Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Nasturtium bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Indian cress, monk's cress, garden nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus).

About Nasturtium

Tropaeolum majus · also called Indian cress, monk's cress · flowering

Nasturtiums are easy quick-growing annuals with circular leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers in red, orange, and yellow. Bush and trailing types available. Leaves, flowers, and seeds are edible with peppery flavour. Pet-safe and edible.

Garden nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) is a fast, trailing or climbing tender annual from the Andes of South America; both flowers and leaves are edible with a peppery, watercress-like taste.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — All leaves, no flowers: Too rich soil or too much nitrogen.

Sources: hort.extension.wisc.edu, rhs.org.uk, extension.umn.edu

The reasons nasturtium isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming nasturtium 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 nasturtium 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 nasturtium to flower

Maximise sun. Give nasturtium 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 nasturtium and get the feeding right with the nasturtium 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

Nasturtium 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 nasturtium care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Nasturtium blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my nasturtium flower?

Nasturtium 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 nasturtium bloom?

Give nasturtium 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 nasturtium normally bloom?