Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Sunsatia Mango Nemesia bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Mango Nemesia, Cape Jewels, Nemesia (Nemesia strumosa).

More about sunsatia mango nemesia

About Sunsatia Mango Nemesia

Nemesia strumosa · also called Mango Nemesia, Cape Jewels · flowering

Sunsatia Mango Nemesia is a compact, prolific annual bearing masses of two-toned mango-orange and yellow lipped flowers with a sweet fragrance. A cool-season performer that excels in spring and autumn containers and borders. Not listed as toxic by the ASPCA; considered safe around pets based on available data.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Heat-induced dormancy: Plants cease flowering above about 25-27°C; cut back by one-third, reduce watering slightly, and await cooler autumn temperatures for a second flush.

The reasons sunsatia mango nemesia isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming sunsatia mango nemesia 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 sunsatia mango nemesia 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 sunsatia mango nemesia to flower

Maximise sun. Give sunsatia mango nemesia 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 sunsatia mango nemesia and get the feeding right with the sunsatia mango nemesia 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

Sunsatia Mango Nemesia 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 sunsatia mango nemesia care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Sunsatia Mango Nemesia blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my sunsatia mango nemesia flower?

Sunsatia Mango Nemesia 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 sunsatia mango nemesia bloom?

Give sunsatia mango nemesia 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 sunsatia mango nemesia normally bloom?