Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Geranium himalayense 'Plenum' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Double Himalayan cranesbill, Birch Double geranium (Geranium himalayense 'Plenum').

More about geranium himalayense 'plenum'

About Geranium himalayense 'Plenum'

Geranium himalayense 'Plenum' · also called Double Himalayan cranesbill, Birch Double geranium · flowering

Geranium himalayense 'Plenum', also sold as 'Birch Double', is a sterile double-flowered Himalayan cranesbill. Its small, fully double, lilac-blue pompon flowers are flushed purple and held over neat, deeply divided foliage in summer. Being sterile it flowers longer and never self-seeds, making a tidy, long-blooming front-of-border perennial for sun or light shade.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Fewer flowers in shade: As a double, it relies on good light to perform. In too much shade flowering thins and stems lengthen and flop; move to a brighter spot.

The reasons geranium himalayense 'plenum' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming geranium himalayense 'plenum' 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 himalayense 'plenum' 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 himalayense 'plenum' to flower

Maximise sun. Give geranium himalayense 'plenum' 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 himalayense 'plenum' and get the feeding right with the geranium himalayense 'plenum' 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 himalayense 'Plenum' 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 himalayense 'plenum' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Geranium himalayense 'Plenum' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my geranium himalayense 'plenum' flower?

Geranium himalayense 'Plenum' 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 himalayense 'plenum' bloom?

Give geranium himalayense 'plenum' 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 himalayense 'plenum' normally bloom?