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hvander_gw

Early flowering and little growth

hvander
17 years ago

This year, I've tried several new varieties and am a little concerned to say the least. I'm seeing flower formation on very young plants. First, my Nigella 'Albion Green Pod' has flowered and it's only 6" tall. Will it continue to grow as the pod is forming or will other blooms follow? Second, my Cinnamon Basil has barely 'moved' since transplanting almost 1 month ago. How long does it usually take before there's significant growth? Third, my Salvia 'Marble Arch Mix' is also flowering and is still very short. Is this normal? And fourth, at what stage does 'Ruby Silk Grass' become marketable. All I see right now is green tufts of grass! Is all of this normal and can I expect longer stems? When standing for long periods of time with a hose, there's plenty of time for observation!

Comments (3)

  • flowerfarmer
    17 years ago

    We had cold temperatures until the end of May; and, then we had about three days of 95-97 degrees days. This is stressful for the young plants, and sometimes causes them to bolt. We've removed an entire section of celosia because we couldn't stand to look at the pathetic little things blooming away on all of 6" stems. It's been challenging to say the least.

    You should probably pinch the basil, and fertilize. We use a Peters product for young plants. This should help the plant bush out and stimulate growth. Anyway, that's the standard answer we usually get from our vendors.

    We aren't growing Marble Arch this season. We have Blue Bedder that isn't very tall yet; however, the plants are starting to bloom. They usually start blooming when they're short. So, we not too concerned with this. We start cutting; and, then they branch out and starting growing taller. Interestingly enough we had some overwinter this year. These plants are probably 24-30 inches tall. Unfortunately, they're in a dahlia section.

    Red Spires Grass - This is a perennial. We planted 125 plugs May 1. I don't know if it will do much this season; however, it's supposed to according to the grower. It's was a little tuft of grass for a good 5 weeks (Please ignore the weeds. We're getting to it!!!) Your grass, Ruby Silk, is an annual and should produce in August.
    {{gwi:624795}}

    This is Hopi Red. It's starting to bloom, and it's probably 18" tall. I'm going to cut some for our small bouquets. Then, I'll pinch the rest.
    {{gwi:624796}}

  • diggerdee zone 6 CT
    17 years ago

    I've been having the same problem. I have lots of annuals that are starting to bloom and many are only 6 to 8 inches tall. There is no side growth on many, just one short little stem with one bloom on top. I'm hoping and praying that the plants grow bushier, taller, and bigger, and produce not only more blooms, but blooms with long enough stems.

    This is my second year selling at market, but as last year's participation in the market was unplanned and last-minute, I rolled easily with the punches. This year I put a lot of planning and organizing into it, and I'm not feeling optimistic.

    :)
    Dee

  • bluestarrgallery
    17 years ago

    Some of my perennial plugs planted in April are very small and blooming too - we were cool then it turned very warm and now very hot. I grew Cinnamon Basil last year and it was slow to grow and fill out - only got about 18 inches tall. I have a volunteer this year and it is about 8 inches tall and blooming. My African Blue Basil gets a lot taller and fuller.

    I have Salvia East Friesland and it has a ton of blooms about 1 foot tall stems.

    Leucanthumum White Knight is top heavy with lots of blooms but only 6 inches tall, Veronica Goodness Grows has short stems maybe 5 inches and Lobelia Queen Victoria is hardly growing - I think it needs part shade - beautiful foliage though.

    In contrast, Leucanthemum agalia is about 1 1/2 feet tall and has some side branching - I really like the fringy petals. Rudbeckia triloba is 2 1/2 feet tall and has lots of side branching - no buds yet. My Helenium is over 3 feet tall with moderate side branching - no buds yet.

    We are supposed to be 110 tomorrow - I wish I had shade cloth over my whole property!

    Linda

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