Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Lobelia erinus 'Techno Heat Blue' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Techno Heat Blue Lobelia, Heat-tolerant Lobelia (Lobelia erinus 'Techno Heat Blue').

More about lobelia erinus 'techno heat blue'

About Lobelia erinus 'Techno Heat Blue'

Lobelia erinus 'Techno Heat Blue' · also called Techno Heat Blue Lobelia, Heat-tolerant Lobelia · flowering

'Techno Heat Blue' is a vigorous, semi-trailing lobelia bred for improved heat tolerance, keeping its deep-blue flowers going through summer better than older types. Excellent in baskets, containers and mixed plantings, it is vegetatively propagated rather than seed-raised. It still needs steady moisture and feeding to perform through the warm season.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Reduced bloom in deep shade: Bred for sun and heat, it flowers poorly in low light; give it a bright, sunny position for the fullest blue display.

The reasons lobelia erinus 'techno heat blue' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming lobelia erinus 'techno heat blue' 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 'techno heat blue' 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 'techno heat blue' to flower

Maximise sun. Give lobelia erinus 'techno heat blue' 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 'techno heat blue' and get the feeding right with the lobelia erinus 'techno heat blue' 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 'Techno Heat Blue' 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 'techno heat blue' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Lobelia erinus 'Techno Heat Blue' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my lobelia erinus 'techno heat blue' flower?

Lobelia erinus 'Techno Heat Blue' 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 'techno heat blue' bloom?

Give lobelia erinus 'techno heat blue' 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 'techno heat blue' normally bloom?