why don't my columbine flower?

[sheeshshe]

I planted a bunch from seed and I had thrown down some seeds a few years ago as well. They all come back but they n ever flower. Do columbine have different nutrient requirements etc to flower? what am I doing wrong?

[rainbowgardener]

Hard to know what you might be doing wrong, if we don't know what you are doing.

But columbine does not bloom the first year from seed. Should bloom the second year. Likes part shade or filtered light. I'm growing mine right under a tree and it bloomed fine this year. Likes moist, rich, well drained soil. But they are short lived perennials that tend to fade out after about 4 years. If you let them go to seed, should re-seed themselves, but if you have a hybrid version, it won't breed true from seed.

Let us know what conditions your columbine are in and how you have treated them and we will try to help more.

[sheeshshe]

ya know, I bet I know why the previous ones aren't blooming either. We cut down some trees this spring and now it isn't shady like it used to be. AND the ones that used to bloom now are not and its pretty much dying off, its about 5 years old... so I guess this is all starting to make sense. I planted the seeds this year indoors and transplanted them around June. So hopefully they'll flower next year but I doubt it now since they're now in a lot more sun. When should I move them? this fall? I have a better place that gets shade until the afternoon and then it gets sun for the rest of the day. would that be an ok place?

[rainbowgardener]

Fall would be a good time to move them, but morning shade and afternoon sun is a bad combination. What you want, if it can't be filtered light all the time, is morning sun and afternoon shade. Hot afternoon sun is tough on shade loving plants.

[mtmickey]

My columbine are in full sun and bloom beautifully