Help - I think I am doing stuff wrong!

I have a star jasmine which is in a large terracotta pot and has grown well but has not flowered at all this summer. Also, I recently bought 2 plumbago plants which I have put into terracotta pots - they were in flower when I bought them but all the flowers have dropped off and I'm not sure what to do next. What am I doing wrong?

 

Hi there. If you repot a plant in flower it is likely to lose its blooms as the roots settle in. I am not familiar with the jasmine you name but as a general rule - when container plants are making lots of growth but no flowers, they are just a tad to comfortable. Are you feeding it, if so, what with and how often?

 

Hi PM As Fran says - plants will drop flowers in order to put energy into root growth when moved, that's why its best to trim down top growth (including flowers) if you move plants - gives them a fighting chance! Its best just to let it be making sure you're giving it the conditions it needs.Where are you growing your plumbago? (is it the true plumbago or the "False Plumbago" = Ceratostigma willmottiana or C.plumbaginoides - which is a deciduous shrub as opposed to Plumbago which is an evergreen & can be trained as a shrub or climber - it is not hardy in this country, so you will need to bring it in, before winter. It does best in light, sandy soils with good drainage. Do not add lime to the soil; it likes a slightly acidic pH. The foliage may turn yellow due to manganese deficiency, but applying manganese sulfate will cure that. It should be pruned heavily to keep it neat and within bounds and to make it bushy to maximize the number of flowers. It produces its flowers on the current season's growth, so you can prune it in late winter and not worry about cutting off flower buds. Make sure it gets full sun. Flowering will be reduced in partial shade. it survives with little watering once established, and is moderately drought tolerant.

The star Jasmine - Trachelospermum jasminioides - how old is it? How big is it? where is it growing? (sun, shade soil type), pot size? - they usually take a while to get established before they start flowering, and they also flower better in sun + most flowering plants appreciate a feed high in potassium throughout the growing season (weekly is fine for most) Hope this helps