Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Geranium cinereum 'Lawrence Flatman' bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Lawrence Flatman cranesbill (Geranium cinereum 'Lawrence Flatman').
More about geranium cinereum 'lawrence flatman'
About Geranium cinereum 'Lawrence Flatman'
Geranium cinereum 'Lawrence Flatman' · also called Lawrence Flatman cranesbill · flowering
Geranium cinereum 'Lawrence Flatman' is a compact alpine cranesbill with low rosettes of grey-green foliage. Over a long summer season it bears cupped pink flowers heavily veined in crimson-purple with a darker eye, a touch bolder than 'Ballerina'. Sun-loving and tidy, it excels in rock gardens, troughs, gravel beds and free-draining border edges.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Loose growth in shade: Insufficient sun or overly rich soil leads to floppy, sparse-flowering plants. Move to full sun and keep the soil lean and gritty.
The reasons geranium cinereum 'lawrence flatman' isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming geranium cinereum 'lawrence flatman' 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 geranium cinereum 'lawrence flatman' 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 geranium cinereum 'lawrence flatman' to flower
- Maximise sun. Give geranium cinereum 'lawrence flatman' 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 geranium cinereum 'lawrence flatman' and get the feeding right with the geranium cinereum 'lawrence flatman' 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
Geranium cinereum 'Lawrence Flatman' 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 geranium cinereum 'lawrence flatman' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Geranium cinereum 'Lawrence Flatman' blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my geranium cinereum 'lawrence flatman' flower?
Geranium cinereum 'Lawrence Flatman' 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 geranium cinereum 'lawrence flatman' bloom?
Give geranium cinereum 'lawrence flatman' 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 geranium cinereum 'lawrence flatman' normally bloom?
Geranium cinereum 'Lawrence Flatman' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.
What should I do with geranium cinereum 'lawrence flatman' after it flowers?
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.
What is the single biggest mistake stopping geranium cinereum 'lawrence flatman' flowering?
Feeding geranium cinereum 'lawrence flatman' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Geranium cinereum 'Lawrence Flatman' care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Geranium cinereum 'Lawrence Flatman' light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Geranium cinereum 'Lawrence Flatman' fertilising — the right feed for buds, not just leaves
- Should I water my plant? The simple check
- Why is my plant wilting? Wet vs dry
- Underwatered plant — signs and rehydration
- Why won't my peace lily bloom?
- Why won't my jade plant bloom?
- Why won't my tomato bloom?
- All 2023 bloom guides in the Growli library