Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Ipomoea nil 'Scarlett O'Hara' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Scarlett O'Hara morning glory (Ipomoea nil 'Scarlett O'Hara').

More about ipomoea nil 'scarlett o'hara'

About Ipomoea nil 'Scarlett O'Hara'

Ipomoea nil 'Scarlett O'Hara' · also called Scarlett O'Hara morning glory · flowering

'Scarlett O'Hara' is an award-winning Japanese morning glory (Ipomoea nil) cultivar with large, rich rosy-red to wine-crimson trumpet flowers and a paler throat, opening each morning through summer and autumn. A vigorous annual twiner grown easily from seed, it clothes trellises and arches quickly and flowers freely until cut down by the first frost.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Leafy growth, few blooms: Over-feeding with nitrogen or too little sun. Stop nitrogen feeding and ensure full sun to trigger flowering.

The reasons ipomoea nil 'scarlett o'hara' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming ipomoea nil 'scarlett o'hara' 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 ipomoea nil 'scarlett o'hara' 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 ipomoea nil 'scarlett o'hara' to flower

Maximise sun. Give ipomoea nil 'scarlett o'hara' 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 ipomoea nil 'scarlett o'hara' and get the feeding right with the ipomoea nil 'scarlett o'hara' 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

Ipomoea nil 'Scarlett O'Hara' 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 ipomoea nil 'scarlett o'hara' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Ipomoea nil 'Scarlett O'Hara' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my ipomoea nil 'scarlett o'hara' flower?

Ipomoea nil 'Scarlett O'Hara' 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 ipomoea nil 'scarlett o'hara' bloom?

Give ipomoea nil 'scarlett o'hara' 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 ipomoea nil 'scarlett o'hara' normally bloom?