| My bridal veil plant has small balls on the end of the stems but only opens a couple of blooms. I recently purchased it and it was blooming. It's in a bright sunroom ( with winter approaching) - what am I doing wrong? I've removed dead branches and fertilized 1x a week. Does this plant require a lot of watering to bloom? |
| Recently purchased houseplants often go into shock when moved to our homes, which usually don't have the humidity and "perfect" growing conditions of their nursery. Bridal veil is a sun lover and likes a bright location so your sunroom sounds good. Check to see what type of fertilizer you are using. I've included some info below on fertilizer. To bloom, plants require phosphorous; if you are applying a fertilizer with more nitrogen it will produce more leaves. During the dormant season, I'd cut back on fertilizing. When growth picks up again you may fertilize it lightly about once a month or so. Don't overwater the plant. In winter when growth slows, it is best to cut back on the watering somewhat; check to see if the top layer of soil is dry before you water. When you do, make sure the water soaks the rootball and isn't just running straight out between the pot and the soil. Good luck with your plant! Here?s some basic info on fertilizer and nutrients that plants require. The numbers on a fertilizer bag refer to the percentage of N (nitrogen), P (phosphorous), and K (potassium) in the bag. There are different formulations for different purposes. In general terms, nitrogen produces lush green growth, phosphorous helps strengthen stems and produce flowers, and potassium keeps the root system healthy. If you're applying fertilizer fruiting (e.g., tomatoes) or flowering plants, you're not as interested in the plant developing leaves as you are in it flowers and fruit, so you'd use a formulation lower in nitrogen and higher in phosphorous and potassium, such as a 5-10-10. Miracle-Gro's Plant Food at 15-30-15 is another example. Bone meal is an organic source of phosphorous. |
