Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Lobelia erinus 'Riviera Lilac' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Riviera Lilac Lobelia, Compact Lilac Lobelia (Lobelia erinus 'Riviera Lilac').

More about lobelia erinus 'riviera lilac'

About Lobelia erinus 'Riviera Lilac'

Lobelia erinus 'Riviera Lilac' · also called Riviera Lilac Lobelia, Compact Lilac Lobelia · flowering

'Riviera Lilac' is a compact, bushy edging lobelia carrying masses of soft lilac flowers from early summer. Part of an early-flowering uniform series, it forms tidy mounds ideal for bedding, edging and the front of containers. Like all lobelias it prefers cool, moist, fertile conditions and may slow in peak summer heat.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Heat-induced stall: High summer temperatures pause flowering and can brown the mound; shear lightly, water and feed to coax a fresh flush when it cools.

The reasons lobelia erinus 'riviera lilac' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming lobelia erinus 'riviera lilac' 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 lobelia erinus 'riviera lilac' 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 lobelia erinus 'riviera lilac' to flower

Maximise sun. Give lobelia erinus 'riviera lilac' 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 lobelia erinus 'riviera lilac' and get the feeding right with the lobelia erinus 'riviera lilac' 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

Lobelia erinus 'Riviera Lilac' 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 lobelia erinus 'riviera lilac' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Lobelia erinus 'Riviera Lilac' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my lobelia erinus 'riviera lilac' flower?

Lobelia erinus 'Riviera Lilac' 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 lobelia erinus 'riviera lilac' bloom?

Give lobelia erinus 'riviera lilac' 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 lobelia erinus 'riviera lilac' normally bloom?