Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Samobor dusky geranium, Marbled-leaf cranesbill (Geranium phaeum 'Samobor').

More about geranium phaeum 'samobor'

About Geranium phaeum 'Samobor'

Geranium phaeum 'Samobor' · also called Samobor dusky geranium, Marbled-leaf cranesbill · flowering

Geranium phaeum 'Samobor' is a dusky cranesbill grown as much for its foliage as its flowers: each leaf bears a bold chocolate-maroon central band, making a striking mound even out of bloom. Deep maroon-purple flowers rise on slender stems in late spring and early summer. Holding an RHS Award of Garden Merit, it is an outstanding, shade-tolerant perennial for woodland edges and dry shade.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Tatty foliage after flowering: Leaves tire post-bloom. Shear the clump to the ground to produce a fresh mound of well-marked new foliage.

The reasons geranium phaeum 'samobor' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming geranium phaeum 'samobor' 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 phaeum 'samobor' 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 phaeum 'samobor' to flower

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

Geranium phaeum 'Samobor' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my geranium phaeum 'samobor' flower?

Geranium phaeum 'Samobor' 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 phaeum 'samobor' bloom?

Give geranium phaeum 'samobor' 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 phaeum 'samobor' normally bloom?