Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Buds on my NBC , 1 by picabo

picabo wrote:
Gita...You are correct... I have found that my Eppies do better when they are root bound and dry most of the year. They seem to be one of those plants that grab their throat and say "I am going to starve to death, I have got to Bloom" when neglect is at it's worst they will start to set buds, I slowly start to water and feed until they bloom. Then back on a diet. This works for me, but it may not be the recommended way.

The size is a problem when we have to bring our epies inside for the winter. My old NBC is staked on a copper Trellis that I can add to over summer and then remove the top and let it droop back over winter. I only have 7' ceilings in the basement where it Winters.
I am sure no expert on NBCs but I think that if you cut back on the Big leaves you would lose a years start on blooms. I would allow the ones you have NOW to grow and stake them then pinch back the new growth until the plant is full. I have some that I have started pinching back into a bush form and did get several blooms on them this Summer. The tall one has just been growing longer and has more old growth to bloom on.

I do pinch back all new growth on the BIG NBCs.

Hope this answers your question, I tend to ramble. LOL

The flowers on your red are beautiful.

Betty

This is my NBC blooming a couple of week ago. The weather was cool and the blooms were still open at 9:00 in the morning. It bloomed like this for 4 nights in a row. Edited to add.... This plant is about 8' tall.

This message was edited Oct 22, 2007 9:29 AM