What to Do If Potted Osmanthus Fails to Bloom
This article brings you the topic of why potted osmanthus fails to bloom and the skills for caring for potted osmanthus, with the details as follows:
Some flower enthusiasts ask, "Why doesn't my potted osmanthus, which has been planted for three to four years, bloom?" Personally, if it has been planted for three to four years, there should not be any "major" issues in its care, as it is still alive. So, what exactly is the reason for its failure to bloom? I believe it is closely related to the potted osmanthus itself, involving issues such as "age of the plant" and "variety," which are interrelated. Different varieties require different plant ages to bloom.
Osmanthus
Osmanthus propagation generally consists of three methods: seedlings, cutting propagation, and grafting. For the most common varieties, seedlings usually need to grow for at least five years to bloom normally, and most varieties require more than eight years of plant age to possibly bloom. Cutting and grafted seedlings can bloom within three years. Of course, there are special cases, such as the osmanthus commonly seen in green spaces, which can bloom in the same year after cutting propagation.
If the plant age and variety of the potted osmanthus meet the above requirements and it still fails to bloom after three to four years of care, it is necessary to consider whether there are some issues in the care. Below, I will analyze the reasons for the failure of potted osmanthus to bloom and provide solutions, hoping to help flower enthusiasts.
Osmanthus
One: Insufficient Light Causes Long-Term Failure to Bloom
Osmanthus is a positive plant that requires ample direct sunlight during its growing period to have the basic conditions for blooming. Many urban dwellers grow flowers and plants on balconies or indoors, where there is often insufficient light. Even on south-facing balconies, there is direct sunlight in spring, autumn, and winter, but the duration of sunlight is generally insufficient to meet the growth needs of osmanthus.
In summer, balconies usually do not have direct sunlight, and this is when most osmanthus varieties have their flower bud differentiation. Without adequate light conditions, the plant struggles to differentiate normal flower buds, leading to long-term failure to bloom. It can be said that most cases of osmanthus not blooming are caused by insufficient light.
The solution is to increase the light intensity and duration for the potted osmanthus. The plant should be exposed to direct sunlight for at least six hours a day throughout the year to ensure normal blooming and fruiting. If possible, it is best to provide full sun care for the potted osmanthus.
What to Do If Potted Osmanthus Fails to Bloom
Osmanthus
Two: Incorrect Fertilization Is an Important Cause of Osmanthus Not Blooming
Osmanthus is a plant that thrives on fertilizer, requiring ample nutrient supply during its growing period. Only with sufficient nutrient supply can the plant thrive and bloom normally. If, during the care process, the amount of fertilizer is too little or fertilizer is not applied for an extended period, the plant will lack nutrients and thus struggle to bloom. Imbalanced nutrient supply during fertilization is also an important reason for the plant not blooming, such as long-term application of nitrogen-rich fertilizers while neglecting the supplement of phosphorus and potassium, which directly leads to long-term failure to bloom.
The solution is to fertilize the osmanthus plant correctly, with frequent application of thin fertilizers being the basic principle. Correct fertilization means applying fertilizers with different nutrient contents during different growth periods. During the vegetative growth period, fertilizers with balanced nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content should be used, such as compound organic fertilizers or multi-element compound fertilizers, at least twice a month.
From late spring to early autumn during the flower bud differentiation period, emphasis should be placed on supplementing fertilizers high in phosphorus and potassium content, such as monopotassium phosphate, which should be applied at least twice a month, alternating with multi-element compound fertilizers, until the plant begins to bud. High-phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are then stopped, and compound fertilizers continue to be applied until winter when all fertilization is stopped.
Osmanthus
Three: Soil Alkalinization and Hardening Is Another Important Cause of Osmanthus Not Blooming
Osmanthus itself does not have high soil requirements, and it is generally not a problem to grow it in garden soil. However, issues often arise with potted osmanthus. The soil in pots has a low nutrient content, and long-term watering with tap water can easily cause the soil to alkalinize and harden. In alkaline and hardened soil, the roots of osmanthus struggle to grow, and while no major issues may arise in the short term, over time, the roots of the potted osmanthus will significantly decrease, leading to poor overall growth and formation of "stunted plants," making blooming impossible.