"Martin Sykes" wrote in message ...
"Andy" wrote in message
...
Last year I bought a Datura which is currently overwintering in the
spare bedroom. Come May/June it's getting re-potted then it's going
outside. I've got a couple of questions about what to do with it
then.

1. Should I prune it? It's about three feet high with a few leaves at
the top ATM.
From what I've read, no personal experience yet as my Datura seedlings are
only about a foot high so far, you don't need to prune unless it's getting
too big for its purpose. The larger you can leave it, the more flowers
you'll get in summer. Usually people prune them just enough to get them back
in through the door for winter.

2. What compost should I use? J.I. # 3 perhaps?
My seedlings are racing away in general purpose peat-free compost.

I've only done them once or twice, but basically -- firstly, I would
try to find a way to harden it off and get it more than just window
light, starting from April at the latest, especially if the window
isn't due south. Never pruned mine and iirc they still had flowers the
second year. (Think I left them out in the frost after that, having
stuffed them into an immovably heavy pot which I couldn't be bothered
to deal with.) At the time I used Shamrock peat-free but nowadays
would use B&Q Organic peat-free. It's blacker and seems to generate
fewer of those little flies.