Am I Doing Anything Wrong With Bird of Paradise?

Question

It grew a new leaf every month for a year but then suddenly stopped growing for 3 months (one leaf sprout is halfway grown), and edges of all leaves started drying out. I figured it was too big for the pot, so I replanted in a larger one with no changes in care. The sprout hasn’t grown at all now still for a month. Am I doing anything wrong? Do I have to wait 2-3 years before he blooms a flower because I repotted?

Notes:
-it’s winter but last winter he grew constantly
-it’s so tall it touches the ceiling. . . does that stop it from growing further?

Answer 1

Strelitzia prefers to be potbound when it flowers. If you’ve recently repotted, the plant is taking a break from producing blooms and foliage to concentrate on the root system. Given proper care, it will resume both leaf and bloom growth in due time. I’ve learned to let my BoP’s get really potbound before wither potting up or dividing for this reason. You will have to wait for the roots to almost fill the new container before your plant decides to bloom again. The legnth of time will vary with the size from old pot to new pot…but isn’t it worth the wait?