Flowering Plants Not Flowering

By Ellen Brown

Q: I recently removed all the grass from my front yard and landscaped with flowers, shrubs and trees. Two of the things I planted are a tree size Bougainvillea and a Bleeding Heart. The bleeding heart has been in the ground for a month, and has easily tripled in size, but no flowers yet. The bougie has no flowers either, but has only been in the ground for 2 weeks. Should I just be patient for flowers at this stage, or should I be fertilizing regularly? I live in Tampa, so it's hot and humid, but there's also been lots of rain lately.

Thanks for any help.
Lisa

A: Lisa,

It may be too early for your Bougainvillea, and too late for your Bleeding Heart. Depending on the varieties you have, Bougainvilleas flower most heavily in winter or early spring. Too much rain can inhibit blooms, as they prefer sparse to light watering conditions. Studies (conducted in Florida) suggest they flower best when given a high nitrogen fertilizer and short day lengths (15 hours darkness in every 24). A low nitrogen fertilizer applied once in the spring and once in the fall should work fine.

Bleeding Hearts generally bloom in the early to late spring (May-June). Some varieties continue to grow and bloom for most of the season, while others start to die back around August or September. Your plant is still establishing itself so be patient. One application of fertilizer in the spring should be fine. Bleeding Hearts prefer partial shade and moist (but not wet) hummus-rich soil. Although they are adapted to growing in Florida's climate, they do not tolerate salt. Your plants will likely take a while to become established in your newly landscaped yard. This time next year will be a much better indicator of their success.