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Brugmansia, Angel Trumpet is a large shrub or small tree with large, pendent trumpet shaped flowers. There are several varieties that range in color and growth habit but all are known for their exotic fragrance which intensifies in the evening. They are frost tender (zone 8 ) and prefer a warm to hot climate in protected sun.
Care
Plant in a light, fertile, well- drained soil. Brugmansia is a fast grower and heavy feeder and needs to be fertilized regularly ( 2x per week) during the growing season. Provide lots of water to keep it in bloom all summer and fall. Since it blooms on new wood, it can be trimmed when growth becomes excessive or when you want to shape it as a dense round shrub or tree . It will take a month or more to resume blooming after pruning.

Winterover brugmansia
In cold climates, it is best to grow it in a container and move it indoors/greenhouse to a frost-free area during the winter. Place it in a south window and maintain it as a houseplant during this time watering once a week. You may get some leaf drop which is normal. The second option is to cut your brugmansia back and store it dormant in a cool (above 40F), dark place (basement, garage) watering monthly to keep the soil from totally drying out. The plant will defoliate completely during dormancy.

Prune it in the spring after the last frost, when new growth appears and the plant is ready to go outside; cut back to one or two buds.
No flowers can be the result of low light, low fertilizer or excessive heat.

All parts of this plant are poisonous and not advisable to grow if you have small children or animals that eat plants.

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. There are a number of varieties ranging from green slicers, small picklers, light green, yellow and white, not to mention the “burpless” cultivars and novelty dwarf bush plants.

PlantingSow seeds directly into the ground when soil and air temperatures are around 60 degrees F. Warm soil is necessary for good germination. Plant seeds either in a hill or row. To plant a hill, mound up soil to make a 12′ circle plant 4-6 seeds 1/2-1″ deep. The hills should be 2-3 feet apart in each direction. Thin seedlings to 3 plants per hill. For row planting, thin seedlings to one per foot. Add compost to soil to help retain moisture and provide nutrients. You can have a second planting 5 weeks after the first for a fall harvest. Cucumbers should produce 50-60 days after seed planting.

Care
Cucumbers are shallow-rooted and require uniform moisture throughout the growing season. Water deeply. Hot, dry conditions will produce bitter and poorly shaped fruit. When seedlings are 1 ft. tall and begin to vine, side-dress with compost or a nitrogen fertilizer and mulch to maintain even moisture. Provide a sturdy support such as an A-frame trellis or plant next to a fence for cucumbers to climb on. It will make the cucumbers easier to find and is a more efficient use of space.
Harvest cucumbers every other day. Pick when they are uniformly green, firm and crisp. If left on the vine too long the fruit will become fat, yellow and bitter and will slow down new production. The more you pick the more you get. Do not handle plants when wet.

Pests:
Cucumber beetle is a yellow or greenish yellow beetle with black spots or stripes that feed on the leaves and blossoms. The beetle infects the plant with bacterial wilt which causes the plant to wilt and die when half grown. The beetles are attracted to stressed plants. Preventative: Cover the seedlings with floating row cover until flowers emerge and when the beetle is present spray with Rotenone , Carbaryl or Pyrethrins.

Learn more about growing cucumbers!

Try the Mulchalator

This mulch bag calculator computes volume of mulch you will need to buy to cover an area. The variables are: Volume of Mulch Needed (in cubic yards), Area of Coverage (in square feet), Depth of Mulch (in inches)

To use this calculator, you must enter two of the three numbers.

This gardening calculator computes the number of plants which will cover a garden. It will calculate the number if the plants are placed on a: Rectangular or Triangular Grid.

To use this calculator, you must enter the area in square feet and the distance between plants in inches.

Fill in the Area and Distance fields:

Area to be planted (in square feet):
Distance between plants (in inches):

If planted on a Rectangular Grid,
the maximum number of plants is

.

If planted on a Triangular Grid,
the maximum number of plants is

.