Help needed with my Rangoon Creeper

I have two beautiful Rangoon Creeper Vines. They bloomed well for three years. They are on 8 foot trellis and planted in 20" pots, they grew well last year but not one flower. I fed with MG as I had the year before. I did pot up to a larger pot last spring, but just because the roots were growing out the bottom of the smaller one. They got Morning sun last year. Does anybody have an idea how to get them to start blooming again. I think the year before they got afternoon sun but wilted soooo bad in the afternoon. I have not pruned them.

They are in the basement now and will be ready to go out in a couple of weeks. We are having some beautiful weather so I will move them out for a few days.

Thanks for any help.

Betty

this is just a guess as i havent grown them but some plants dont like to be transplanted and instead of flowering that year they reastablish them selves. i have a honeysuckle that i moved when we moved and its just now flowereing the second year after the move.

I hope that is the problem. They sure did put on a lot of new growth last year.

Picabo, I don't think repotting is what caused them to stop blooming.
Imzadi's honeysucke is a perennial and they do resent being transplanted but our rangoon creeper's are tropical. They are going to respond to what we do for them pretty much right away.
Last yr mine looked awful at the end of winter in my g house.
I repotted it in a pot that let me place 4 inches of fresh potting mix in the bottom. Right away it started growing new stems and setting buds at the branch tips.
I had 3 flushes last yr. Now it looks awful again in the ghouse so I am going to lift
it up and give it another 2 inches of fresh mix. I dont feed very often and mine only got 2 to 3 hrs of dappled sun each day last season
Try lightly pruning back just the tips or any branches that look bad
when you set it out or just before you place it outside. Mine bloomed on new growth last yr. I fed it just a little time release granules and a small amt of 15-30-15 every 3rd watering or so. Try
not to overfeed as that MIGHT have caused new green leafy growth only.
Just speculation on my part. Trial and error is the best teacher.

Jackie

Thanks Jackie. I used a time release fertilizer last year plus I would spray with a light mix of MG every 2 weeks. It was so lush I probably did over feed. Right now it looks pitiful, but I am sure it is about ready to grow. It can use a few inches of soil in the top of the pot I will do that this week before time to go out.

Yes, I agree with Jackie.
I use granules, its actually designed for Bougenvilla by Nutra Star- they really seem to love it.
I usually fed every month, twice a month during blooming.
At the beginning of each season, I take off all of the branches from the main vine, as they only bloom on new growth.
--p.s. repotting seems to be an issue in my experience with Rangoon Creepers. This one in the picture, is in a pot- but I allowed the roots to grow through. It made me wonder if they like to be root bound.
Rj

This message was edited Mar 13, 2006 7:21 PM

RJ.....Beautiful!!!! On my "Creepers" best day they NEVER looked like that.

I am going to go cut it back tonight. Wish I had not put it in such a big pot. I went up about 2 sizes. The roots are filling the pot, but far from being root bound.

I will look for those granules this week.
Thanks for the wisdom.

Betty

Sure, it took me a while - but finally got it. I/ve re-potted 2 rangoon creepers, and I/ve always gone up too high I thought on the pot size- But as soon as it starts getting warm, it will perk up. I trimmed mine in January, and its just now starting to shoot out new branches. They seem to like it hot and humid. When the temp reaches a sustained 80 degrees..they really start growing fast.
Good luck to ya!

Mine has already put on alot of new growth....it was "heavily" and I do mean heavily muched; also, I hacked it back a week ago.

RJ--why a pot in Houston? I'm on far west side and everyone I know grows it in the ground---warning...they get huge in the ground.

Picabo--they do best in full (all day) sun down here. Not blooming, would probably indicate not enought sun. The fertilizers I use are all organic (seaweed and fish emulsion) so can't say if thats a problem. It also likes a lot of water down here in our heat.

