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frank1965_gw

Non blooming achimenes

frank1965
15 years ago

So when is it going to bloom? Seems healthy enough- 3 hrs of direct sun then bright filtered after that. Never allowed to wilt, slow release fert, plenty of humidity in Louisiana. What's up with this?

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Comments (6)

  • mutantplantlover
    15 years ago

    Any way you can give it more light? I can't help but notice long internodes between the leaf sets. I bit more light should help get blooms.

  • frank1965
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    More light, really? I was under the impression that they liked shade or part shade. This is 'Purple King' which I understand is a relatively big cultivar- so maybe the long internodes. I have another cultivar that gets the same amount of sun and it is much shorter. Anymore sun and and I would be afraid of scorching. It wilts already when the hot sun hits it even when it is well watered. I guess I will have to wait and see what happens. Thanks for answering so quick.

  • greenelbows1
    15 years ago

    I haven't grown many achimenes and really feel like I'm just beginning to understand them, but mine never bloom this early. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but my impression is they are more likely to bloom maybe mid-summer to fall. I always get bloom--unless I'm just unforgivably lax about watering!--but never before maybe mid- to late summer. Hope someone who grows a lot of them will chime in!

    That is a really gorgeous Purple King! I grow mine with less sun than that, and they do bloom well--just later. And yeah, we do have humidity in Louisiana, don't we? So many plants love it that I've learned to appreciate it--until my nose and earlobes start dripping!

  • kayjones
    15 years ago

    Mine are in a shaded but HOT sunporch - mine don't bloom until late July. I think it's just a bit early, so be patient.

  • David R.
    2 years ago

    Very old question thread, I realize, but I have the same problem. I am growing outdoors in zone 9 (Mediterranean climate, not very humid), but I started a range of varieties in a heated, lit mini-greenhouse in March. They grew well, I pinched them a couple of times, and several were flowering in May. Then I moved them onto a shaded stand on my terrace, and except for a couple, many never flowered at all, or just a couple of odd blooms. I moved some into a spot with a few hours of direct sun, but it had almost no effect (except for some scorched leaves!) Anyone with thoughts would be appreciated by this disappointed newby to Achimenes.


  • Christine A.
    2 years ago

    David, I had some Achimenes varieties not bloom at all last summer but I planted them very late. They grew to 2-3 inches and...to my amazement they ALL PRODUCED NORMAL RHIZOMES! I've grown them for years and this is the first time I've planted them into July / Aug...and first time for no-bloomers. I also grew them all inside to avoid cutworms issues as I had last year. I thought the continued warm weather and long lighted days would fool them into a regular-length season... But the must have known it was October and just stopped growing. LOL 😂