Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Camellia 'Bob Hope' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Bob Hope Camellia, Japanese Camellia 'Bob Hope' (Camellia japonica 'Bob Hope').

More about camellia 'bob hope'

About Camellia 'Bob Hope'

Camellia japonica 'Bob Hope' · also called Bob Hope Camellia, Japanese Camellia 'Bob Hope' · flowering

Camellia japonica 'Bob Hope' produces large, striking semi-double to peony-form deep red blooms from late winter to mid-spring on a slow-growing, dense evergreen shrub. It is prized for its bold, velvety flowers and glossy dark foliage. Like all camellias, ingestion of any plant part may cause mild gastrointestinal upset in pets.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Bud drop: The most common complaint; caused by drought stress during bud set (late summer to autumn), root disturbance, or sudden cold snaps; water consistently and avoid moving plants in autumn.

The reasons camellia 'bob hope' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming camellia 'bob hope' 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 camellia 'bob hope' 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 camellia 'bob hope' to flower

Maximise sun. Give camellia 'bob hope' 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 camellia 'bob hope' and get the feeding right with the camellia 'bob hope' 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

Camellia 'Bob Hope' 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 camellia 'bob hope' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Camellia 'Bob Hope' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my camellia 'bob hope' flower?

Camellia 'Bob Hope' 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 camellia 'bob hope' bloom?

Give camellia 'bob hope' 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 camellia 'bob hope' normally bloom?