My Euphorbias, which bloomed well last spring, didn't produce any "blossoms" this year. Any ideas about what might account for that? They survived the unusually harsh winter in Vancouver and being buried in snow quite well - a group of identical plants in the back yard didn't make it. I'm a neophyte with these plants, and wondered if I should have lopped off the blooming stalks all the way to the ground, instead of to the end of the flower. Many thanks, Boondoggle
How you pruned would not affect blooming unless you cut back stems that had not bloomed yet, thereby preventing blooming. If this is a characias type stems grow one year and then bloom the next, in a regular succession, like the growing and bearing of June-bearing raspberries. You can cut the spent, flowered stems off at the crown to tidy things up each year after flowering. Leave next year's growing stems untouched.
Hi Ron, Thank you for the pruning info. I think what I did at the end of bloom season last year reflects your instructions - I only cut the blooms off as they were spent. Even given an alternating year pattern, nothing is showing in the way of buds etc. on newer growth. When I visited a local nursery today, they remarked that their Shorties hadn't bloomed either - they are indeed characias types - a dwarf wulfenii, I think. Everything else is blooming and leafing up crazily, so this is a bit perplexing. I always appreciate your input, Ron, you keep newbies like me afloat... Boondoggle
