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Bouvardia longiflora and sucess
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Posted by meyermike_1micha (My Page) on Mon, Feb 11, 08 at 12:37
Has anyone ever tried to gorw a "Bouvardia longiflora"?
I have no sucess with these. I have killed 4 of them in the past 2 years. They are so fragrant. I was having luck with one and then,,poof, it just died indoors for the winter. Does anyone have the key to sucessfully growing them? Seems like all the leaves started to change to a softness ,then they turn brown ,then dry up and then die. Then the stem starts to die. Then the whole plant dies.. It is difficult to keep their leaves from falling and rotting off. I know they get root rot easier than any pant I know! Are they impossible to grow? up here in New England in winters and outside in summer..
Please help. I love these plants so much . I want order a new one in spring and try again..Thanks..:-)
P.S. They grow the most fragrant flowers ever that smell so good at night.
I had them growing under supplemental lites all winter, in a room at 60% humidity most of the time, in a south facing window. Temps in my room average 70's by day and 60's by night. They did real good outside in full sun all summer. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Bouvardia longiflora and sucess
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Hey Mike..I see nobody's answered your question regarding Bouvardias..
Like you, I had one several years ago but come winter here in the midwest, poof, it was gone..
I think they require a lot of humidity. Those I've seen in greenhouses and the conservatory look great year round, but they take a lot of work indoors.
I checked it out in the A-Z American Horticulture Book..Here's what it says.
Where they're not hardy, grow in a cool greenhouse.
Cultivate under glass, in a soil-based potting mix in bright filtered light. In growing season, water freely and apply a balanced fertilizer monthly; keep just moist in winter.
Propagate. Root softwood cuttings in spring or semi-ripe cuttings in summer. in a propagating case w/bottom heat.
Whitefly, mealy and spider mites may be troublesome under glass, and rust can sometimes occur.
It's sure not an easy plant but if you can find one at a good price I'd go for it..Toni |
RE: Bouvardia longiflora and sucess
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Thanks Toni...
Your sure right. They are not easy to grow indoors. There leaves fall off so easily if not givin the perfect enviroment. Thanks for looking that up.I think I will buy one, when spring comes since they are cheap locally, they grow the most FRAGERANT flowers that only give off the scent at night. Logees in Coneticut sells them. One plant scented my whole yard up all summer. Amazing and beautiful specimens!! :-)
Take care,
Mike.
P.S. By the way, you are such a very helpful member Toni. Thanks for all the help you give others. |
RE: Bouvardia longiflora and sucess
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Hi Mike!
I am so glad I'm not the only one out there that finds these plants so difficult! I got my Gardenias to bud, but I have no luck with Bouvardias. I purchased two of them from Price Chopper last year- a pink one and a white one. They were a little pricey! I think they usually sell them around Easter time- although this year Easter is early. The ones I bought last year were actually doing alright until an Aphid population explosion in late December. In order to protect the rest of my plants, I had to throw them away- the Aphids were that bad! Maybe this year I'll try again- I usually end up breaking down and buying one....I wish you the best of luck- they sure are worth it!!!! |
RE: Bouvardia longiflora and sucess
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Wow...that is so funny jeeli,
Mine got some kind of almost micropscopic insect to, and I think one of them died of them along with the season. I had another I hated to part with because it was 3 years old, then the leaves started turning brown, then the branches died brown, then trash. My last one I had, I bought just 6 months ago, I threw away for the same reason as you!!! to much ha. I hope your next one does better, as I am buying another one too. Funny ha. Did you try to kill the bugs with an insect spray? Seems like anything I used, even water, caused the leafs to drop off and rot even more. Pain ha.. Talk about sensitive leaves.Lol
Take care. They are worth having though if we can survive them arn't they...:-) |
RE: Bouvardia longiflora and sucess
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| jeelii, You know something. I just saw the lite!!lol.
I never had a problem getting mine to flower. Not even a cutting within a few months. Why even the greenhouse I bought them at was impressed. In fact I think you would get great results to, in the beginning! Know what I did. When I repotted them, my old way of doing things, I amended soiless mix with worm compost" worm castings, and fed them at every watering with fish fertilizer. I think this was the trick, but then a curse!! Great mix and fertilizer in the beginning,pushed big blooms and lots of growth, then bang...DIED. I think the same combination eventually was the death of the plants. I think all the castings and fish eventually caused the soil to breakdown and compact, which in turn killed and suffocated the roots.:-(. One of the worst plants for root rot problems! Wow ha. Maybe next time, I will leave the castings out and try just fish with Als well draining soil recipe!!....HUM.... |
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