Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Geranium pratense 'Mrs Kendall Clark' bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Mrs Kendall Clark meadow cranesbill (Geranium pratense 'Mrs Kendall Clark').
More about geranium pratense 'mrs kendall clark'
About Geranium pratense 'Mrs Kendall Clark'
Geranium pratense 'Mrs Kendall Clark' · also called Mrs Kendall Clark meadow cranesbill · flowering
'Mrs Kendall Clark' is a refined meadow cranesbill prized for soft greyish-blue petals veined with paler grey-white, opening over deeply cut foliage in early summer. Fully hardy and clump-forming, it suits cottage borders and naturalistic plantings, attracts pollinators, and reblooms after a midsummer cut-back. An RHS Award of Garden Merit selection.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Lax stems post-bloom: Stems sprawl after the first flush. Cut the plant back hard to refresh foliage and trigger a second wave of bloom.
The reasons geranium pratense 'mrs kendall clark' isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming geranium pratense 'mrs kendall clark' 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 pratense 'mrs kendall clark' 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 pratense 'mrs kendall clark' to flower
- Maximise sun. Give geranium pratense 'mrs kendall clark' 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 pratense 'mrs kendall clark' and get the feeding right with the geranium pratense 'mrs kendall clark' 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 pratense 'Mrs Kendall Clark' 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 pratense 'mrs kendall clark' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Geranium pratense 'Mrs Kendall Clark' blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my geranium pratense 'mrs kendall clark' flower?
Geranium pratense 'Mrs Kendall Clark' 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 pratense 'mrs kendall clark' bloom?
Give geranium pratense 'mrs kendall clark' 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 pratense 'mrs kendall clark' normally bloom?
Geranium pratense 'Mrs Kendall Clark' 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 pratense 'mrs kendall clark' 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 pratense 'mrs kendall clark' flowering?
Feeding geranium pratense 'mrs kendall clark' 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 pratense 'Mrs Kendall Clark' care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Geranium pratense 'Mrs Kendall Clark' light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Geranium pratense 'Mrs Kendall Clark' 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