Jules, do you go along with the notion that its a weather problem...affecting all the plants--and then only all the buds? You haven't said just what the age of these bulbs are---is this a new planting--a year old---or maybe one that is an aged number. Just what might cause a bulb to not proceed to bloom--or to stop the production of bud after getting started. What might cause any plant to not proceed to bloom. The first impulse is to blame the plant. Were these bulbs all bought at the same time, from the same place. There are natural causes that can affect bulbs and if one bulb at one dealer sells a bulb that is poorly produced, then one suspects any and all bulbs he sells might also be similarly badly produced. Did you do something that caused the bulb to stop producing after the foliage came up. Last year, did you perhaps cut the foliage down right after bloom, causing the bulb to not proceed to take sugars and starches down into the bulb so it could produce the next year..(this year) Twenty-one days is a reliable time to allow AFTER bloom for the foliage to be cut back and the juices sent down into the bulb. To blame weather would suggest all areas you have the bulbs planted were affected in the same way...on all the bulbs. Me, I think you should examine the bulb--dig up a few and see if roots have formed naturally-- When you planted them can make for a healthy bulb to proceed to roots. If they didn't produce sufficient roots, they cant produce sufficient growth---and may have just enough to proceed to foliage...but not enough to get to bloom stage. Since I take it they were plnated all at the same time, then this possibility has merit....I think. Suggstion. Buy some new bulbs from a different source...buy the biggest bulbs you can find --the bigger, the better. Plant them among the other bulbs.....see if anything different happens.

It’s definitely birds!!!😫 I live on 5th floor of a condo. Had put plants out on balcony for almost 12 yrs, BC [before COVID19]. Finally decided to put some out this year. Became totally enthralled with Hibiscus flowers for some reason. Purchased a small tree as well as 4 or 5 small plants. Buds appeared first on the little tree. The first couple seemed to kind of slow; ”ground” level ones were coming along. Thougt i noticed a couple small blossums on concrete, but didn’t worry about them. Almost ”suddenly” beauty was around me; i sent friends photos!! Then i began to notice a decrease in tree buds & blossums. Plants in containers were ok—for a while. By then then I’d decided that sneaky birds were the culprits. The little tree is now filled with leaves, but few buds.😣 The potted plants also have been discovered by the feathered thieves!! BTW, none of the birds that I’ve seen have been crows… A lot smaller. Lee

Hi Everyone, I'm having the same problem on my tropical hibiscus that I have in a pot. It gets too cold here to keep it in the ground, so I wheel it in and out of the garage to overnight when temps will get below freezing. It leafed out and looks good and deep green with many buds, but they turn yellow and fall off. I am watering every other day. It has been hot, but it should like that since it should live in Hawaii. I found a few aphids on it and sprayed, but there weren't aphids on the buds that fell off. Could it need fertilizing? If so, what type? Debbie

When watering any plants, never measure out and use a certain amount. You should flush out the soil until water is flowing from the bottom. If the soil has become bone dry (which has happened to my plants before), I like to place the whole pot in a slightly larger bucket and fill it with water all the way up to the soil line, letting it soak for about half an hour. Then I'll drain it and flush the soil with fresh water until it begins to run clear from the bottom of the pot. Underwatering plants is just as bad as over watering them. There are minute traces of minerals dissolved in water, and when you use small amounts that don't freely drain away, those small traces of minerals begin do get deposited in the soil over time. Which makes it harder for plants to absorb the water they need. The term "overwatering" is a bit of a misnomer. It's not about how much water you use to water your plants, but rather how much water remains in the soil afterwards. This is why we should always use a soil that drains water away pretty fast and doesn't stay soggy. When the soil stays too soggy, this cuts off the supply of fresh air to the roots, causing them to suffocate. Which leads to root rot. Fresh air is just as vital to the roots as water, if not more so. The leaves take in carbon dioxide, but the roots also take in fresh oxygen as well. Think of it like this; go without water and air and see which one you'd die from first. Plants aren't any different. When watering your plants, never hold back. Always flush them out with plenty of water. Just make sure that the soil doesn't remain soggy and all the excess water drains away, letting the roots breathe. Thanks for the comments on mine. I almost couldn't believe the blooms when they opened up. They seemed almost too large for such a small plant, haha. I love the bright color and how it contrasted with the dark green foliage. If it is going to rain in your area, and yours is in bloom, make sure to move it under a covered porch or something. I had left mine out one night and the rain battered the first bloom to open up. Fortunately, these two opened up shortly afterwards. :)