how to persuade thunbergia to bloom?

Hello,

For the last three years I have grown orange thunbergia (sometimes called black-eyed Susan VINE) in a hanging pot. The first year, it bloomed like crazy. The last two years, it barely blooms at all. The leaves look healthy, and it climbs well, but very few flowers. It gets sun, water, fertilizer, etc. I even bought them from the same place. The ONLY differences are the year (2004 vs 2006) and the soil. The year they bloomed, it was Miracle-Gro. This year, it's Dollar Store Brand. Okay, so next year I need to buy Miracle-Gro or something comparable. But this year I have used a lot of fertilizer, including all three "main" nutrients (N, P, K) and several micronutrients.

How can I get *this* year's plant to bloom? I don't think I can re-soil it without destroying the roots.

Thank you!

Ted Shoemaker, certified Gray Thumb

Madison, Wisconsin, US

USDA zone 4/5 AHS heat zone 4/5 Sunset zone 43

Reply to
shoemakerted
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Ted, try moving it out of direct sun. I fried the first ones I planted but for the past three years I have them under the overhang on my driveway and they cover the underside of the covering with flowers. You have to remember to water it liberally.

Reply to
betsyb

I am trying a coupla thunbergias and they do not seem to be the aggressive growers and flowere-ers that I read about. Not dead - but not vigorous either. maybe flowering later in the year? Anyway - perhaps they are like passiflora which have a reputation for not flowering when receiving lots of nitrogen - just using the energy for growth.

I dunno

Carl

Reply to
Carl 1 Lucky Texan

This is the second year on this plant. Last fall I trimmed it back and dragged it inside for the winter. Came back very nicely and fuler this year.

Reply to
betsyb

I've had success with this, particularly with roses that don't bloom as long as I want them to. Might work for your thunbergia. It helps if you can fake an Eastern European accent while threatening the plant.

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Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

. . . .

:)

Ted Shoemaker

Reply to
shoemakerted

I've come so close... :-) If hammers worked as badly as computers, there'd be riots in the streets.

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

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