Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Mercury Rising Tickseed, Big Bang Mercury Rising Coreopsis (Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising').

More about coreopsis 'mercury rising'

About Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising'

Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising' · also called Mercury Rising Tickseed, Big Bang Mercury Rising Coreopsis · flowering

Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising', part of the Big Bang Series, is a sterile perennial tickseed prized for its dark wine-red flowers borne on upright, branching stems from late spring through summer. Sterility extends the bloom period as energy is not diverted to seed production. Best in full sun and well-drained soil. Coreopsis is non-toxic to pets per the ASPCA.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Aster yellows phytoplasma: Causes distorted, yellowed or virescent flowers. Remove and destroy affected plants immediately; no cure available.

The reasons coreopsis 'mercury rising' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming coreopsis 'mercury rising' 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 coreopsis 'mercury rising' 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 coreopsis 'mercury rising' to flower

Maximise sun. Give coreopsis 'mercury rising' 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 coreopsis 'mercury rising' and get the feeding right with the coreopsis 'mercury rising' 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

Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising' 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 coreopsis 'mercury rising' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my coreopsis 'mercury rising' flower?

Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising' 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 coreopsis 'mercury rising' bloom?

Give coreopsis 'mercury rising' 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 coreopsis 'mercury rising' normally bloom?