Fatsia

[seedyrom]

I have 2 fatsia. One is in a large pot and the other is planted in the garden. Both are a few years old but neither of them has ever flowered. They are not in a windy spot and are in semi-shade. Can anyone advise on how to encourage them to flower, please?

[gardening_guru]

Hello again,

Thanks for registering on the forum. It sounds as if you are doing virtually everything correctly with these two Fatsia plants. They are in a sheltered site and semi-shade should still produce some flowers, although not as many as when planted in full sun. I think the answer might be the Phostrogen, please can you remind me about the nutrient ratio of this fertiliser, as it is not one I use regularly. You will find the ratio on the back of the box or packet. It will be a 3 digit ratio detailing the levels of Nitrogen (N) Phosphates (P) and Potassium (K). As an example a ‘balanced’ fertiliser will have equal amounts of the three nutrients in it and will therefore have a balanced ratio eg. 7:7:7
The name alone suggests that Phostrogen may have a high ratio of Phosphorus? Phosphorus promotes strong root growth, Nitrogen promotes strong leaf growth and Potassium promotes flowers and fruits.
I would therefore check the nutrient ratio of the Phostrogen. If you want your Fatsias to flower I would use a balanced fertiliser regularly and then maybe once per month I would also feed with a fertiliser high in potassium to encourage flowers. Tomato food for example is full of Potassium.

I hope I have been of some help,

Regards, George.