Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Milky Bellflower 'Prichard's Variety' bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Milky bellflower, Prichard's bellflower, Giant bellflower (Campanula lactiflora).
More about milky bellflower 'prichard's variety'
About Milky Bellflower 'Prichard's Variety'
Campanula lactiflora · also called Milky bellflower, Prichard's bellflower · flowering
A tall, robust herbaceous perennial forming wide-branching heads of small, cup-shaped, violet-blue flowers over a long midsummer season. One of the tallest campanulas, making a bold back-of-border statement. Loved by bees and excellent for cutting. Hardy and long-lived. Generally low toxicity; treat with caution around pets.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Short flowering without cutting back: Remove spent flower heads to the first lateral buds to encourage further blooming.
The reasons milky bellflower 'prichard's variety' isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming milky bellflower 'prichard's variety' 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 milky bellflower 'prichard's variety' 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 milky bellflower 'prichard's variety' to flower
- Maximise sun. Give milky bellflower 'prichard's variety' 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 milky bellflower 'prichard's variety' and get the feeding right with the milky bellflower 'prichard's variety' 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
Milky Bellflower 'Prichard's Variety' 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 milky bellflower 'prichard's variety' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Milky Bellflower 'Prichard's Variety' blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my milky bellflower 'prichard's variety' flower?
Milky Bellflower 'Prichard's Variety' 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 milky bellflower 'prichard's variety' bloom?
Give milky bellflower 'prichard's variety' 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 milky bellflower 'prichard's variety' normally bloom?
Milky Bellflower 'Prichard's Variety' 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 milky bellflower 'prichard's variety' 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 milky bellflower 'prichard's variety' flowering?
Feeding milky bellflower 'prichard's variety' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Milky Bellflower 'Prichard's Variety' care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Milky Bellflower 'Prichard's Variety' light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Milky Bellflower 'Prichard's Variety' 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 4831 bloom guides in the Growli library