Getting it to bloom

Why won't my King George aster bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called King George aster, King George Italian aster (Aster amellus 'King George').

More about king george aster

About King George aster

Aster amellus 'King George' · also called King George aster, King George Italian aster · flowering

'King George' is a long-established cultivar of Italian aster, prized for its large, rich violet-blue daisy flowers with deep golden-yellow disc centres produced freely from late August through September. It is compact, reliably mildew-resistant, and thrives in alkaline, well-drained soils. An AGM-awarded plant from the Royal Horticultural Society, it is one of the finest selections of A. amellus for late-season colour.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Establishment lag: Like all A. amellus cultivars, 'King George' resents root disturbance and may flower modestly in its first year. Allow 2 years to reach full flowering performance. Avoid transplanting once established.

The reasons king george aster isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming king george aster 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 king george aster 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 king george aster to flower

Maximise sun. Give king george aster 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 king george aster and get the feeding right with the king george aster 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

King George aster 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 king george aster care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

King George aster blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my king george aster flower?

King George aster 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 king george aster bloom?

Give king george aster 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 king george aster normally bloom?