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newgen_gw

What can I do to stimulate more flower from Michelia alba?

newgen
13 years ago

I've had the plant for about 1.5 years, lots of new leaf growth. However, I've only had 4 flowers since. The flowers bloomed last month, and no new flower buds appeared. Plant looks healthy with green shiny leaves, just no flowers. Any advice is appreciated. I can't get enough of M. alba fragrance.

Thanks,

Comments (7)

  • Dar Sunset Zone 18
    13 years ago

    Can you take a picture of it? That way we can see how big the leaves are, is it stunted, is it growing in a bad location, how much sun it gets, what the soil looks like, etc.
    Tell us your growing practices (fertilizing and watering), what type of soil, pot or in ground?

  • newgen
    Original Author
    13 years ago

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    I last fertilized it about 1 month ago with 14-14-14, the month before with some "bloom booster", obviously I'm still searching for the "right" fertilizer. The 14-14-14 has been working out pretty good as a general purpose fertilizer for my other plants, so I thought I'd try it on M. alba.

    Thanks,

  • Dar Sunset Zone 18
    13 years ago

    Looks pretty good to me. I grow mines under that shade of a tarp with 100% coverage, but I'm sure there is a tiny bit of sunlight that shines through it as well.

    The one thing I notice about your tree is that there is not much lateral branching..and the ones already on it seems relatively new. These are where the buds are mostly going to form...sometimes on the leader but way more on the lateral branches. For being 1.5 years old, I think it could have been bigger. Perhaps it isn't satisfied with the exposure and needs a bit more light. Be careful though..it might burn especially with you being inland (like me), so an eastern exposure with only direct morning sun might be better.

    I would guess at least by the end of Summer, your buds should form on those lateral branches (see pic below). I water my plant with Growmore Seaweed Extract once a week and also just plain deep watering in between if I notice the soil dry.

    By the way, don't let the side branches become too long. The tips should be pruned otherwise the branches will flop as they age from the weight of the leaves. Giving you a sort of weeping willow effect. Watch out so that doesn't happened to the main leader also (just pick off the leaves if they are weighing it down).

    Nice...is that a Buddha's Hand Citron there?

  • newgen
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Do your plants have lots of buds like in the photo you posted? I'd kill to have buds like that on mine. How do you encourage more lateral branches? I haven't done ANY pruning at all, since it was quite small when I got it, I have been letting it grow any way it wants to grow. Would pinching off the tip of each lateral branches (the few branches that mine has) promote more branches?

    Where I have it now, the plant does not get any direct light, it's too intense here, and it was burned before when I first brought it home I left it outside and it looked real bad after a few days. Since I moved it under the patio, it's been happy (no drop leaves, nothing burned,...) What does the seaweed extract do, and where do you get it?

    Yep, the plant next to it is a citron, already has 3 fruits.
    Thanks,

  • Dar Sunset Zone 18
    13 years ago

    Newgen, You can get it from Plantsthatproduce.com>. It has hormones and nutrients that aren't in regular fertilizers. I believe it prevents chlorosis too. You can read about seaweed extract here: http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/seaweed.html>;

    You also might want to check out 'Sea Grow Acid Forming,' although I haven't used it yet.

    I should mention that last year I switched between Miracle Gro for acid-loving plants, but after I ran out of MG, I just applied Osmocote only 3 times so far this year in addition to the seaweed extract. My plant has produced just as much buds this year (that photo was from last year).

    The nurseryman from where I bought my plant encouraged me to pinch. He said it produced more flowering branches. And from looking at his pinched trees, they were better looking in form and had lots of short branches in flowers. I didn't follow his directions, mines has loads of flowers but the tree form is very poor looking. If I had a chance to go back, I would have trained my potted tree to a multi-trunk tree by staking up one of the lower branches to let it grow alongside the leader. I have a M. champaca (not blooming yet though) that I bought like this...it has a way better form than my M. x alba. I would imagine it can have way more flowers.

    Seaweed extract is said to have gibberellic acid which promotes branching.

  • Marie Obrien
    5 years ago

    Hello ! I live in San Francisco, my Michelia campace is about 1 year an d7 months ...

    it was planted for my beloved Labrador retriever, MIchael

    it is loosing all of the leaves and it is turning yellow

    please help

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