Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Lupinus 'The Governor' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called The Governor lupin, The Governor lupine (Lupinus 'The Governor').

More about lupinus 'the governor'

About Lupinus 'The Governor'

Lupinus 'The Governor' · also called The Governor lupin, The Governor lupine · flowering

'The Governor' is a Band of Nobles Russell lupin grown for bold, bicolored spires of deep marine-blue and crisp white pea-flowers in early summer. A clump-forming cottage-garden perennial reaching about 90 cm, it loves cool summers, full sun and moist, slightly acid soil. All lupins contain quinolizidine alkaloids and are toxic to pets.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Lupin aphid: Large grey aphids (Macrosiphum albifrons) infest spikes and weaken plants. Inspect early, dislodge with water or treat promptly; heavy infestations can collapse flower stems.

The reasons lupinus 'the governor' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming lupinus 'the governor' 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 lupinus 'the governor' 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 lupinus 'the governor' to flower

Maximise sun. Give lupinus 'the governor' 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 lupinus 'the governor' and get the feeding right with the lupinus 'the governor' 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

Lupinus 'The Governor' 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 lupinus 'the governor' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Lupinus 'The Governor' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my lupinus 'the governor' flower?

Lupinus 'The Governor' 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 lupinus 'the governor' bloom?

Give lupinus 'the governor' 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 lupinus 'the governor' normally bloom?