Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Bidens ferulifolia 'Bidy Gonzales' bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Bidy Gonzales Bidens, Golden Goddess Tickseed (Bidens ferulifolia 'Bidy Gonzales').
More about bidens ferulifolia 'bidy gonzales'
About Bidens ferulifolia 'Bidy Gonzales'
Bidens ferulifolia 'Bidy Gonzales' · also called Bidy Gonzales Bidens, Golden Goddess Tickseed · flowering
'Bidy Gonzales' is a compact, free-flowering Bidens ferulifolia bred for masses of small golden-yellow daisies all summer. This sun-loving, heat- and drought-tolerant tender perennial is grown as an annual in containers, baskets and borders. It trails and mounds, self-cleans without deadheading, and rebounds quickly from drought. Pollinators love it.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Stretched, sparse flowering: Too little light. Move to full sun and pinch tips early to encourage branching and denser bloom.
The reasons bidens ferulifolia 'bidy gonzales' isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming bidens ferulifolia 'bidy gonzales' 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 bidens ferulifolia 'bidy gonzales' 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 bidens ferulifolia 'bidy gonzales' to flower
- Maximise sun. Give bidens ferulifolia 'bidy gonzales' 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 bidens ferulifolia 'bidy gonzales' and get the feeding right with the bidens ferulifolia 'bidy gonzales' 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
Bidens ferulifolia 'Bidy Gonzales' 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 bidens ferulifolia 'bidy gonzales' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Bidens ferulifolia 'Bidy Gonzales' blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my bidens ferulifolia 'bidy gonzales' flower?
Bidens ferulifolia 'Bidy Gonzales' 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 bidens ferulifolia 'bidy gonzales' bloom?
Give bidens ferulifolia 'bidy gonzales' 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 bidens ferulifolia 'bidy gonzales' normally bloom?
Bidens ferulifolia 'Bidy Gonzales' 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 bidens ferulifolia 'bidy gonzales' 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 bidens ferulifolia 'bidy gonzales' flowering?
Feeding bidens ferulifolia 'bidy gonzales' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Bidens ferulifolia 'Bidy Gonzales' care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Bidens ferulifolia 'Bidy Gonzales' light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Bidens ferulifolia 'Bidy Gonzales' 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