Archive for the ‘Failure to Bloom’ Category

YoYo Winter Temperatures– Expect Flower Losses On BigleafHydrangeas

              In the Southeastern U.S. region, wildly fluctuating temperatures this winter will likely destroy or delay spring and summer blooming on bigleaf (mophead) hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) (USDA hardiness zones 6 – 9). Other hydrangea species, such as smooth hydrangea (H. arborescens), panicle hydrangea (H. paniculata), and oakleaf hydrangeas, should not be affected. Bigleaf hydrangeas are […]

Tips On Crape Myrtles In Fall And Winter

                  Hardy cultivars of crape myrtles are best left alone in the fall. Light pruning to remove a broken branch or the seed capsules is ok, but major pruning should wait until early spring.  “Crape murder” is a common practice in the Southeast U.S. and is not recommended any time or place. It involves lopping […]

Shrubs You Should Not Prune In Fall Season

Why would anyone prune spring flowering shrubs in the autumn season? After a long cold winter, why miss out on the delightful fragrance of lilac and viburnum flowers the following spring? Predicting how cold, warm, or dry the coming winter season is rarely possible. Pruning cuts are wounds and weather extremes may cause injury to […]

Designing With Crape Myrtle

Undeniably, crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica x L. faurei ) thrive in the southern U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). You see them planted on practically every street. Their showy summer flowers are spectacular. Many cultivars exhibit colorful autumn foliage, and their smooth patterned trunks and architecture grace the winter landscape. “The right crape myrtle for the […]

Tropical Flowering Maple

(Abutilon spp.), often called Chinese lantern or Chinese parasol plant, is a tropical houseplant (USDA hardiness zones 8-10). It offers pendant umbrella-shaped flowers along with handsome rich green five-lobed maple-like foliage. Some variegated leaf forms are available. Leaf petioles are long. Utilize as a tropical foliage plant in the garden or a container. The brightly […]

Why Some Crapemyrtles Do Not Flower

There are several probable reasons why your crape myrtle did not flower this summer. The two leading reasons are lack of adequate daily sunlight and planting depth. Crape myrtles should be planted in full sun. They don’t flower well in locations receiving less than 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. If the leaves are […]

Daylilies Not Blooming?

Gardeners become disappointed when their daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) are not bloom. There may be reasons for this including: old clumps in need of dividing, inadequate nutrition, too much nitrogen fertilizer, too much shade, and pest and disease issues. Daylilies may be shaded or crowded out by overgrown trees, shrubs, ground covers, or weeds. Heavy amounts […]

Divide Irises In Late Summer

Irises (Iris spp.) are beloved spring flowering perennials. Perhaps some fans and clumps flowered poorly this spring. There are several reasons for this, including: old clumps in need of dividing, weather issues, poorly drained soil, inadequate nutrition, too much nitrogen fertilizer, heavy shade, and pest and disease problems. Irises do not compete well for space […]

Why Some Vines Do Not Bloom

Why doesn’t my wisteria (Wisteria spp.) or climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris) vine bloom? There are primarily four (4) reasons why these vines have not flowered. In order of importance they include: 1. The flower buds, which usually formed on the previous summer’s wood, may have been pruned off. Do not prune vine after […]

Why Peonies Do Not Bloom

Herbaceous peonies (Paeonia x lactiflora) are among the easy to care for and long-lived garden perennials. If you plant them correctly in compost rich, well-drained soil and a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight, they will bloom for the next 30+ years. If peonies fail to bloom, here are 8 probable causes: 1. Planting crowns […]