hello,

I live in lahore, pakistan. I have planted a dozen different plants in 14 inches clay pots in upper story patio with 5 hours direct sunlight. I have two problems:

1- Although my gardenia (motia) is successfully blooming, following plants are not blooming at all:
   - juhi (1.5 feet high, new growth good but not a single bud, fruits are there on one stem)
   - white chameli (new growth good but not a single bud, plant is 2 feet high)
   - star jasmine vine (new growth is slow, its two years old, but only one flower in may thats all)
   - morning glory vine (i dont over water it and no fertilizer, but not a single bud yet, it has reached 4 feet high, 1 feet wide)
   - har singhar (new growth is very good, not a single bud, its 2 feet tall)
   - local red Rose (new stems, new leaves, one flower in start june thats all, its 2 years old)
   - chinese box (1.5 feet high, it has few buds, but does not get to flowers)
   - cestrum noncutrum (it is 3 feet tall, new growth good, but not a single bud)
   - another cestrum noncutrum, 2 feet tall, have a lot of buds but none transforms into flowers, they just fall on ground)
   - same problem with cestrum dirinum)

I tried some light fertilizers having 20-20-20 composition but of no avail. Will compost made of fallen leaves help blooming? Or the moon soon season will trigger the blooming? will used tea bags as compost will work ?i can post the pics if any body could help me. I have 40+ C temperature here (use green net over plants though).

thanks and regards,
Muhammad Khabbab  

--Last edited by khabbab on 2008-06-25 12:23:35 --

Are your plants very green? With lots of foilage? And good new growth? If so it is possible that you are feeding them too much nitrogen. That will not encourage flowering. Just as overwatering wont.

Juhi, Chameli, Star Jasmine, Ipomoea, Desi Gulab - these plants require full sun. If you use a green net, and that too of a good quality, then you are depriving them of essential sunlight. 40 degrees plus does not harm them. Juhis and Gulabs should be in full bloom in June.

Pruning at the wrong time or pruning the wrong way can prevent flowering.

I note your garden flowers are not blooming,
I think your soil is getting weak. A gardner's Soil Meter will show the pH content of the soil. The reading on the meter will show a reading of pH 5.5 to 6.5 then the soil is fertile. If you do not have a Meter.,than contact me on shahwin at super.net.pk
I do gardening the Eastrern Way - No chemicals required.
B. Shah    

try using organic solutions such and bone meal and blood meal.. unlike our general dependancy on cow-dung manure, potted flowering plants benefit from a good application of phosphorous and pottasium(required for flowering and fruiting.. the above mentioned feeds will do the trick as they re rich in both. soil in the northern plains specially in river basin of punjab tends to become very hard, has poor drainage if dug fresh and tends to be soggy if it does not drain well. under these conditions algae and muck tend to develop on the soil surface making it sticky. the plants you have mentioned benefit from well drained and humus rich soils such as those of northern punjab.. a poting mix comprising leaf manure/compost, garden soil and alluvium(river-bed sand) in a ratio of 1:1:1 will work well for them. these plants plants detest water logged soil; but need moisture specially the 'desi'gulab. in this poting mix don't forget to add cow-dung manure and bone/blood meal, and this'll do wonders for you. blood meal also tends to enhance colour and therefore fares better than bone meal... try it and let me know