Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Showy cranesbill, Magnificent geranium (Geranium x magnificum).

More about geranium x magnificum

About Geranium x magnificum

Geranium x magnificum · also called Showy cranesbill, Magnificent geranium · flowering

Geranium x magnificum is a vigorous hardy cranesbill (a sterile hybrid of G. ibericum and G. platypetalum) grown for a single, spectacular early-summer flush of violet-blue, purple-veined flowers above deeply lobed, hairy leaves that colour red in autumn. This clump-forming perennial earns an RHS Award of Garden Merit and thrives in sun to part shade.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Brief bloom period: The main display is one early-summer flush. Shearing the whole plant back hard after flowering ('the Chelsea chop' style cut-back) encourages fresh foliage and sometimes a lighter second flush.

The reasons geranium x magnificum isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming geranium x magnificum 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 x magnificum 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 x magnificum to flower

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

Geranium x magnificum blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my geranium x magnificum flower?

Geranium x magnificum 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 x magnificum bloom?

Give geranium x magnificum 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 x magnificum normally bloom?