On Mon, 2 May 2005 01:27:31 +0100, "Mike Tunstall"
wrote:

~
~"Margret" no wrote in message ...
~ So has mine - perhaps it is the time of year, as I have only had it for a
~ couple of months - the petals are falling everwhere! Margret
~ "Mike Tunstall" wrote in message
~ ...
~ Mine has just lost al its purple coloured petals.
~ Is this normal for this time of year or am I doing something wrong?
~ Mike
~I bought mine about 2 months ago too Margret. From what I have read they are
~supposed to flower till late Autumn. I hope it isn't dying its a lovely
~plant
~
~Mike
~
~
A bract only lasts a few weeks or so. You should notice them fading
from the initial colours. Inside each is a white flower which opens
for a few days and then shrivels. After that, the flower, which won't
have been pollinated, deadheads itself naturally.

The branch grows a bit, then flowers again. So don't worry - they do
drop off!

I've got three of varying colours, two of which are now some 9 years
old and sometimes they seem to die completely for a few months and
then, just when I think I've lost them, they break dormancy and off
they go again, often growing flowers before leaves! All three are
currently flowering at once, which hasn't happened before.

Basically, treat them like African violets - water sparingly and feed
with high potash food.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

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