Passion flower, no buds?

Hello,

I haven't had much luck with these plants. I have had 2 at the front in tubs which both died - one from frost and one from chafer grubs!

But I have one I planted last year in the back garden in my sunny bed. It didn't flower last year though it grew a lot. I pruned it back as directed on the label and it is growing away fine to the top of the fence but still no buds! The passion flowers in this area in other folks gardens have buds on.

Do they need a few years to settle in? Could there be any reason it's not flowering?

Thanks Kate

 

Hello Kate

As your plant is in a sunny bed and you are obviously looking after it, I think probably all it will take before it flowers is a bit of patience. They do sometimes take a while to settle in; mine put on a lot of leaf growth before it deigned to flower. You could try feeding it with something like tomato fertilizer.

 

I grew one in my old garden and it took 3 years to flower; when it did it went from nothing in year 2 to being covered in year 3. In the meantime it grew A LOT and started suckering; some of which I successfully removed, potted up and gave to family and friends.

 

Yep they take a while to settle down.

Hard pruning will produce leafy growth, but it should start to flower later on.

Heavy nitrogen in the soil is not good at promoting flower, so poor soil produces more flowers earlier.
But as Clare says, potash feeds might help.

 

Thanks everyone!!

Good advice and information. It's growing well and the leaves look healthy! So I shall be patient. I am always looking at other people's gardens to see how their plants are doing but I notice quite a few passion flowers didn't make it over the snow so I am glad mine is doing ok.

Kate

 

... a bit like comparing your toddler to the others down at the kindergarten. You know you shouldn't do it, but ... why is it that the one over there has managed to memorise the whole of the Concise English Dictionary, while yours only says 'drink' and 'stink'?