Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Double purple meadow cranesbill, Plenum Violaceum geranium (Geranium pratense 'Plenum Violaceum').

More about geranium pratense 'plenum violaceum'

About Geranium pratense 'Plenum Violaceum'

Geranium pratense 'Plenum Violaceum' · also called Double purple meadow cranesbill, Plenum Violaceum geranium · flowering

'Plenum Violaceum' is a fully double meadow cranesbill bearing tightly packed, rosette-like violet-purple flowers in early to midsummer over deeply divided foliage. Being sterile it sets no seed, so it stays put and flowers tidily. Hardy, clump-forming and pollinator-friendly in a modest way, it holds an RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Sprawling after flowering: Stems flop once bloom fades. Shear the plant back hard to regenerate compact foliage; being sterile, it flowers for longer in a single, clean flush.

The reasons geranium pratense 'plenum violaceum' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming geranium pratense 'plenum violaceum' 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 'plenum violaceum' 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 'plenum violaceum' to flower

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

Geranium pratense 'Plenum Violaceum' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my geranium pratense 'plenum violaceum' flower?

Geranium pratense 'Plenum Violaceum' 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 'plenum violaceum' bloom?

Give geranium pratense 'plenum violaceum' 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 'plenum violaceum' normally bloom?