Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Accent Scarlet Busy Lizzie bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Busy Lizzie, Balsam, Patient Lucy, Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens walleriana).

More about accent scarlet busy lizzie

About Accent Scarlet Busy Lizzie

Impatiens walleriana · also called Busy Lizzie, Balsam · flowering

Accent Scarlet Busy Lizzie is a compact, free-flowering series of Impatiens walleriana bearing vivid scarlet blooms all summer. Perfect for shady beds, containers, and hanging baskets, it is one of the most popular summer bedding plants. Note that Impatiens downy mildew has severely affected outdoor plantings in recent years. Mildly toxic to pets.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Botrytis grey mould: Fuzzy grey mould on stems and spent flowers in cool, wet weather. Remove faded flowers and improve airflow.

The reasons accent scarlet busy lizzie isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming accent scarlet busy lizzie 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 accent scarlet busy lizzie 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 accent scarlet busy lizzie to flower

Maximise sun. Give accent scarlet busy lizzie 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 accent scarlet busy lizzie and get the feeding right with the accent scarlet busy lizzie 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

Accent Scarlet Busy Lizzie 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 accent scarlet busy lizzie care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Accent Scarlet Busy Lizzie blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my accent scarlet busy lizzie flower?

Accent Scarlet Busy Lizzie 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 accent scarlet busy lizzie bloom?

Give accent scarlet busy lizzie 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 accent scarlet busy lizzie normally bloom?