Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Long-Stalked Cranesbill bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Long-Stalked Cranesbill, Longstalk Cranesbill (Geranium columbinum).
More about long-stalked cranesbill
About Long-Stalked Cranesbill
Geranium columbinum · also called Long-Stalked Cranesbill, Longstalk Cranesbill · flowering
Geranium columbinum is a slender, wiry-stemmed annual native to the UK and much of Europe, western Asia and North Africa, favouring dry calcareous grassland, hedgebanks, cliff slopes and field margins from lowland up to around 1,200 m. Its deeply cut, finely divided leaves and small pink to purple flowers appear from April to September, carried on distinctively long, slender pedicels that give the species its name. It requires well-drained, preferably calcareous soils in a warm, sunny position and dislikes wet or shaded conditions. True cranesbill Geranium species are not listed as toxic to pets by the ASPCA, and this species is considered non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Plant type: flowering
The reasons long-stalked cranesbill isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming long-stalked 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 long-stalked 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 long-stalked cranesbill to flower
- Maximise sun. Give long-stalked 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 long-stalked cranesbill and get the feeding right with the long-stalked 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
Long-Stalked 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 long-stalked cranesbill care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Long-Stalked Cranesbill blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my long-stalked cranesbill flower?
Long-Stalked 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 long-stalked cranesbill bloom?
Give long-stalked 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 long-stalked cranesbill normally bloom?
Long-Stalked Cranesbill flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.
What should I do with long-stalked cranesbill after it flowers?
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.
What is the single biggest mistake stopping long-stalked cranesbill flowering?
Feeding long-stalked cranesbill a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Long-Stalked Cranesbill care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Long-Stalked Cranesbill light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Long-Stalked Cranesbill fertilising — the right feed for buds, not just leaves
- Should I water my plant? The simple check
- Why is my plant wilting? Wet vs dry
- Underwatered plant — signs and rehydration
- Why won't my peace lily bloom?
- Why won't my jade plant bloom?
- Why won't my tomato bloom?
- All 4114 bloom guides in the Growli library