Absence of flowers

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Sambelina

Absence of flowers

Post by Sambelina »

Hi - my first post please so bear with me while I learn forum etiquette... Im also conscious that these may not be considered hardy or suitable for this forum.

I've grown a couple of plants from seed that have grown well but failed to flower. Im hoping for some advice on whether I could have persuaded them to flower if Id done something different. The first is a leonotis leonurus. Grown from seed germinated in Feb this year - I grew half a dozen or so and kept two for myself. Both planted in the ground in late May, in my reasonable soil in a sunny spot, where everything else flowers well. They've grown to good sized bushy plants about 5 feet high, but no sign at all of flowers and now its October. Nor have any of the few I gave away. I understood they should flower well in their first year, as they may not get a second year...

The second is a snail vine, Vigna caracalla (now renamed I think). I grew this from seed probably 5 years ago and it's in a good sized terracotta pot, I repotted it with some new potting compost and extra nutrients this year. In previous years its always struggled to grow much once I put it outside around May, and often starts by producing transparent leaves, but never any flowers. This year, its put out lots of strong, healthy, green growth, to around ten feet or more. I thought this was the year for flowers, but still nothing. I've given it a few doses of tomorite in addition to some slow release fertiliser pellets when I repotted. This plant owes me some flowers dammit. Where are they??
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tatter
Posts: 314
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2018 7:37 pm
Location: smethwick west mids

Absence of flowers

Post by tatter »

Hello I suppose the first question is I assume you fully hardened them off before planting outside.
Leonotis needs to be south or west facing to get enough sun.Soil needs to be alkaline or neutral do you know the ph of your soil.
Snail vine should be flowering around now .However because of such a good summer it may have delayed. Also to much fertilizer can give lots of leaf growth at the expense of flowers (slow release and tomorite ?)
Jim
I'm older than yesterday but younger than tomorrow
Sambelina

Absence of flowers

Post by Sambelina »

Hi, thanks for your reply.

Yes, the Leonotis is in full sun pretty much all day. It was hardened off pretty well before going out and has grown well to a good size. Out of interest can a hasty hardening off result in a strong plant with no flowers? I doubt that's whats happened in this case, I was quite gradual with it's hardening off. As far as the soil is concerned it's generally just on the acid side of neutral, although this particular area has been amended with quite a bit of very well rotted cow manure the previous year. I must admit I understood they were generally tolerant of a range of soils... I bought them from chiltern seeds and they said any pH was fine. Would the wrong pH result in a strong pant with no flowers?

As far as the snail vine is concerned, I was aware that too much fertiliser can give leafy growth at the expense of flowers. It's always given such poor growth when I put it outside that some slow release fertiliser was an obvious choice when I potted it on. I've spoken to a few people who feed a few different types of plants far more than I would expect to get flowers - a chap a week or two ago who fed his passion flowers twice a week with tomorite to get a good show, so I thought a balance of giving it two or three small doses over the year might give it a boost. It has grown well, at least! But its no use without flowers... Interesting that you say a good summer would hold it back, Id assumed it would bring the flowers forward. Im assuming that it will be knocked back by the first sign of a light frost so I doubt it has time to flower now if there are no buds? Do you have much experience of these? Should they flower fairly easily in a sunny spot? What feeding regime would you give them?
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tatter
Posts: 314
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2018 7:37 pm
Location: smethwick west mids

Absence of flowers

Post by tatter »

Hi Sambelina
Sorry but I do not have any experience of these plants I was just throwing a few general comments out to see if any struck you as a possablity. Sorry if it wasn`t much help
Jim
I'm older than yesterday but younger than tomorrow
Sambelina

Absence of flowers

Post by Sambelina »

No need to apologise! Im grateful to anyone who takes the time to offer their thoughts. And you might be right about either the pH or overfeeding thing. Who knows, but I dont think they're going to flower this year. Neither seem to be particularly commonly grown, maybe this is why! Thanks again for you help.
Chez2
Posts: 193
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2018 5:09 pm
Location: Rotherham / Sheffield

Absence of flowers

Post by Chez2 »

I don't know anything about this plant so I would suggest the same as tatter; look at what nutrients it needs. I would never feed my plants this much with the exception of a large brug. You could have been encouraging too much leafy growth at the expense of flowers.
susanalisa247
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Joined: Mon Oct 14, 2019 11:43 am
Location: Canada

Absence of flowers

Post by susanalisa247 »

I have also grew alovera plants in my condo becuase thry are very helpful for your hair skin and oil but it should be kept away from children.
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charliep
Posts: 78
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2018 6:43 am
Location: cornwall

Absence of flowers

Post by charliep »

Leonotis will only flower in the UK very very late and really needs to be overwintered under glass to get flowers before it becomes winter again, even on Madeira its only just coming into flower in October. I have tried the snail vine but had no luck with that either. You need to be careful growing some plants from seed, some will flower the first year from seed Like Eccremocarpus but some like Macfadyena and Mandevilla can take up to twenty years to start! (although perhaps if I lived somewhere warmer they maybe a bit quicker!!
Charlie Pridham
Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
GREVILLEAJ
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Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:38 pm
Location: London

Absence of flowers

Post by GREVILLEAJ »

Would any of these plants require a day/night turn around such as Pointsetta to trigger flowering? The season may run out of light and warmth in the UK especially if they flower so late in their natural habitat
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