Your agapanthus might not be flowing any number of reasons including, poor watering, not enough sunlight, has a lack of nutrients within the soil, or simply too young of a plant to bloom. Agapanthus flowering problems are actually quite common.
Too much shade, cold weather and lack of winter protection are also common reasons for agapanthus to fail to flower. Too much winter warmth may lead to early flowering, but the flower quality will be poor.
Give agapanthus lots of sun, plus extra water when its really hot and dry and they'll bloom abundantly. Agapanthus plants that fail to flower are usually growing in too much shade. While they grow with little care, agapanthus plants respond to an application of fertiliser or composted manure in spring.
With proper care, agapanthus flowering occurs repeatedly for several weeks throughout the season, then this perennial powerhouse returns to put on another show the next year.
Dividing and transplanting agapanthus
One advantage of growing agapanthus is that once you've got one, you're guaranteed to have more, because they multiply by themselves in clumps. However, if left untouched for any length of time, they will become overcrowded and may flower poorly.
The best time of year to cut back agapanthus is in early spring. Leaving the spent foliage over the winter can protect the crown from rot during winter rains and insulate the roots from cold temperatures. During the summer, you can help the plant conserve energy by removing spent flowers.
Pot-grown agapanthus will benefit from an annual feed – a liquid tomato feed is ideal. Deadhead spent blooms to encourage more to form, or leave the faded flower heads in place if you want to collect the seed. The attractive seedheads are often left on over autumn for decorative reasons.
Deciduous varieties – Cut back agapanthus stems to about 4 inches (10 cm.) above the ground at the end of the blooming season. However, if you like the texture and structure that spent plants provide to the winter landscape, cutting back agapanthus can wait until early spring.
Repeat flowering Agapanthus for up to 6 months of the year.
These gorgeous plants produce masses of bright and colourful flowers in spring and summer, as well as sporadically throughout the year, including in mild winters as seen in 2020.
To bloom regularly, fertilize agapanthus twice a year, either after blooming, in early fall (September in the Upstate, October in the Lowcountry), or in early spring (early March in the Lowcountry and April Upstate). A low-nitrogen, complete fertilizer that includes phosphorus is best, such as 5-10-15 or 8-8-8.
Your agapanthus might not be flowing any number of reasons including, poor watering, not enough sunlight, has a lack of nutrients within the soil, or simply too young of a plant to bloom. Agapanthus flowering problems are actually quite common. They are known to be stubborn bloomers if not given the right environment.
Deadheading agapanthus
When the flowers' colours have faded, you can deadhead them by cutting off the flower at the base of the stem. (Alternatively, you can leave the seedhead on the plant for some winter interest.)
It is a perennial plant that can live for up to 75 years. Its evergreen leaves are 2 cm wide and 50 cm long. Its inflorescence is an umbel. The flowers are blue, purple or white and bloom from late spring to summer, followed by capsules filled with black seeds.
Agapanthus pruning is also essential to encourage healthy growth. You can do this after the flowering season, cutting back the stems to around 10 cm above ground level for deciduous varieties, which include Agapanthus Melbourne, Agapanthus Galaxy White, and Agapanthus Little Galaxy.
Collect seed when the seedhead is becoming brown and the capsules are starting to burst. If the weather is turning cold you can collect seed prematurely and store the whole seedhead in a paper bag, but it's preferable to let the seed ripen on the plant.
Agapanthus grows and spreads by fleshy rhizomes that act as storage roots. The plant retains nutrients in its roots and may be divided to create more plants. Use a sharp shovel to dig up an established plant and divide it into several sections, each with roots and foliage.
RESIDENTS growing agapanthus plants are urged to take to their gardens and remove the seed heads before they open and release their potentially invasive seeds.
A rough count of the flower heads produced by Agapanthus africanus tops 60, which is not the most I've ever enjoyed, but is the best in recent years.
Evergreen Agapanthus should usually not be pruned or cut back. It should be left alone, aside from removing any unsightly leaves or removing particular portions of the plant with a little trim to improve its visual appearance.
Although tolerant of drought and poor soil, both flower and foliage production improves with moisture and feeding. They perform best in a position in full sun or part-shade in any well-drained soil.
Iron deficiency will cause the Agapanthus plant leaves to turn yellow. This is because iron is needed for making chlorophyll, the substance that gives leaves their green color. The younger leaves will be affected first. Their veins will remain green but they will begin to droop.