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Trees & Shrubs - Australia

Tibouchina

21 years ago

I need some more advice.

This bush should flower now, but mine doesn't. I bought it a few weeks back but I haven't cut it back, so I was wondering if I can still do it and if that's maybe a reason why it's not flowering-

Thanks for you help.

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Comments (4)

moreton
21 years ago
Hi Elfi,
Your tibouchina needs to get aclimatised to your situation. It may take a few more weeks to get going, so try to wait for it. To much fertiliser will only make a flush of green growth. To much shade will also slow them down. When they take off, you can prune them to shape. Good luck. Peter r
alisonoz_gw
21 years ago
Yes though they will flower when young, sometimes just a little patience for them to get established. Sometimes you will get two flushes a year I wouldn't be too desperate to cut it back, that's really only necessary to tidy them up every couple of years and keep them more compact (if that's your aim). I haven't found that regular pruning does much either way for flowering.
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I had to look it up to find out what tibouchina was, never having grown it myself or seen it in a nursery. Judging by the structure of the flowers as shown in internet pictures, it doesn't look like it'd very popular with butterflies. Butterflies usually like flowers with obvious access to the nectar, either through little 'portals' like lantana and butterfly bush or trumpet-shaped flowers, which hummingbirds also like. I don't see this on tibouchina flowers. I could be wrong, though - sometimes they use flowers you wouldn't expect. Sherry
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Hi What I do is watch particular plants that interest me in my neighborhood. to which are doing best. That one facing west always catches my eye as it's runaway the best. Planted in front of a house that faces west facing a four lane street so from before noon to sunset it's full blazing sun lol planted with dwarf poicianna with a hedge of jasmine in front on a hill with improved soil. i asked the owners and of course they did not know which specie but I suspect a hybrid cultivar as the flowers are over 5 inches and very deep purple. smaller less fuzzy leaves . around 10 feet both ways , i know it to be over 20 so obviously stable Only care given besides occasional water was an acid fertilizer largest in my neighborhood at around 15 feet both ways while mine flowers profusely neither the size nor quality of this one . Your learning the first rule of florida gardening when in doubt put it in a pot lol the flaw to that is you end up with 500 pots lol good luck gary
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elfi
Original Author
21 years ago
Thanks Peter for your advice. I've actually still got the shrub in the pot as I wanted to keep it near the house for the time being while there might still be some slight frosts and we have got quite a bit of wind here. Would you advise to put it in the garden already now where I want it to grow???
moreton
21 years ago
Hi Elfi,
Good time for planting out now, if you don't have water restrictions. Good luck. Peter r

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