Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Chirita sinensis bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Chinese chirita, silver chirita (Chirita sinensis).

More about chirita sinensis

About Chirita sinensis

Chirita sinensis · also called Chinese chirita, silver chirita · flowering

Chirita sinensis (now botanically Primulina sinensis) is a striking Chinese gesneriad grown for its thick, quilted leaves often boldly marked with silver, and its lavender to purple tubular flowers. Easygoing and drought-tolerant compared with African violets, it forms a handsome rosette and thrives in bright indirect light with restrained watering on a windowsill or light shelf.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Reluctant flowering: Low light or excess nitrogen favours leaves over blooms; brighten the position and feed a phosphorus-rich bloom formula during budding.

The reasons chirita sinensis isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming chirita sinensis 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 chirita sinensis 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 chirita sinensis to flower

Maximise sun. Give chirita sinensis 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 chirita sinensis and get the feeding right with the chirita sinensis 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

Chirita sinensis 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 chirita sinensis care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Chirita sinensis blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my chirita sinensis flower?

Chirita sinensis 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 chirita sinensis bloom?

Give chirita sinensis 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 chirita sinensis normally bloom?