[pbs] What promotes blooming?
Diane Whitehead
voltaire at islandnet.com
Sat Oct 13 21:43:11 EDT 2007
One more factor is sunshine to initiate flower bud formation.
Last year I was out of the country for part of the summer, so I put
pots of Helleborus in deep shade around a small automated sprinkler,
so they wouldn't dry out. I moved them when I returned home in the
fall, and expected them all to flower in midwinter. None did.
I then read that hellebores initiate flowerbuds during late summer,
and require light to do this. This year I've left them out in the sun.
Rhododendrons make their buds in late summer also. It is very easy
to see whether rhododendrons are going to flower in the spring as the
round flower buds are noticeable from September.
Bulbs are another matter. No sneak preview unless you cut them open.
Diane Whitehead
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
maritime zone 8, cool Mediterranean climate
mild rainy winters, mild dry summers
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