Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Crane's Bill Stork's Bill bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Crane's Bill Stork's Bill, Iranian Stork's Bill, Long-Beaked Crane's Bill, Grueinum Stork's Bill (Erodium gruinum).

More about crane's bill stork's bill

About Crane's Bill Stork's Bill

Erodium gruinum · also called Crane's Bill Stork's Bill, Iranian Stork's Bill · flowering

Erodium gruinum is a fast-growing annual or biennial native to the eastern Mediterranean and western Asia (Greece, Turkey, Iran), producing upright stems to 40 cm bearing attractive, five-petalled violet-blue flowers with darker veining in summer. Late-summer seedlings will overwinter and flower the following year in mild climates. It self-seeds freely in well-drained, sunny borders and gravel gardens. Not documented as toxic to cats or dogs; classified as mildly-toxic as ASPCA listing for this exact species is unavailable.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons crane's bill stork's bill isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming crane's bill stork's bill 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 crane's bill stork's bill 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 crane's bill stork's bill to flower

Maximise sun. Give crane's bill stork's bill 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 crane's bill stork's bill and get the feeding right with the crane's bill stork's bill 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

Crane's Bill Stork's Bill 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 crane's bill stork's bill care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Crane's Bill Stork's Bill blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my crane's bill stork's bill flower?

Crane's Bill Stork's Bill 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 crane's bill stork's bill bloom?

Give crane's bill stork's bill 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 crane's bill stork's bill normally bloom?