This message was edited Mar 14, 2006 3:15 PM

Well it was a chain of accidental events. The plant came with the pot, I bought at a garage sale, before my knowledgeable gardening days. I moved that pot all over the yard as I progressed in gardening. I put in a pond, where I had a bunch of potted plants including the rangoon creeper. I moved it next to the garage, where it grew through the pot- so I just left it alone. I had to take a hammer to the pot this last fall because the vine had grown so huge.
I have one in the front yard too. I cut every branch off of it in Jan, and now it is sprouting branches everywhere- They are liking our rather warm winter this year. We should have some showy blooms again. How come your zone shows 8b in Houston?

Yes..I noticed the rangoons are drinkers... the problem in that area is when they are repotted - in a cooler zone- they stay pretty wet- but yes full sun is a must..and it seems the hotter it is the better they like it.

I am so happy that I asked!!

They bloomed well year before last, even when the summer sun wilted them down. I thought moving to the shade would help. Wrong! Well it did grow nice and thick last year. Maybe with all of the help I can get it to bloom again this year.

Lets see, what other problems can you help with??? :~))

I tell ya it was a learning experience for me. I luckily stopped by a nursery down the stree from me called -another place in time- and they had the rangoon creeper growing and blooming in abundance- so I asked..how the heck do you get it to bloom so much? she said- Bougenvilla food granules...I have to admit, last years blooms was the most I have ever seen any rangoon creeper bloom. It was a very rainy spring- then dry until July. I am sure that there are several different strains running around out there- Some repeat bloomers, some once a year bloomers.

Did you know that if you have a plant that is dying from overwatering- you can use Hydrogen Peroxide or H202 for short (yep that stuff under the sink somewhere) to save the plant.
There is a whole thread on it here at DG- Some people use it in regular watering even for potted plants. The H202 delivers oxygen to the plants roots that are basically drowning from the water.
I use it for propagating seeds and cuttings- I love this place..I never would have thought of this in a hundered years. I have a whole section in my journal devoted to using different things to assist your plants- I have alot of links to information about food grade H202 and aspirin.
Have a look - http://davesgarden.com/journal/ed/index.php?tabid=1923

RJ--it says 8b because I'm in 8b--north hwy 6--gets colder here in the winter than down in town.

Mine bloomed like crazy on seaweed and fish emulsion. They don't need much help to bloom if they are in full sun and good soil.

OK I am having "Zone Envy" again. LOL

RJ... Thanks for the Links.

Picabo--we start envying your zone (or any zone cooler than ours) come August and September!

Yeah, in town here..our winter was really spring- so I hate to see what spring will bring!

My fear is what August will be like--if we don't get some rain soon the xeriscapers may be the only ones with gardens left!

It's not pretty here in August. That is usually when I tell the bugs...

"OK, you won! Eat what you want, I am going to the Air conditioning." LOL

I hear we are suppose to get T-Storms tomorrow.

True during August...too hot and bugs galore.
I think we are in for a pestilence year- I have already seen powdery mildew

RJ That's the largest, most impressive Rangoon Creeper I've ever seen.
The photo speaks for itself.

Jackie

Thanks- It went wild last year-
I think it's a slightly different breed, as I noticed mine in front - flowers are bigger, but don't bloom in as much profusion. Then again...is it because the roots were bound in the pot, and grew through? All sorts of questions that presents to us ...why?

RJ, wish I knew the answer. My creeper is rootbound every spring
and just sits there sulking, not doing anything until I repot it and move'it out of the g house. So mine is not a stress bloomer, instead preferring fresh mix to grow, ample water and some food. Then what happens is amazing, putting out new stems and forming flower buds at the branch tips all at the same time.
I had 3 flushes of bloom last season. The new flush would not start until the old one had pretty much run it's course. Your vine has all stages
at the same time, different colors, seeds and the whole 9 yards. I think
you can say your flowers are prolific. LOL
Googled rangoon creeper last yr and I think I found a website that showed more than one strain of this vine.

Jackie

I was looking on a web site last year and saw that there are double ones also. Maybe if I can get these blooming again I can consider another one.

I moved mine outside Monday. It is already starting to put on buds. I am sure that it will have to go back in but can at least enjoy a few days outside.

Mine's a double--will post pics when warmer and it starts to bloom.

