Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Freesia 'Royal Blue' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Royal Blue freesia, blue freesia, fragrant blue freesia (Freesia 'Royal Blue').

More about freesia 'royal blue'

About Freesia 'Royal Blue'

Freesia 'Royal Blue' · also called Royal Blue freesia, blue freesia · flowering

Freesia 'Royal Blue' is a tender corm freesia carrying richly scented blue-violet blooms on one-sided arching spikes. Loved for cut flowers and patio displays, it thrives in full sun and gritty, sharply drained soil. Cool nights are needed to set buds; after flowering the foliage feeds the corm before a dry summer dormancy.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — No flowers in warm conditions: Night temperatures above roughly 18-20°C prevent flower initiation. Provide cool nights and bright light during the bud-setting period.

The reasons freesia 'royal blue' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming freesia 'royal blue' 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 freesia 'royal blue' 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 freesia 'royal blue' to flower

Maximise sun. Give freesia 'royal blue' 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 freesia 'royal blue' and get the feeding right with the freesia 'royal blue' 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

Freesia 'Royal Blue' 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 freesia 'royal blue' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Freesia 'Royal Blue' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my freesia 'royal blue' flower?

Freesia 'Royal Blue' 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 freesia 'royal blue' bloom?

Give freesia 'royal blue' 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 freesia 'royal blue' normally bloom?