Re: non bloomers
- To: perennials@mallorn.com
- Subject: Re: non bloomers
- From: D* S*
- Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2000 19:44:10 -0400
On Tue, 1 Aug 2000 15:10:40 EDT NitaCretbc@aol.com writes:
> Hello fellow gardeners. I have a few questions regarding plants that
> did not
> bloom this summer: Tropical Hibiscus (I think I trimmed off the new
> wood on which it blooms???),
Nita --
Yes, that's correct, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis blooms on new wood. Don't
give up yet. Mine has only had a couple blooms on it so far this year.
It does most of its blooming from mid-August through early October. BTW,
I keep it out on the patio from mid-May to mid-October, then it spends
the winter indoors semi-dormant in front of a south-facing window. Try
giving your Hibiscus regular feedings of a "bloom food" (high middle
number) for the next month -- and keep the soil in the pot evenly moist.
>agapanthus (tender here, bloomed last summer, took
> inside all winter, foilage is beautiful but no bloom) and tuberous
> begonias
> (also held over from last year). Ortho doesn't give any info
> regarding lack of bloom.
> Anyone have some insight?
I gave up on both Agapanthus and Amaryllis. There's some trick to the
dormancy which, after years and years of no flowers, I obviously never
mastered.
> One other questions: what is your interpretation of the words
> "heavy feeders"?
> Descriptions for things like agapanthus, delphiniums, etc. say this,
> but I've
> never been sure what that means? Once a week, once a month, once a
> day???
I'd say once a week, according to the instructions of the particular
fertilizer, of course. Fertilizers are just like medicines: too much is
just as bad as not enough. Many people also go with a fall or spring
top-dressing of compost to provide the plants with more even, organic
nutrition.
Dean Sliger
Warren, Michigan, USA
Zone 6B
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