Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Field Bindweed bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Field Bindweed, Creeping Jenny, Cornbind, Wild Morning Glory (Convolvulus arvensis).

More about field bindweed

About Field Bindweed

Convolvulus arvensis · also called Field Bindweed, Creeping Jenny · flowering

Field Bindweed is a vigorous, deep-rooted perennial vine native to Europe and Asia, naturalised worldwide as a persistent arable and garden weed. It spreads via an extensive network of fleshy white rhizomes that can penetrate to 2 m depth, making eradication notoriously difficult. Small, funnel-shaped flowers in white to pale pink appear from June to September and are attractive to bees and hoverflies. The sap and plant material are toxic to cats and dogs.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons field bindweed isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming field bindweed 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 field bindweed 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 field bindweed to flower

Maximise sun. Give field bindweed 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 field bindweed and get the feeding right with the field bindweed 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

Field Bindweed 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 field bindweed care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Field Bindweed blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my field bindweed flower?

Field Bindweed 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 field bindweed bloom?

Give field bindweed 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 field bindweed normally bloom?