Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Girard's Thrift bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Girard's Thrift (Armeria girardii).

More about girard's thrift

About Girard's Thrift

Armeria girardii · also called Girard's Thrift · flowering

Armeria girardii is a compact, cushion-forming evergreen perennial from the mountains of Spain and Portugal, valued in rock gardens and alpine troughs for its neat mounded habit and pink pompom flowers produced in late spring and early summer. Like all Armeria, it demands full sun and sharply drained, lean soil and is entirely intolerant of waterlogging. It is a smaller, more refined species than the common sea thrift and performs best in open, exposed situations with good air movement. This species is not confirmed toxic by ASPCA; treat as mildly toxic as a precaution.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Aphids on flower stems: Aphid colonies can attack emerging flower stems in spring; inspect regularly and treat early with insecticidal soap or neem oil.

The reasons girard's thrift isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming girard's thrift 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 girard's thrift 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 girard's thrift to flower

Maximise sun. Give girard's thrift 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 girard's thrift and get the feeding right with the girard's thrift 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

Girard's Thrift 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 girard's thrift care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Girard's Thrift blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my girard's thrift flower?

Girard's Thrift 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 girard's thrift bloom?

Give girard's thrift 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 girard's thrift normally bloom?