bottlebrush plant

[growbag]

A few weeks ago I was given a bottlebrush plant (callistemon linearis) which was in flower - large red flowers, very beautiful. I planted it in a large container using ordinary potting compost. Since then all the flowers have dropped off and it is looking very sorry for itself. I don't know what I've done wrong, i suspect I might have overwatered it. Does anyone know how much water they should have?

[Thunderbird+]

The flowering time for this (hybrid) variety is from late spring through to autumn, so it should be flowering for a while longer yet, although a lot of plants are going into an early autumn mode due to the heat we have had lately, which in fact should suit this sun loving Australian shrub very well.
I think what you suspect (overwatering) could be right, as the shrub is fairly drought tollerant, allow it to dry out a little between waterings, keep it in a sunny spot and slow release ferfiliser as recomended. it may also need some winter protection, depending on your location. Good Luck Tbird+

[horty]

Hi growbag, if you have potted it into a much larger pot you will have surrounded the root ball with compost and if you have watered a lot will just be like a thick wet blanket which will probably rot the roots before they grow into it. The trick is to pot on in a pot which is only a finger width bigger than the one it was in. If I was you I would take the plant out of the pot and let the air dry the root ball and then plant it into a smaller pot, and as an Australian plant, it doesn't need too much watering once established. Hope this helps you. H.

[growbag]

Thanks, I'll let it dry out and then repot it into somethig smaller. Hopefully it will start flowering before the friend who gave it to me comes round!