Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Farewell-to-spring bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Farewell-to-spring, Herald of summer, Summer's darling, Godetia (Clarkia amoena).

More about farewell-to-spring

About Farewell-to-spring

Clarkia amoena · also called Farewell-to-spring, Herald of summer · flowering

Farewell-to-spring is a fast-growing Californian native annual that puts on a dazzling summer display of satiny cup-shaped flowers in shades of pink, lavender, red, and white, often with contrasting central zones. It blooms as warm weather arrives and tolerates cool nights, thriving in poor, well-drained soil with minimal care.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Short bloom window in heat: Flowering ceases quickly in temperatures above 27°C. In warm climates, sow early in autumn for spring bloom, or make successive sowings in early spring to extend the season.

The reasons farewell-to-spring isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming farewell-to-spring 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 farewell-to-spring 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 farewell-to-spring to flower

Maximise sun. Give farewell-to-spring 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 farewell-to-spring and get the feeding right with the farewell-to-spring 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

Farewell-to-spring 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 farewell-to-spring care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Farewell-to-spring blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my farewell-to-spring flower?

Farewell-to-spring 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 farewell-to-spring bloom?

Give farewell-to-spring 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 farewell-to-spring normally bloom?