- 1). Drag an 18- to 20-inch-wide clay container to an indoor spot exposed to morning sunlight and afternoon shade if growing brugmansia as a houseplant. If placing the container outdoors, select a smaller plastic one that you can easily bring indoors when the temperature cools.
- 2). Half-fill the container with well-draining, lightweight, loose potting soil. Alternatively, mix two parts quality potting soil to one part perlite and one part compost before pouring it halfway into the container.
- 3). Remove the brugmansia from its nursery container and loosen pot-bound roots with your fingers. Clip off dead, dry or damaged roots or root tips before placing in the container. Place the root ball evenly over the soil in the container and spread the roots in all directions. Backfill with soil until 4 inches from the top.
- 4). Water the soil deeply until excess drains out through the drainage holes at the base of the container. Water the container plant lightly every day during the summer months if placing it outdoors. Reduce the frequency during the winter when you bring it indoors. If using brugmansia as a houseplant, water the plant frequently to keep the soil evenly moist at all times, but not damp or soaked.
- 5). Feed the plant a water-soluble fertilizer formulated for tropical plants during the summer months. Use the product at half its strength every other day when you water it. Providing the brugmansia a steady stream of nutrients two to three times a week provides it the essential nutrients it needs to produce healthy, continual and long-lasting blooms. Reduce the frequency of fertilizer during the fall, and stop fertilizing it altogether during winter.
- 6). Deadhead the plant every week during the summer to encourage fresh blooms. Pinch old or spent blooms and discard. Trim the plant in fall, leaving five to eight nodes above the "Y" so they develop into flowers the following season.
- 7). Inspect the plant for pests such as white flies, aphids, caterpillars and spider mites. Douse the pests with a spray of water or spray insecticidal soapy solution over them. Remove caterpillars with tweezers.
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