Watering Brugmansia Plants: How Much Water Does Brugmansia Need

Indoor Yellow Brugmansia Plant
brugmansia watering
(Image credit: aaron007)

Often known simply as “Brug,” brugmansia is a distinctive plant with big, fuzzy leaves and huge, drooping, trumpet-shaped blooms as long as your foot and interesting bean-like seedpods. This flashy tropical plant is surprisingly easy to grow, but it helps to know exactly how to water brugmansias.

When to Water Brugmansia

The frequency of brugmansia irrigation depends on a number of factors, including temperature, sunlight, time of year, and whether the plant is in a pot or in the ground. The key is to get acquainted with your brugmansia and it will tell you when it's thirsty. Basically, water the plant when the top of the soil feels dry to the touch and the leaves begin to look a little wilted.

How much water does brugmansia need? As a general rule, the plant will require fairly large amounts of water during the summer. If your brugmansia is in a pot, you may need to water it every day when the weather is hot and dry. Brugmansia in the ground needs water less frequently.

Potted brugmansia should be watered sparingly and allowed to dry out somewhat during the winter months, but don't allow your plant to become completely bone dry.

How to Water Brugmansia

Watering brugmansia plants isn't difficult. If possible, fill a watering can or bucket with water a day or so before you plan to water your brugmansia. This will allow harmful chemicals to evaporate, and your plant will be happier and healthier.

Pour the water over the soil slowly until water trickles through the drainage hole, then let the pot drain thoroughly. Never let the bottom of the pot stand in water; soggy, poorly drained soil invites root rot, a disease that is often fatal. A pot with a drainage hole is an absolutely necessity.

Give the plant a nutritional boost by mixing a general-purpose, water-soluble fertilizer into the water every couple of weeks or so.

Mary H. Dyer
Writer

A Credentialed Garden Writer, Mary H. Dyer was with Gardening Know How in the very beginning, publishing articles as early as 2007.