| Hello, I have a princess flower and it looks almost dead. It flowers maybe on every three months. It gets afternoon sun and I fertlize regularly with Miracle-Gro. I follow the directions on your tag it came with. It is in a 30 inch pot. What can I do to help it become healthy? Help, Thank you, Linda |
| Tibouchina, your princess flower, prefers slightly acidic, well-draining soil and full sunshine. The brilliant royal purple flowers should appear intermittently from late spring into winter. You can help encourage blossoming by pinching out the growing tips so the plant develops new flowering wood. It's safe to fertilize in early spring and again in mid-summer to promote growth and bloom. Since your plant is in a pot, it's possible that there are some dry areas around the roots, even though you water regularly. For insurance, immerse the pot in a large container of water to drive out air pockets around the roots. Do this every 2-3 weeks during the growing season to assure the soil remains evenly moist. Miracle-Gro is a wonderful fertilizer, but it has a 20-20-20 ratio of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Too much nitrogen can suppress flowering. Instead, use a 5-10-10 fertilize and and dilute it to half-strength, then feed your plant every 2-3 weeks with this dilution. Pinch your plant back to encourage healthy new growth, and bBe sure to water your plant regularly during the growing season to keep it healthy and vigorously growing. Hope this information helps! |
