Heliconia question

[quaman58]

Hey all,

I've got a Heliconia schiedeana that has been in the ground a few years now. But it's never flowered. Every winter, it brown leafs a lot, then comes roaring back in spring. I assumed they were like Canna, where damaged stalks rarely produce growth, let alone flowers. So I always cut the burnt ones to the ground. But since I've never had flowers, I left the damaged ones on this year, thinking maybe they would experience new growth. (& flowers!) But so far it's the same thing--lots of new stalks growing, none of last years over wintered stalks show any signs of growth, & obviously no flowers either. Thoughts? Suggestions? Should I keep cutting off the damaged stalks? Thanks in advance..

Bret

Edited April 6, 2010 by quaman58

[bahia]

Maybe move it to a more protected spot in your garden where the leaves will more likely remain evergreen. I can get this species to flower every year here in Berkeley and San Francisco, although it usually takes a full two years to get a stalk to bloom. They will still bloom well enough if grown with dappled shade, and an overhead story of evergreen tree foliage will generally tend to help keep the foliage from getting burnt. In my experience, H. scheideana will bloom after making the requisite number of leaves, and not before. In hotter summer climates, it seems that old bloom stalks with pruned off/burnt foliage can still bloom, especially if it is a big clump; but they don't seem to want to bloom if foliage is removed/pruned off here in cool summer Berkeley conditions. Try pushing faster growth with regular fertilizing/compost at the roots to get faster blooming. Surely if I can get this to bloom up here, you ought to have an easier time of it down there, as long as it is well fed/watered.

[quaman58]

Thanks for that. I think part of my issue may also be that it's in full sum for most of the day. I suspect that that's what the nursery tag suggested. But like so many other plants, filtered light is usually safer. There's sure plenty of growth; maybe this year's the one..

[MattyB]

Bret, give it a boost of fertilizer high in Phosphorous and a massive coating of composted mulch.

[brodklop]

In my experience with heliconias that are in a marginal climatic position the more sun the better to warm up the plant.

In our area we can grow many of the species but if the stems are damaged they seem to not want to flower.

Let me explain. One year we had a good growing season and towards the end of summer we had a bad hail storm and rip to threads my heliconias and palms.

So I thought I would just trim the ugly leaves off and leave the stems to grow new leaves and eventually flower. One clump I trimmed to the ground.

Winter was very mild and the plants grew through winter. However the stems that were advanced that got their leaves ruined did not flower the next year and were rotten in the centre near the bottom.

But the clumps that I trimmed to the ground came back even stronger to flower well.

It seems the moral of the story is if stems are damaged either by cold or storm they fail to flower successfully.

In your case because cold is a yearly event it seems you will not get these to flower. You may have to try other more hardy ones or just enjoy the foliage.

[BigFrond]

It should flower for you either this year or next provided that you give it fertilizer and lots of water. Mine flowered after three years in the ground. Then it became a nuisance after that because it was taking over where ever it was planted, plus my yard was too windy and the leaves are always shreaded. I removed them all except for a small variety that is not too aggressive.

[LJG]

Mine bloom about one per 10 stalks. I leave mine alone to get the second year of growth that they need to flower. After that, I cut them down. Like someone else said, they start to take over after a few years and get ugly to look at far too often. All mine are coming out this summer.

[Justin]

Hey Len, I'll take whatever you are tossing.

[BigFrond]

I want to try one of the lobster claw after seein Justin's from his house pix thread. Now that's the real deal.

[LJG]

Hey Len, I'll take whatever you are tossing.

I got tons. Variegated Alpinia too if you want that.

[aussiearoids]

Len , if you trust those who want Heliconias

make them dig them out themselves ,it makes a good deal both ways then .

You will still have to clean up a bit . I have done this a few times , getting rid of stuff from Mums , and getting some fillers when I shifted here .

Got a heap of rostratas I want gone now

[LJG]

Len , if you trust those who want Heliconias

make them dig them out themselves ,it makes a good deal both ways then .

You will still have to clean up a bit . I have done this a few times , getting rid of stuff from Mums , and getting some fillers when I shifted here .

Got a heap of rostratas I want gone now

Good point! Come and dig 'em Justin.

[Tejastropicals]

Heliconias will only bloom on last years stems so if your cutting them down you constantly have one yr old stems with no flowers. Cut stems off only after blooming. If you have some leaf burn try trimming off the leaf blade but leave the stem and growing point intact.

[Tyrone]

In my experience with heliconias that are in a marginal climatic position the more sun the better to warm up the plant.

In our area we can grow many of the species but if the stems are damaged they seem to not want to flower.

Let me explain. One year we had a good growing season and towards the end of summer we had a bad hail storm and rip to threads my heliconias and palms.

So I thought I would just trim the ugly leaves off and leave the stems to grow new leaves and eventually flower. One clump I trimmed to the ground.

Winter was very mild and the plants grew through winter. However the stems that were advanced that got their leaves ruined did not flower the next year and were rotten in the centre near the bottom.

But the clumps that I trimmed to the ground came back even stronger to flower well.

It seems the moral of the story is if stems are damaged either by cold or storm they fail to flower successfully.

In your case because cold is a yearly event it seems you will not get these to flower. You may have to try other more hardy ones or just enjoy the foliage.

I think that's been my problem trying to get rostrata to flower. They put up 4m high stems that grow vigorously then winter bashes them up and they look sort of Ok until half way through summer and they start dying. Of course they won't flower when the centre has rotted out. The strange thing is, it puts out new stems in the middle of winter. I think I'm going to have to protect them better. It's a bit hard though when they're 4m tall.

Best regards

Tyrone