Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Hawaii Blue Flossflower bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Flossflower, Bluemink, Blueweed, Pussy Foot (Ageratum houstonianum).

More about hawaii blue flossflower

About Hawaii Blue Flossflower

Ageratum houstonianum · also called Flossflower, Bluemink · flowering

Hawaii Blue Flossflower is a compact, early-blooming annual producing a mass of fluffy, powder-blue flower clusters from late spring to autumn. One of the best edging plants for containers and borders, it thrives in full sun. Ageratum is listed by the ASPCA as toxic to horses and mildly toxic to dogs and cats.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Deadheading neglect: Spent clusters become brown and papery, reducing the display; remove promptly to encourage continuous new flower production.

The reasons hawaii blue flossflower isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming hawaii blue flossflower 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 hawaii blue flossflower 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 hawaii blue flossflower to flower

Maximise sun. Give hawaii blue flossflower 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 hawaii blue flossflower and get the feeding right with the hawaii blue flossflower 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

Hawaii Blue Flossflower 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 hawaii blue flossflower care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Hawaii Blue Flossflower blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my hawaii blue flossflower flower?

Hawaii Blue Flossflower 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 hawaii blue flossflower bloom?

Give hawaii blue flossflower 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 hawaii blue flossflower normally bloom?