Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Chrysanthemum 'Cheryl Pride' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Cheryl Pride mum, exhibition chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum 'Cheryl Pride').

More about chrysanthemum 'cheryl pride'

About Chrysanthemum 'Cheryl Pride'

Chrysanthemum 'Cheryl Pride' · also called Cheryl Pride mum, exhibition chrysanthemum · flowering

Chrysanthemum 'Cheryl Pride' is an exhibition-type garden mum with fully double, incurved blooms in warm bronze-gold tones. It is prized by exhibitors and as a long-lasting cut flower. Chrysanthemums are toxic to cats, dogs, and horses and should be kept away from pets.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Petal botrytis: Grey mould disfigures blooms in cool, wet conditions. Protect exhibit-quality flowers under polythene and remove affected petals immediately.

The reasons chrysanthemum 'cheryl pride' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming chrysanthemum 'cheryl pride' 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 chrysanthemum 'cheryl pride' 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 chrysanthemum 'cheryl pride' to flower

Maximise sun. Give chrysanthemum 'cheryl pride' 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 chrysanthemum 'cheryl pride' and get the feeding right with the chrysanthemum 'cheryl pride' 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

Chrysanthemum 'Cheryl Pride' 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 chrysanthemum 'cheryl pride' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Chrysanthemum 'Cheryl Pride' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my chrysanthemum 'cheryl pride' flower?

Chrysanthemum 'Cheryl Pride' 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 chrysanthemum 'cheryl pride' bloom?

Give chrysanthemum 'cheryl pride' 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 chrysanthemum 'cheryl pride' normally bloom?