Sweet Broom Not Blooming

Question:

I have a sweet broom in a container, it is lush and green but just never seems to bloom. I read different things about this plant, like it requires no ferilizer and likes drought. I water it when dry since it is in a container and I did fertilize it the other day because I am trying to get it to bloom. I have had this plant about 2 years and it was only in bloom when I bought it new. Any ideas?Hardiness Zone: 10bLinda from Southern, CA

Answer:

Linda,If you have a lush green plant, you are starting from a good place. Sweet broom like full sun to partial shade, but with most shrubs, more sun equals better flowering. If your container is located in partial shade, try moving it to a location where it will get a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day. As for watering, established sweet broom plants only need to be watered deeply once per month. Also, if you are going to try to encourage your plant to flower by applying a fertilizer, use one that has a high ratio of phosphorus in proportion to nitrogen. Sweet broom should be sheared back after flowering to promote fuller growth. If you did not cut yours back when it flowered the first time, you might want to try cutting it back to see if that coaxes it into flowering. Sometimes a good pruning is enough to kick start a plant into performing.Good Luck!Ellen