Ok, Now it is not Just "Zone Envy" its "Creeper Envy" too. LOL Can't wait to see pics.

hmmm..I wonder where that web site is. I notice a difference in the size from the one in front and back. The one in front the flowers are bigger, but fewer in a clump- the one in back..well you saw that. I also notice the one in front will have floweres that have stripes in them. Never saw that on the one in back.

Here is a view of it, and how far back it went... It went back by the red umbrella, and what we can/t see is it goes up equally as high.

That's amazing RJ. Tonight when I get back to my computer, will
look for the web site.

Jackie

What you have that rangoon rambling on? And where have all those plumeria been all winter? Nice yard! Can I come over? lol Are you down inside the loop?
Debbie

What you have that rangoon rambling on? And where have all those plumeria been all winter? Nice yard! Can I come over? lol Are you down inside the loop?
Debbie

hahaha...Yes last summer was quite a good bloom on the Rangoon..best ever. The plumerias were in the green house - I just started dragging them out again. They look like they need to e resucitated!.. A 100 year old Pecan tree landed on my deck, car, house during hurrican Rita, and wiped out half of the plumerias, brugmansias...but nature is forgiving and everything is growing back pretty good. I have a trellis on the side of the garage the rangoon climbed, then it went to the crepe myrtle and sprawled into some brug trees...
Come on down..I live in the Heights- I move plants around that yard like furniture. I leave about 15 percent of the yard in big pots so I can do that. That was because there was a huge pecan tree next door and I had to drag those plants around as the sun changed through the spring/summer. This will be my first season with alot of sunshine coming in. The back yard is already become Jurrasic...I posted some pics I took this morning on Tropicals threads.

Your yard is beautiful. Please don't tell me that is a picture from this year. LOL My poor Plumerias don't have leaves yet and we may get a freeze this week.

RJ--I used to teach at Hamilton Vanguard--the butterfly garden I created there would not freeze and my plants (same ones) at my house would freeze down to the ground. Amazing how just a few miles west will do crazy things with plants!

Picabo--I know what you mean! My plumies are still "sticks in their pots" in the washroom. Still not real warm every night here yet; although I guess in the last two weeks it has been above 50 degrees.

Oh noo...nope..that was last april or may..My plumerias are looking leafless too. As a matter of fact I just dragged them out this last weekend. They are next on the list to be planted. I think Im going to put a few of them in the front where I just re-landscapped.
. When I was in Hawaii a couple weeks ago, their plumys looked the same as ours..no leaves...I guess they drop their leaves during the winter. So we all shant feel too bad! I guess there is quite the Plumeria society here in Houston.
I started putting lava sand in the potting soil ..the plumerias Looooooove it. There is a place called Southwest Fertilzer on chimney rock and bissonett...they have quite the comprehensive list of things for the garden.

Rj, all I could find after googling was references to the single and double forms. This must be what I had found last yr.
Top Tropicals does mention the white and/or pink stripe bloom before turning solid pink then red.
http://toptropicals.com/catalog/uid/Quisqualis_indica.htm
Rare flora shows pics of the double and single form
http://www.rareflora.com/quisqualisindouble.htm
http://www.rareflora.com/quisqualisindsingle.htm

Jackie

Okay...I will take a look...I am curious what constitutes a double...

I love Tops tropicals...I bought an easter lily vine in Jan...and it/s getting ready to bloom

Okay..mine must have been a double. I just went out to look at it today..I think I lost the vine over winter..because of that pot..the root plugged up the hole..and I had to take the hammer to the pot, but must have been too late...I think I/m going to be sick.
I had been trying to propagate it from cuttings..but have been successful only twice...

If its blooming...how can it be dead? Or am I confused as usual...I try to stay that way; it makes life easier.

They are tough, maybe it is just dormant. Mine looks so bad right now but I see little buds. Sure hope it is OK.

Betty

Betty--try something kinda mild like an 8-8-8 liquid in a watering can on it maybe half strength. It surely can't be gone...maybe just "ailing". LOL
Debbie