Q.How Can I Change My Soil To Help Plants Produce Flowers?
Two or three years ago, I bought a lilac and a Japanese snowball rootling for Walmart. The lilac died the first year and it appears the snowball is thriving but, no flowers. In addition, this year I bought Gerber daisies which have produced hardy leaves but, no flowers. I’m getting sick of all the green! What am I doing wrong and how do I fix it? Thank you!
Hard to say without knowing an exact progression of symptoms. Pay attention to each plant's sunlight, soil, pruning, water and fertilizer requirements. Avoid under watering in hot times or over-watering at any time. Gerber daisies normally bloom in Spring-ish/Summer (they may stop if the summer becomes inhospitable. After blooms die, cut them off and if the weather is favorable, they may rebloom. Viburnum Popcorn, a.k.a., Japanese Snowball, blooms in early Spring. It blooms on old wood so, if you need to prune, do so soon after blooming ends. Lilac also blooms in Spring (there are rebloomer varieties) and prefers alkaline soils, 6+ hours of sun (consider giving some afternoon shade in the south) and moist, not soggy, soils. Lilacs also bloom on old wood so, if you need to prune lilacs, do so soon after blooming ends. As we get to the end of the summer months, temperatures will ratchet upwards and many plants will become semi-dormant from a blooming point of view. Even roses will sometimes take a break, produce smaller blooms or produce blooms with unusual colors.
