of failed starts with, more-or-less bare stems, tho, they always are good when they grow from the base for a while, then, the same problem hits them; they die back to the nearest leaf terminal, I clip it off because its shriveled; then it buds, stops, turns brown, on & on..

The Nitida has always stayed small, never flowered yet, &, tho it once was doing the same thing, it's since been doing a little better, but, the leaves are somewhat lighter, &, it seems to have slowed its growing, &, the main top outgrowth looks like its dropped several small leaves, tho I can't find them, &, I DO NOT have any bugs or signs of them.

With every watering, I have fed them with DynaGro's 7-9-5 or, their FoliagePro 9-3-6, &, with VF-11, distributed By J & J  Jojoba out of Vacaville, Ca, then later, I've put on plant Hormones twice, a few weeks apart, of Top Tropicals Cirkon & Epin, their Plant Hormones, then, I've added Bat Guano 0-7-0, might have also added Bone Meal 3-15-0, &, Aluminum Sulphate; I may have also used Magnesium Sulphate once.
I use Nature's Premium Potting Soil for about everything, &, considering where I am, I doubt I'd find a better medium.
Just before putting in the Aluminum Sulphate (again?), I read the 'fairly-damp' soil at 7.5ph., but, afterwards, with watering, it's at 6.5ph

I would REALLY like to get these plants up to their potential, because, to me, I think they smell even better, possibly, than my Gardenias, plus, my friends & neighbors enjoy them as well!

What do I need to do to get these special plants to be in the health they should be?

ANSWER: Mel,

I have a son not far from you in Eagle River. He's in the Air Force and a professional Nature Photographer on the side. I own a brunfelsia pauciflora and love it. You are correct, they smell heavenly!

Your care is fine except for one thing that may be the root of your problem. Brunfelsia is definitely a tropical shrub. This time of year Florida and the rest of the south is going into a very tropical humid summer. There is not as much rain in the summer but there is very high humidity and lots of sun. You need to figure out ways to increase the humidity around the plant. Misting it a couple of times a day will help but it will quickly dry and then the air is still dry. Better to place it in aa humidity tray. This is basically a larger drain tray under the drain tray that you have under the plant. Keep the lower drain tray filled with water and it will evaporate around the plant increasing the humidity in the air. The 1st drain tray under the plant will keep it from being too wet by preventing it from being able to suck up water from the drain tray. Then also mist when you can and you should find the plants much happier. Also group all your plants together and they will increase the humidity in the air around them. You could also put a humidifier in the room and that would eliminate the need for misting. I befeive that dry air is the root of your problems.Being rootbound could also be a concern. If you have owned them a long time and they have never been repotted I would remove them from their pots and if you see nothing but roots it is time to repot. Move it to a pot that has a diameter 2 inches larger than the diameter of the pot it is in now. Use potting soil mixed wih play sand that you can get at Lowes or Home Depot.  Good luck.

Darlene

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi;
I've had these Brunfelsias since summer 2010, &, in the fall of 2010, I bought a Humidifier; since then, the main area has anywhere from 59-55% humidity in the winter, &, from 60+ to near 70% humidity from spring thru autumn; around right by the plants' main grouping area, it's around 65 to 70%, so, it must be something else.
I have already up-potted them both, as, they were starting to be a bit 'root-bound'.

I talked to the other volunteer here at AllExperts, &, he got a bit 'out-of-shape' when I tried to tell him I wasn't sure how to use my PH Meter #I just got that figured out today, tho, in fact#, &, tho I gave him a similar rating as yours, you certainly win my nomination, HANDS DOWN!
So, does your son, by chance, being the son of a high-ranking Horticulturist, happen to know anything about Brunfelsias?
"I'm somewhat kidding, of course..)
If he does, I'd consider him stopping by sometime..
I'm in mid-town Anchorage, around the intersection of 32nd & 'C' streets.
From what the other volunteer told me, I've cut the big one down to about 6", &, have removed all of the 'bad growth', &, am now starting to see new buds swelling out on it.
I just hope that they won't go doing the same thing again!
Does the Nitida & the Gigantea both need/use the same soil & fertilizer types?
Is there any way to, as much as is possible considering my setup here, get a fairly exact fertilizer formula that I can follow, with what I have mentioned, remembering that local options here are limited, &, that certain suggestions may require me having to mail-order it?

If you wish, we can discuss these, & my other 33 potted plants, &, the soon-to-come 3 or more, etc, by calling me, at .

At any rate, thanks for trying to assist with these special plants.

Answer
Mel,

No my son is a photography expert and the head of an AGE shop in the Air Force. In fact I do not have a horticulture degree. My advice is based on being a master gardener and raising hundreds of plants every year for the last 40 years, including brunsfelsia. Because I have so many plants (approx 250 at the moment)I do not fertilize with every watering. That makes watering too time consuming. Most houseplant soil is fairly acidic to begin with. I do have a ph meter but I only use it when I think there is a problem. As long as your soil is neutral to slightly acidic I would leave it alone.

If you are going to fertilize every watering please be very careful not to go over the amount for fertilizing with every watering. DynaGro's 7-9-5 or, their FoliagePro 9-3-6 should not be used more than once a week and in minimal amounts. I see that the VF-11 says it will never burn but you should not be applying it the same weeks that you are applying the DynaGro's 7-9-5 or, their FoliagePro 9-3-6 and use  only the amount your label tells you to. When you apply plant Hormones do not apply anything else that week, the same with bone meal and Bat Guano 0-7-0. Aluminum Sulphate should only be added if the soil is too alkaline and nothing else should be done that week. Magnesium Sulfate only needs to be added once a year about a month before you expect it to bloom. every 4 weeks do not add anything for a week. Accumulation of chemicals and fertilizers can burn roots very easily. My plants have bloomed yearly in late winter or early spring with not a lot of fertilizer.

I know approx. where you live. We go downtown to get reindeer hotdogs on the street corners. My daughter in law is a librarian at the Science Middle School. We will probably be up there again in June 2013 for my granddaughters high school graduation.

Good luck with your plants.

Darlene