A: I can think of several reasons why bird of paradise plants may fail to bloom. First, although they may grow in light shade, they require full sun to bloom well. They should be planted with the upper roots right at the soil surface because planting too deeply can discourage blooming. Next, avoid over-watering. You should allow the soil to dry out a bit before watering, then water deeply. Phosphorus encourages flower development, whereas nitrogen encourages leaf growth, possibly at the expense of flower production.
Finally, it can take several years for a newly-planted Bird of Paradise to develop the crowded roots that promote blooming. This explains why a plant that is blooming while growing in a pot, with its roots crowded, stops blooming when it gets placed in the ground. Plant into a slightly larger pot, in spring. In the meantime, you can replace the top layer of compost with fresh every spring.
A quicker way is to divide a mature plant — lift the plant from its pot and cut the rootball in half. You could also cut away and pot up rooted offsets that have appeared at the base of the main plant.
No flowers? Be patient — your plant will take three or four years to bloom. Also it will also flower only if given light and plant food, and will flower better if slightly pot bound. Birds of paradise usually flowers in late winter and spring. Curling leaves could be due to lack of moisture in the compost or not enough humidity.
The leaves will also curl if the plant is too cold, or in a spot that gets cold draughts. Curling leaves could also be a sign of a pest problem — see below. Brown edges on the leaves could be caused by a number of issues — not enough humidity, over watering or too much feeding.
Yellow leaves at the base of the plant are normal — these are just older leaves dying back. Yellow leaves elsewhere are caused by some kind of stress to the plant — lack of light or too much or too little watering.
Stems rotting at the base are an indication that you have overwatered your plant. Repot the plant into fresh compost and take care not to overwater. You might also spot scale insects on the leaves, which look like raised brown spots. Wipe them off promptly with a cotton wool pad soaked in organic insecticide, or treat the whole plant with an organic insecticide based on fatty acids or plant oils.
Mealybugs can also appear on the leaves — they look like fluffy white lumps. Spider mites can also be an issue — look out for fine webbing on your plant. Increasing humidity and air circulation can help prevent this. Red spider mite is hard to control but try an organic insecticide based on plant oils or fatty acids. Strelitzia nicolai — also known as the giant white bird of paradise, with white and midnight blue flowers and emerald green leaves. A very large plant. They are magnificent when they bloom and prove to be quite a pleasant surprise in the cold of winter.
More than just plant advice Published by: John C. Achieving Blooms on your Bird of Paradise Plants To review some tips to achieve blooms: Allow it to get as much full sun as possible Water it, but don't be afraid to neglect it a bit, don't 'baby' it Use a well-draining soil mix Keep it in a smaller pot; they bloom better when root bound Be patient; it may take a while to get your first blooms Avoid bloom buster fertilizers, let it do its thing naturally. Sign up now!
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