Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Ageratum houstonianum 'Artist Blue' bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Artist Blue Ageratum, Compact Blue Floss Flower (Ageratum houstonianum 'Artist Blue').
More about ageratum houstonianum 'artist blue'
About Ageratum houstonianum 'Artist Blue'
Ageratum houstonianum 'Artist Blue' · also called Artist Blue Ageratum, Compact Blue Floss Flower · flowering
Ageratum houstonianum 'Artist Blue' is a compact, mounding floss flower smothered in fluffy violet-blue blooms all summer. A vegetatively propagated, sterile hybrid, it flowers heavily without setting seed, stays tidy and weather-resistant, and needs no deadheading. It suits sunny beds, edging and containers, thriving in full sun with steady moisture and fertile, free-draining soil.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Wilting and stalled bloom: Drying out in heat halts flowering fast. Keep soil evenly moist and mulch to buffer dryness.
The reasons ageratum houstonianum 'artist blue' isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming ageratum houstonianum 'artist blue' traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:
- Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
- Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
- The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
- Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
- It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.
Feeding ageratum houstonianum 'artist blue' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
The fix — how to get ageratum houstonianum 'artist blue' to flower
- Maximise sun. Give ageratum houstonianum 'artist blue' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
- Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
- Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
- Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.
Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for ageratum houstonianum 'artist blue' and get the feeding right with the ageratum houstonianum 'artist blue' fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.
Bloom season and what to expect
Ageratum houstonianum 'Artist Blue' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.
Post-bloom care so it flowers again
Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.
For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full ageratum houstonianum 'artist blue' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Ageratum houstonianum 'Artist Blue' blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my ageratum houstonianum 'artist blue' flower?
Ageratum houstonianum 'Artist Blue' blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
How do I make ageratum houstonianum 'artist blue' bloom?
Give ageratum houstonianum 'artist blue' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
When does ageratum houstonianum 'artist blue' normally bloom?
Ageratum houstonianum 'Artist Blue' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.
What should I do with ageratum houstonianum 'artist blue' after it flowers?
Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.
What is the single biggest mistake stopping ageratum houstonianum 'artist blue' flowering?
Feeding ageratum houstonianum 'artist blue' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Ageratum houstonianum 'Artist Blue' care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Ageratum houstonianum 'Artist Blue' light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Ageratum houstonianum 'Artist Blue' fertilising — the right feed for buds, not just leaves
- Should I water my plant? The simple check
- Why is my plant wilting? Wet vs dry
- Underwatered plant — signs and rehydration
- Why won't my peace lily bloom?
- Why won't my jade plant bloom?
- Why won't my tomato bloom?
- All 2023 bloom guides in the Growli library