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This vine (I don't know its name, if you can tell me, that'll be great) was blooming with yellow colored flowers when it was merely 9 feet long and was planted in a pot. But later, I planted it in the ground for better growth. It's growing well, and now it's more than 20 feet long but it hasn't had a single flower on it since last year.

Can anybody shed light on what the problem may be with it, and how can I get it to flower again?

A few more details: I am from India, its quite warm (actually hot) here. This vine (or climber) is planted outside in ground. It get direct sunlight, around 3 - 4 hours every day. Rest of day its in light but not direct sunlight.

Here is a how it looks now

As fertiliser, I gave it dosages of Humic and Amino acid blend with farm yard manure. But I am not regular about fertiliser dosage.

A year back, it was blooming with beautiful large yellow flowers.

Mudassir
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  • What part of the world do you live in? Is it indoors or outdoors, and how much light does it get during the day? – Niall C. Aug 23 '15 at 04:01
  • Hi Niall, updated the question with requested details. I was unable to add another picture (Android app was crashing, I reported it) so I included a DropBox link, don't know if it works. – Mudassir Aug 23 '15 at 07:58
  • What a pretty plant! Sorry this is off topic, but there's a bug somewhere in the picture upload feature in the Android app. It's discussed [here](http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/258795/the-android-app-crashes-when-trying-to-upload-a-picture-from-my-phone), and could use details from anyone having a problem. Thanks! – Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL Aug 23 '15 at 16:09
  • @Sue: Thank you for the info. Once I get to my PC, will update the question with a few recent pictures. – Mudassir Aug 23 '15 at 17:23
  • Updated with a recent picture. – Mudassir Aug 24 '15 at 06:50

2 Answers2

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This appears to be Pentalinon luteum (also known as Urechites lutea or commonly, yellow Mandevilla, which it isn't really, but it often gets called that in the USA). It likes at least 6 hours of sunlight a day, isn't entirely hardy so anywhere that gets frost it won't like, and flowering time is really any time temperatures are high enough and sunlight is freely available. It tends to put out a few flowers quite often rather than masses all at once. It likes poor, free draining, preferably light soil and is drought tolerant once established - grows upright at first, but later will scramble and climb through other plants.

Stop feeding it is my advice - it likes poor soil, so feeding will actually discourage flowering, and it also sounds as if it needs a sunnier spot than the one you've provided.

And a word of warning - the plant is toxic so don't eat it, and be careful of the sap, which contains latex - it can be a skin irritant to some people.

Bamboo
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  • Thank you Bamboo. So, by 'stop feeding' do you mean I should stop watering it and providing fertilisers? I can't wait to see it bloom. – Mudassir Aug 23 '15 at 17:25
  • No, I don't mean that - I mean stop feeding it, meaning no fertilizer, but don't let it die of thirst! Water if its been in the ground less than 2 years - if a bit longer, then water when/if it starts looking a bit wilted. You will still have to wait for a while I'm guessing until the effect of feeding wears off... – Bamboo Aug 23 '15 at 17:30
  • Feeding means fertilizer. Don't let your plant be thirsty because of an misunderstanding... – Stephie Aug 23 '15 at 17:31
  • Snap Stephie... Mudassir, sorry - feeding means fertilizing, watering means just giving water. – Bamboo Aug 23 '15 at 17:34
  • Ok. Got it :) Its around 11 months since I transferred it to ground. Will reduce its water supplies to minimum to keep it alive. But I just gave it a dose of fertiliser today :( I guess, I have to replace the soil around its roots. You know, I am not that good at gardening, just starting with it. @Stephie: Thank you clarification, will keep in mind. – Mudassir Aug 23 '15 at 17:38
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    No, don't replace the soil and don't reduce watering just yet other than slightly - the watering will help to clear away the fertlizer quicker, and 11 months is not two years - two years is the time for a plant to settle in and have created a good, extensive root system to seek out its own water. If you 'clear away the soil around its roots' you'll also destroy the hair like roots its made in order to establish itself. Just keep it watered (not waterlogged) and cultivate patience;-)) It will flower eventually...but I'm still concerned its not actually getting enough sunlight... – Bamboo Aug 23 '15 at 17:43
  • Thanks a ton Bamboo, for such extensive and quick replies. I will do as you suggested and will see what I can do for sunlight as its already 20+ feet high, I can't move it to other spot at this stage, can I? – Mudassir Aug 23 '15 at 17:50
  • Itts probably too big to move, but if you can't increase its sunlight, it may still not flower that well. I was just checking how to propagate this plant- you could try taking soft cuttings or layering a couple of stems. Get a new plant out of it and plant that one somewhere really sunny.... – Bamboo Aug 23 '15 at 17:56
  • Sure.. thats really a good suggestion :) Updated the post with a recent picture. – Mudassir Aug 24 '15 at 06:51
  • Who cares about flowers? OK everyone but me...sort of like the cherry on a sundae! This is a beautiful plant Mudassir!! I had no idea it was in a well and 20' tall!! Gorgeous against the white, sterile well walls! Foliage makes so much difference...and it is healthy!! Propagation would be the perfect solution...don't worry about flowers. Anything this healthy, growing in shade is to die for!! Add decomposed organic mulch to the top of the soil from time to time as well as a little fertilizer, lower in N than P and K. Listen to Bamboo!! – stormy Aug 26 '15 at 00:14
  • Shoot, just looked at your new picture again and see that the smaller of the two is in desperate need of nitrogen...yellow with dark green veins. Need to check the pH of your soil (probably too alkaline because of the concrete!) and take steps to reduce the pH to 5 or 6. This will enable the plant to take up the AVAILABLE nitrogen you've already applied to the soil. Remember, more nitrogen than phosphorus and potassium means fewer flowers. Because they are in the shade, you want dark green leaves! Flowers are so over rated...sigh!! – stormy Aug 26 '15 at 00:21
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Very healthy!! What are you using for fertilizer? Make sure the Nitrogen is less or equal to Phosphorus and Potassium!! If this is indoors, I'd use Osmocote, 14-14-14 for vegetables and flowers. You'll only need two little applications per year. You must have great light for this guy to be so green and compact...otherwise, purchase a grow light for the winter short days. Allow to drain well, only use sterilized potting soil (with mycorrhizae and bacteria included), never allow water to sit in saucer and purchase distilled water to water this plant. Don't use tap water!! Too much nitrogen puts your plant into a vegetative mode...lots of leaves, little reproductive growth.

stormy
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