WHY WON’T MY BIRD OF PARADISE TWEET?

Standard Bird of Paradise in Bloom

 It’s been 2 years, and you have feed them, watered them, cared for them, but they still don’t want to show their beaks and tweet (bloom).   While they are expanding and getting larger, but they don’t bloom…What gives? 

You are not alone.  Bird of Paradise plants take a long time to get around to blooming (usually three years).  The prime reason is they like to have their roots crowded.  Two years is a minimum time for waiting for a bird to show, but it may take longer.  Here is a tip:

Healthy Bird of Paradise Plants

If you wish to plant Bird of paradise and it comes in a 1, 2 or 5 gallon pot – the recommendation is to dig a hole 1.5 times the size of the pot in depth and circumference.  Then add some potting soil (MiracleGro Potting Soil is great!).  Add a little Perlite to the mix and toss the soil like a salad.  Then do this – and this is the secret – cut the bottom of the pot out of the Bird of Paradise plant you purchased from the big box store garden center, and yes – plant it in the pot!

Larger more vibrant Bird shows off it's color.

Like some plants (Cyclamen, Clivia Kiefer, and many more), Bird of Paradise expand as they grow, but love crowded spots. So not only do the roots grow deeper, but they expand WIDER. Keeping your Birds in a confined pot will make the roots crowd faster and allows them to bloom faster.  Still, it will be a minimum of two years before blooming, and do not over-feed them, but soon, you’ll have birds poking out their colorful beaks and tweeting up a storm. 

Create some true tuneful song --- Add a birdbath, birdhouse or bird feeder near your Bird of Paradise plants to get the real birds in your garden.

Source: The California Newspaper – Rose Crawford Column Section F_September 23, 2012