|
| I have several non-blooming "Torch" mexican sunflowers that I'm disgusted with. They're 7-8 feet tall and have yet to make the first blossom. I've even cut them back, thinking the shock would make them bloom; stll nada blooms. So much for the butterfly magnets; I think I'm getting ready to cut them back to the ground. I'll not repeat this mistake, the plants themselves are "weedy" looking. |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Tue, Aug 16, 11 at 12:51
| did you fertilize??? if so.. what are they in ALL SUN???? things that do not flower properly ... either have too much of the wrong balance fert.. too much nitrogen favoring lush green growth ... or.. they are not getting the sun they need to thrive.. and offset lower light with more green .... they are after all.. SUN flowers.. not part-sun flowers ... if both those theories fail .. you really havent given us much other than the fact they arent setting flower buds.. so there isnt much further we can go ... maybe a pic???? ken |
|
- Posted by bouquet_kansas z6Ks (My Page) on Fri, Aug 26, 11 at 2:43
| Joeray.......i was wondering if your tithonias(mexican sunflowers) have bloomed yet..... i have grown them off and on for many years...i love the blooms and so do the butterflies and hummers... well.....this is the first year that mine are not blooming yet.!....they are the height that they usually grow(5-6 feet)......but without blooms or buds yet. they are growing in good compost added soil. but....the main difference this season for us is the intense heat since june.....over 45 days of 100F or more. let me know if yours ever bloom......mine have a couple of weeks to get blooming,because i enter them in the state fair here in kansas.... |
|
| No, they never bloomed, though they were 8+ feet tall and starting to yellow at the bottoms. I made them into compost today. |
|
| I love torch tithonia. This year, they didn't bloom for me until very late, and didn't get tall till late either. I was telling DH that maybe I had grown goldfinger, the 3 ft. variety, by mistake. In fact, a few looked deformed to me. They are going gangbusters now, and I've seen lots of monarchs on them. Too bad yours didn't perform. Did you have any buds at all? I'm sure my issue was we had a very wet & cold spring here in Detroit, then the heat wave later, tho I'm sure the heat wasn't the problem, since they're native to Mexico. Well at least your compost heap will get some benefit lol. |
|
- Posted by woodnative 6 (My Page) on Wed, Aug 31, 11 at 10:49
| I had the same problem as you last year......tall 8+' plants that just got a few blooms near the end of the season. This year I have one in the same spot and one in another.......both behaving normally and blooming well. I am not sure why this happened. |
|
- Posted by gardening_at_nite none (My Page) on Sun, Sep 2, 12 at 19:50
| Same problem here, but my case may be attributed to living in a new place. It's heavily laden with trees so the garden is only receiving 2 hours of directl sunlight while the rest of the day it's filtered light. Plus I planted late this year, June 1st in new jersey. As for my mix, it wasn't consistent like other seasons. I didn't realize it mattered that much for flowering until i read this thread. For example, an above user stated: "or.. they are not getting the sun they need to thrive.. and offset lower light with more green ...." What does that mean? I'm assuming it pertains to the mix. In the past i've simply followed the instructions on the back of top soil or garden soil bags. I forget the ratio but it's the recommended amount of top soil, garden soil, and sphagnum moss, but I skip the moss for no good reason other than taking a short cut. Since it's a new place with tons of deer, squirrels, snakes and moles, I decided to start the garden small and simple in case it didn't work out and figured on expanding next year if it does survive. I did a couple different ground covers, a couple different cosmos, mexican sunflowers, and a couple different climbers. Everything took and flowered except the climbers. Only two made it but are not thriving at all. I never had luck with climbers unless they were moonflowers or them other popular ones (can't remember the name) but don't like them cause they repopulate every year. I prefer annuals. I did like the moonflowers so i'll try them again next year. Sorry for hijacking the thread. i must say that Liquid Fence stuff works as stated! The deer wasted no time eating the roses and tulips this spring, but since applying the Liquid Fence monthly, no problems. |
|
| I planted a package last year. The ones in the sun and good soil barely grew. The ones that did varied in size. They never did anything so I pulled them out. BUT...I had a lot of seeds and took the ones that were left over and just pitched them under a large oak tree. I felt a little guilty and went back and spread the seeds around a little. (I think with a light rake.) Suddenly several from that discarded group took. They grew and bloomed and bloomed. This year volunteers came from those plants. They also bloomed well. I pulled them after they finished thinking I need the space for other plants next year and don't want them to reseed. Yesterday I noticed a beautiful, new plant that has taken off and started blooming. It is protected from direct sun in that area. I concluded the secret to growing these things is luck. Plant them in a lot of locations. They will tell you where they like to be. |
|
| I didn't grow any tithonia this year, and really missed them. Told DH that next year, I won't forget to start some, I know they can be direct seeded but I like to start them inside for earlier blooms. Will someone please remind me in March-April to start my seeds lol. |
|
- Posted by gamountains (My Page) on Sun, Sep 23, 12 at 17:38
| Yep. Problem here as well. Same location, nothing different this year except for more rain, but definitely not a factor. Temps have been mildly cool since June. I have one large one that I did cut back a few times in the early summer. Now it's ten feet tall. I do remember a few years ago they did not bloom until October. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v2Zu50enbOI/UFT-zY58mKI/AAAAAAAAEAg/kGtB7WBTCsw/s1600/mex-petunia.jpg |
|
- Posted by gamountains (My Page) on Sun, Sep 23, 12 at 17:45
| Looks like I have another month judging by last years date. 4th picture down after being blown over.. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Mexican Sunflower
|
| I grew tithonia for the first time this year... big tall plants with a few small flowers. Hum... But the part I really didn't like is the plants splitting apart. I am not sure I'll plant them next year. Yes, I did see a hummingbird and that was nice. |
|
- Posted by ladyrose65 6bNJ (My Page) on Fri, Nov 9, 12 at 20:08
| This was my first summer growing the "Torch" variety. Mine bloomed all summer long until the frost hit it. It was in full sun, though I had no idea how tall and wide it could get! But it was a butterfly magnet, to say the least. We had a very hot summer, so that might be a factor. |
|
| nice pic ladyrose65! I love their flowers, they look like they've been painted w/a brush of brilliant orange. |
|
- Posted by ladyrose65 6bNJ (My Page) on Thu, Nov 15, 12 at 22:53
| I want Joeray to try these again. I'll agree the plant itself is not attractive but ooohhhh....the butterflies! Give it another try Joe. |
|
| Big plant, three blooms in its life. Twice; different years, different spots, sunny. Other plants flower well in those spots. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Annuals Forum
Information about Posting
- You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account.
- Please review our Rules of Play before posting.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use.
- We have a strict no-advertising policy!
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
Learn more about in-text links on this page here
