There are many cases where we grow ornamental plants but they don’t bloom or only produce a few flowers. This can be frustrating and it can also affect the feng shui of your space. Here are some tips from experienced plant enthusiasts that you can easily apply:
Girdle the trunk of the plant
For woody plants such as lemon trees, roses, jasmine, orchids, paper flowers, and moon orchids, you can use the technique of girdling. Girdling means cutting a ring of bark around the trunk and branches of the plant. Removing a portion of their bark is a technique that many gardeners use to make plants produce flowers and fruits out of season. You can apply this technique to your indoor plants that are slow to bloom or produce few flowers. Use a sharp knife to make a cut around the trunk near the base, removing about half a centimeter of bark. Afterward, you can spray KNO3 100g for a 10-liter container, and the plant will bloom earlier. When the bark layer of the plant is cut, the plant’s physiology will change, stimulating it to produce flowers and fruits.
Limit leaf growth
Some ornamental plants focus on growing leaves instead of producing flowers when given too much nutrition. Therefore, you need to check if your plant is excessively leafy. If the leaves are large and lush, you can trim them and reduce nutrient transportation to the leaves by cutting off some of the plant’s roots with a knife. This technique is especially suitable for drought-tolerant plants such as paper flowers and hoya plants.
Check lighting conditions
Most flowering plants require a certain amount of light and sunshine to bloom. Lack of sunlight can prevent plants from producing many flowers. Therefore, you need to adjust the lighting. In particular, paper flowers, hoya plants, and roses need sunlight to bloom. If your plants lack sun exposure, adjust the curtains and the space to provide more sunlight for the plants, which will help them bloom better.
Use flower-boosting fertilizer
You can use flower-boosting fertilizers to promote flowering in your plants. However, when using this type of fertilizer, pay attention to the concentration and the time of application to prevent sunburn and root damage. Apply the fertilizer to the root instead of the leaves, without watering it, so that the fertilizer seeps into the soil and avoid applying it on the surface of the leaves, as it can burn them. It is advisable to apply the fertilizer in the evening or morning, avoiding midday when the plants are stressed.
Pay attention to natural food
Some natural food from kitchen scraps, such as rice water, eggshells, and banana peels, can also help plants bloom better. Therefore, you should use these food items to fertilize your plants.