No Flowers on my Agapanthus

I have three large pots of agapanthus. Two of the plants have lots of flower buds but the third has none. Also an agapanthus I put in the border two years ago is not flowering this year (last year it had one flower). All have had the same treatment and I can't understand why this has happened. The foliage is lush and green.
Any ideas?

 

They like to be pot bound I think. Have you repotted the 3rd non-flowering pot?

Planting out the others may mean they are not sufficiently "crowded" yet to flower.

I have a dozen in 4" pots grown from seed last year, and they are all flowering - generally they take much longer from seed-to-flower, but I suspect they think they are dying given the small pots there are in!

 

Mine are not showing any signs of flowering this year either but have great foliage but they are blooming gloriously at the shopping center where Iceland is. Mine are certainly 'crowded' in a rockery ... the clumps will be pushing the rocks away soon! I was putting it down to one of the driest winters ever that we had. The shopping center would have put their irrigation on.

 

Wanting to fill in bare beds, I planted four pot Agapanthus grown from seed two years ago which flowered last year and no buds this year. Your right about root constriction, mine need to grow into each other and get crowded out, then they will probably flower. The only one I have in bud is a recently bought A Luly.

 

Hi Kristen , they dont like to be pot bound is a misconception and multi purpose compost is no good, a mix of John Ines no 3 with added grit and a 1/4 of mutipurpose compost I find the best , yes they will flower more quickly but then run out of steam and the flowering will get less or smaller flowers or none !!.

Low nitrogen feeds are best I know I go on about tomatoe food but its easy to get hold off and most people find this the easy way to feed and understand .
If wanting to grow in pots its getting a variety that suits those conditions less vigerous, half barrels are ideal, free draining plus the wood helps with winter protection with the roots (normaly) and the evergreen varieties are more frost prone. But our winters have been - minus the past 3 and trying to move huge pots around the garden into a sheltered spot or greenhouse can by impossible for some .

Alana
This year no sun too cold its all against them , the one in the border is it in a sunny spot well drained and not crowded out by other plants , do you know the variety ??

I used to have a collection of over 25 now down to 3 the past winters killed them all off with minus 10 , so with trial and errror I have learnt the hard way


Spruce

 

I'm more confused than ever now They are in large pots and getting rather overcrowded, they were given a good feed after flowering last year and in the spring. The one in the border is in dappled shade so that maybe the reason for no flowers. I will dig it up in the autumn and put it in a pot so it has more chance of being cared for. I top dress the pots each year and they get more care than the plants in the borders who have to take their chances against the elements.

Sorry I don't know the variety Spruce but when they bloom I'll post up a picture so someone may be able to identify them. I'm sorry to hear about your own agapanthus casualties. Makes me count my blessings for the mild climate here on the Suffolk coast.

I haven't had any luck with growing from seed but your results sound very promising Kristen so I may have another go.

 

Personally I think you'd be better off buying plants of known cultivars, if you get the chance (and have the budget!). I wanted "quantity" for a long term project, hence I am growing them from seed.

 

Alana
Its just been to cold and wet and no sunshine thats why they are South African plant originaly says it all. What type of soil are you growing then in ??

Easy from seed I sow in the Autumn keep in the greenhouse over winter protected from frost and the wet !!

Spruce

 

I have Headbourne hybrids, the commonest ones, had to split them last year as they were very potbound, nearly lost them this winter although last they were fine. They have just developed flower buds in the last few weeks. Maybe yours will be late too?