Find Your Ask The Plant Expert: Help! I have a two-year-old Datura that is about 2 ft tall and very lush. However, all the buds have fallen off without blooming. Same thing happened to my angel trumpet this year. In this area, we have been bothered with stink bugs, and I was told to spray them with a solution of dish detergent and water. Stink bugs gone, but no flowers. -Mary
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
Mary,
There are 3 things that can cause bloom drop in Datura: Low light, Not enough fertilizer and excessive heat.
Datura prefer full sun to grow and bloom properly, so check you light situation. If your plant doesn’t receive at least 5 hours of full sun a day the plant may need to be moved to a place with more sun.
During the growing season, Datura are heavy feeders. At our nursery, we give Datura a water-soluble fertilizer twice a week. Normally we use a balanced fertilizer, but you could use a fertilizer with a higher phosphorous content. This should encourage blooming.
As for excessive heat, there really isn’t much you can do for that. You can try to shield the plant excessive hot winds.
Also since Datura blooms on new growth, watch for anything that inhibits new growth such as insect damage or drought. Keep your plant moist especially during the summer months.
I hope this information was helpful. Please let me know if I can help with anything else.
