Question
Hi Mr. Gulliksen,

I have two Tea Olive shrubs/plants which I planted in November.  We live in Central Florida, so it rarely freezes here.  Both have been growing nicely, but they are not producing those little, white blooms which let out the wonderful tea smell.  Why are they not blooming?
Respectfully,

Robert Antonelli

Answer
Robert,

There are two things that come to mind regarding this problem. The first would be a freeze, which damaged the buds. They are the least cold hardy of the Osmanthus genus. The other thing that comes to mind is that they may be going through some transplant shock. I would recommend keeping up with the watering and fertilize them with a low nitrogen fertilizer. This should slow down top growth and redirect some energy into flower production.

Good luck,
Ed Gulliksen