Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Dahlia 'Purple Taiheijo' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Purple Taiheijo Dahlia, Taiheijo Dahlia (Dahlia 'Purple Taiheijo').

More about dahlia 'purple taiheijo'

About Dahlia 'Purple Taiheijo'

Dahlia 'Purple Taiheijo' · also called Purple Taiheijo Dahlia, Taiheijo Dahlia · flowering

Dahlia 'Purple Taiheijo' is a large-flowered decorative dahlia with velvety, deep purple blooms that have excellent cut-flower longevity. It grows on stout upright stems and is a prolific bloomer from midsummer through autumn. Well regarded by exhibitors and cutting-garden growers for its rich, saturated colour. Toxic to dogs and cats per the ASPCA.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Aphids: Attack shoot tips and buds; monitor weekly and use insecticidal soap or neem oil spray at first sign.

The reasons dahlia 'purple taiheijo' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming dahlia 'purple taiheijo' 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 dahlia 'purple taiheijo' 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 dahlia 'purple taiheijo' to flower

Maximise sun. Give dahlia 'purple taiheijo' 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 dahlia 'purple taiheijo' and get the feeding right with the dahlia 'purple taiheijo' 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

Dahlia 'Purple Taiheijo' 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 dahlia 'purple taiheijo' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Dahlia 'Purple Taiheijo' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my dahlia 'purple taiheijo' flower?

Dahlia 'Purple Taiheijo' 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 dahlia 'purple taiheijo' bloom?

Give dahlia 'purple taiheijo' 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 dahlia 'purple taiheijo' normally bloom?