My bird-of-paradise is 4 years old and has never bloomed. It sits in a south window, so it gets plenty of sunshine. I water when it's dry and fertilize every two weeks. It stands two feet now and has been transplanted once, when the roots started to come out from the bottom of the pot. What have I done wrong?
I suspect that light is still an issue for the plant and this is preventing it from blooming. Try adding supplemental light. This can be as simple as a fluorescent bulb in a lamp placed nearby. Adding a little high phosphorous fertilizer will also help encourage blooming.
The plant that you have is most likely a White Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia alba). It rarely if ever flowers indoors where it is used as a specimen foliage plant. I have never seen one flower indoors outside of a greenhouse or solarium. Just enjoy it as a large, fast growing foliage plant.
I have an over grown Bird of Pardise plant in front of my house that is about 15 feet tall. I have researched online and see that everyone addresses how to prune the flowers. However, mine has a very large stalk, which I think the flowers come from that I am afraid to cut. This stalk is very large and would like to trim it back to be in porption with the house. How far back can I cut this stalk without killing the plant?
You should not cut off more than 1/3 in any one year. Any more than this will put the plant at risk.
The established plant is 5 years old. It bloomed about 2 months ago. It's in a pot that is kept inside during winter.
There are a few things that could be causing this. It may not be getting enough light, humidity, water or could be in the path of a cold draft.
I would increase the light, set the plant on a pebble tray, make sure to keep it watered appropriately and check the area for sources of cold drafts.
I have an extremely tall Bird of Paradise plant that is very top heavy. Anything that I can do to strengthen its core and make it grow upward and not over? I have tried adding posts to the pot and attaching the branches but it is not helping.
It may be more accommodating to prune the plant back some. This article will help you: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/bop/bird-of-paradise-pruning.htm
I have a bird of paradise that has been growing for almost 4 years now. It is super healthy and we get 2-3 new leaves a year, and I live in Washington! It hasn't bloomed yet, and I am wondering if I should repot it now. It is in a pot with a drainage hole in the bottom and a root has been growing out of the bottom for almost a year now. I know that this plant likes to be root bound, but when should I graduate it to a new pot? And is there anything special that I need to know to make sure the transplant doesn't harm my plant?
For the repotting, this article should help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/should-you-repot-your-plant-happy-root-bound-house-plants.htm
You may want to consider root pruning since it is growing out of the bottom. This article will help you with that: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/prune-roots.htm
Please give me advice on lighting, soil type, watering, fertilizing and pruning for Strelitzia indoors.
These articles should help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/bop/bird-of-paradise-as-a-houseplant.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/bop/bird-of-paradise-pruning.htm
I have a white bird of paradise house plant, which I just purchased from the store. I was transporting it in my car. The leaves curled up before I could get it home. Can you tell me why this would happen and what I could do?