My 22 year old bird of paradise grown from seed is just starting to throw up
a flower shoot - hurrah.
It used to flower 14 years ago & then stopped after we moved house.
3 years ago I re-potted it & put it in a new conservatory where it was
clearly a lot happier by throwing out a lot of new leaves.
Should I be doing anything to encourage it to produce more flowering shoots.

Glen

Grinch wrote:
My 22 year old bird of paradise grown from seed is just starting to throw up
a flower shoot - hurrah.
It used to flower 14 years ago & then stopped after we moved house.
3 years ago I re-potted it & put it in a new conservatory where it was
clearly a lot happier by throwing out a lot of new leaves.
Should I be doing anything to encourage it to produce more flowering shoots.

Do whatever you can to make it think it's in southern California - they
grow like weeds there!

cheers,

Marj
--
* * *
Marj Tiefert: http://www.mindspring.com/~mtiefert/
Marj's Garden Shop: http://stores.tiefert.com/garden/

Thanks
I'll get some of those bay watch bikini clad females to prance around in the
conservatory - but I don't think the missus would approve.
I quite like the idea though.

"M. Tiefert" wrote in message
. com...
Grinch wrote:
My 22 year old bird of paradise grown from seed is just starting to
throw up
a flower shoot - hurrah.
It used to flower 14 years ago & then stopped after we moved house.
3 years ago I re-potted it & put it in a new conservatory where it was
clearly a lot happier by throwing out a lot of new leaves.
Should I be doing anything to encourage it to produce more flowering
shoots.

Do whatever you can to make it think it's in southern California - they
grow like weeds there!

cheers,

Marj
--
* * *
Marj Tiefert: http://www.mindspring.com/~mtiefert/
Marj's Garden Shop: http://stores.tiefert.com/garden/

Thanks
I'll get some of those bay watch bikini clad females to prance around in the
conservatory - but I don't think the missus would approve.
I quite like the idea though.

"M. Tiefert" wrote in message
. com...
Grinch wrote:
My 22 year old bird of paradise grown from seed is just starting to
throw up
a flower shoot - hurrah.
It used to flower 14 years ago & then stopped after we moved house.
3 years ago I re-potted it & put it in a new conservatory where it was
clearly a lot happier by throwing out a lot of new leaves.
Should I be doing anything to encourage it to produce more flowering
shoots.

Do whatever you can to make it think it's in southern California - they
grow like weeds there!

cheers,

Marj
--
* * *
Marj Tiefert: http://www.mindspring.com/~mtiefert/
Marj's Garden Shop: http://stores.tiefert.com/garden/

I have 2 "Bird of Paradise" plants now in their 6th year, and both now with
their first flower spikes (1 each).
I put it down to their having been neglected last summer, having baked and
been allowed to get very dry many times, in fact what they probably
experience in nature every year.


--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

I have 2 "Bird of Paradise" plants now in their 6th year, and both now with
their first flower spikes (1 each).
I put it down to their having been neglected last summer, having baked and
been allowed to get very dry many times, in fact what they probably
experience in nature every year.


--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

Good point - maybe I should neglect it for a bit.

"David Hill" wrote in message
...
I have 2 "Bird of Paradise" plants now in their 6th year, and both now
with
their first flower spikes (1 each).
I put it down to their having been neglected last summer, having baked and
been allowed to get very dry many times, in fact what they probably
experience in nature every year.


--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

Good point - maybe I should neglect it for a bit.

"David Hill" wrote in message
...
I have 2 "Bird of Paradise" plants now in their 6th year, and both now
with
their first flower spikes (1 each).
I put it down to their having been neglected last summer, having baked and
been allowed to get very dry many times, in fact what they probably
experience in nature every year.


--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

In article ,
"David Hill" writes:
| I have 2 "Bird of Paradise" plants now in their 6th year, and both now with
| their first flower spikes (1 each).
| I put it down to their having been neglected last summer, having baked and
| been allowed to get very dry many times, in fact what they probably
| experience in nature every year.

Yes. The Cape of Good Hope has a more equable rainfall than the
savanna to the north, but still has distinct wet and dry seasons.
They grew well in conditions where there was NO rain (and damn
little dewfall) for 6 months of the year. They aren't immune to
damage from drying out, but are pretty resistant.

Mine has only one spike, which could be due to the wettish summer,
or could be due to the fact that it flowered vigorously last year.
I bought it as an established plant, so 'cheated'!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
"David Hill" writes:
| I have 2 "Bird of Paradise" plants now in their 6th year, and both now with
| their first flower spikes (1 each).
| I put it down to their having been neglected last summer, having baked and
| been allowed to get very dry many times, in fact what they probably
| experience in nature every year.

Yes. The Cape of Good Hope has a more equable rainfall than the
savanna to the north, but still has distinct wet and dry seasons.
They grew well in conditions where there was NO rain (and damn
little dewfall) for 6 months of the year. They aren't immune to
damage from drying out, but are pretty resistant.

Mine has only one spike, which could be due to the wettish summer,
or could be due to the fact that it flowered vigorously last year.
I bought it as an established plant, so 'cheated'!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.