I've got four hybrid Chirita plants of various ilk that share common factors. They are mature, they are green and growing, and they DO NOT bloom. Any advice? Oh yes, they were repotted several weeks ago so they are well established and not rootbound...
Non-Bloming Chiritas
Some of them can be stubborn about blooming.In general keeping them on the cool dry side helps and some swear by window light.
Lynn
Mine get pretty good light on my stands. They are close to the bulbs and they do bloom for me.
Cool I've got. The house stays in the 60s all winter long. As far as light goes, I've got two close to the bulbs and the other two about a foot under the bulbs. Humidity is in the 30s most of the winter (gas heat). Any further suggestions would be welcome, and thanks for the comments you've already made.....
Maybe try window light if possible.Something like an eastern exposure.The higher humidity in spring and summer may help too.
Mine all get window light but living in the south, thats a lot of light in winter too, as the tree that shades them some in summer has no leaves in winter. I have read this is the time of year they like to bloom the best, some (mostly species I think, like lutea) only bloom once a year. I have also read that they don't like fertilizer either. Don't know if that has anything to do with not blooming or just growth in general. I think you should change something. Maybe put one in a different location and see if that makes a difference. Look closely at your plants...many of mine have either just bloomed, are in bud or forming buds. It takes a long time for some of the buds to mature to bloom and if they dry out they could dye before they get started.
While I have great luck with primulinas/chirita, many of my violets spend a lot of time not blooming even though they get repotted, fertilizer and light. Actually the violets that bloom the most are the optimara that are in the windows. The light stand plants are disapointing....don't know why I don't just toss them.
They really are pretty when they bloom, so hope they start blooming for you soon.
tish
I switched to a higher phosphorous fertilizer a few weeks ago and the Primulinas all get that too. I don't know if it's because of that or perhaps because it's Spring, but most of them all have buds by now or have already bloomed. They all get Eastern light by a window. I've never seen any fertilizer damage either and they get the same soil as the AV's. Last Summer I added a tiny bit of lime (had read that they like that) and it killed several off! Just about all of mine (10-20 different varieties) were grown from a leaf. Maybe the survivors were the ones that like my conditions.
They probably did like the extra phosphorus Jamie.Whenever my plants are in a not many blooming stage I use a food with a higher middle number,but not a true bloom booster.
Lynn