Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Bluish Sage bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Bluish Sage, Blue Turkish Sage (Salvia cyanescens).

More about bluish sage

About Bluish Sage

Salvia cyanescens · also called Bluish Sage, Blue Turkish Sage · flowering

Salvia cyanescens is a low-growing, drought-tolerant herbaceous perennial native to dry hillsides in Turkey and Iran. It forms a compact rosette of large, velvety grey-green to silver-white leaves topped by tall spikes of soft violet-blue flowers in late spring and early summer. Well-drained, limey soil and a hot, sunny position are essential; the plant rots in wet, heavy ground. The Salvia genus is generally considered non-toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons bluish sage isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming bluish sage 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 bluish sage 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 bluish sage to flower

Maximise sun. Give bluish sage 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 bluish sage and get the feeding right with the bluish sage 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

Bluish Sage 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 bluish sage care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Bluish Sage blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my bluish sage flower?

Bluish Sage 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 bluish sage bloom?

Give bluish sage 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 bluish sage normally bloom?