Why No Flowers ?

[Bob]

Hi,

Live outside of Boston.

About a month and a half ago I bought a package of "wildflower" seeds. A very good, well known, brand, but I don't remember which. Also, some top of the line potting soil.

Planted them in one of those long rectangular planters, with the drain holes in the bottom.

Well watered, and outside in plenty of sun. No flowers !

So, any opinions on why no flowers ?

Plenty of green stalks; looks like a jungle.

Could it be we used too many seeds ? Should it be thinned out, or are other possibilities more likely ?

Any thoughts or opinions would be most appreciated.

Thanks, Bob

[Billy]

Maybe planted too deep. Depth of seed is supposed to be 1 1/2 the diameter of the seed.

[Paul M. Cook]

Perennials never do well the first year. Wait until next year. I planted marigolds this year and they're growing slowly. But I know next year they'll be huge.

Paul

[David Hare-Scott]

This seems rather unlikely, it might alter the germination rate but once you had a jungle of stalks the germination conditions become irrelevant.

If the plants look healthy and they get plenty of sun I would say give them more time. Six weeks from seed planting is pretty optimistic, if the soil was cool it could have taken 2-3 weeks to germinate. Of course it would help to know what they are.

David

[brooklyn1]

Marigolds are anuals... they won't be back next year unless some reseed. Many wildflower seeds in those packets are biennial, they won't flower the first year. It's best to plant wildflowers directly into the ground, they don't do well in pots.

[Paul M. Cook]

I was wondering that because here in SoCal they always come back. When I was growing up here we had marigolds covering a backyard hill that bloomed every year.

Many wildflower seeds in those packets are biennial, they

And they never last for long. We have a lot of wildflowers blooming all around town but they are gone in just a couple weeks.

[Billy]

Your right, I missed everything after "why no flowers".

[Dan L.]

Hmmm... Looks like a jungle... and no flowers? Sounds like too much nitrogen in the soil. Did you add any fertilizer to that "top of the line soil"?

[balvenieman]

They get huge because the hybrid "dwarfs" revert. All of my marigolds this year are reseeded from last Spring's. Unfortunately, descendants of "French" dwarf hybrids get pretty rampant so I prune and deadhead the daughter generation ruthlessly and plant new seeds the following Spring.

[Cheryl Isaak]

Patience

[songbird]

howdy,

dimensions of the planter?

was this seed mix an annual mix, a perennial mix, a biannual mix or some of all of the above or what?

probably:

soil too rich and planted too thickly together.

and

for the biannuals and perennials it can take a few seasons to get going.

and as others have mentioned, patience.

nah, at this point, just keep 'em watered when they look to be getting too dry. otherwise i'd let them be. i wouldn't fertilize them either.

you might have troubles getting anything through the winter, but perhaps this was an annual mix so it doesn't matter anyways...

for the general homeowner these mixes can be dangerous (contain invasive species). we have some weeds running around here that came from one of these mixes. very cute little blue flowers. dies back long and scraggly, bugger to pull and reseeds heavily.

also, never plant seeds or plants that people give you without looking into it further.

just general advice from someone who spends way too much time trying to recover from invasive species gone amokness.

songbird

[Billy]

"SAVE THE LEAF LITTER"

[songbird]

Billy wrote: ...

you are very funny Billy,

but yes, if they are annuals save the leaf litter as it might contain seeds for next year's plants. :)

songbird