Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Ivan Cranesbill bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Ivan Cranesbill, Hardy Geranium 'Ivan', Cranesbill 'Ivan' (Geranium 'Ivan').

More about ivan cranesbill

About Ivan Cranesbill

Geranium 'Ivan' · also called Ivan Cranesbill, Hardy Geranium 'Ivan' · flowering

Geranium 'Ivan' is a tall, vigorous, mound-forming hardy cranesbill of garden origin, valued for its striking magenta-red flowers with dark veining and a near-black eye — similar in character to Geranium psilostemon but more spreading. It thrives in any moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade, and is remarkably cold-hardy, tolerating temperatures well below -20 °C. The single most important care step is cutting back flowered stems after the main summer flush to encourage fresh foliage and a second wave of blooms. True Geranium (cranesbill) species are not listed as toxic by the ASPCA and are widely regarded as pet-safe; note that ASPCA's toxic 'Geranium' entry refers to Pelargonium, a separate genus.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons ivan cranesbill isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming ivan cranesbill 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 ivan cranesbill 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 ivan cranesbill to flower

Maximise sun. Give ivan cranesbill 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 ivan cranesbill and get the feeding right with the ivan cranesbill 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

Ivan Cranesbill 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 ivan cranesbill care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Ivan Cranesbill blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my ivan cranesbill flower?

Ivan Cranesbill 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 ivan cranesbill bloom?

Give ivan cranesbill 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 ivan cranesbill normally bloom?