Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Cottage Apricot mum, apricot chrysanthemum, hardy mum (Chrysanthemum 'Cottage Apricot').

More about chrysanthemum 'cottage apricot'

About Chrysanthemum 'Cottage Apricot'

Chrysanthemum 'Cottage Apricot' · also called Cottage Apricot mum, apricot chrysanthemum · flowering

A cottage garden-style chrysanthemum producing warm apricot-pink double flowers in late summer and autumn. Its informal charm and soft colouring suit mixed borders and cutting gardens alike. Toxic to cats, dogs, and horses due to pyrethrins. Pinch growing tips in late spring to encourage a well-branched, floriferous habit.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Botrytis grey mould: Soft apricot petals are susceptible in wet autumns; improve airflow and remove spent blooms quickly.

The reasons chrysanthemum 'cottage apricot' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming chrysanthemum 'cottage apricot' 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 'cottage apricot' 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 'cottage apricot' to flower

Maximise sun. Give chrysanthemum 'cottage apricot' 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 'cottage apricot' and get the feeding right with the chrysanthemum 'cottage apricot' 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 'Cottage Apricot' 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 'cottage apricot' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Chrysanthemum 'Cottage Apricot' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my chrysanthemum 'cottage apricot' flower?

Chrysanthemum 'Cottage Apricot' 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 'cottage apricot' bloom?

Give chrysanthemum 'cottage apricot' 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 'cottage apricot' normally bloom?