Article: Letters to our garden editors

Nonblooming bougainvilleas:

Two bougainvilleas growing in my flowerbed will not bloom. However, one that is growing in a flowerpot blooms profusely. Please tell me what is the problem.

Frances McClintock Gulf Shores, Alabama

The main reason the potted bougainvillea blooms profusely while the others don't is that this tropical vine blooms better when its roots are crowded. This doesn't mean that the bedded plants won't bloom-they'll just take longer. Don't think you can speed them up by giving them lots of fertilizer. Too much nitrogen encourages leafy growth, which slows flowering even more.

Unhappy hibiscus: Our 5-year-old hibiscus has only about an eighth of the leaves it should have. ...

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