Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Wavy-petalled Nerine, Pink Nerine, Small Guernsey Lily (Nerine undulata).

More about wavy nerine

About Wavy Nerine

Nerine undulata · also called Wavy-petalled Nerine, Pink Nerine · flowering

Nerine undulata is a graceful South African bulb producing delicate, wavy-petalled pink flowers on slender stems in autumn. Smaller and more delicate in appearance than N. bowdenii but with a similar autumn blooming season. Suitable for pots or a sheltered garden position in mild UK areas. Toxic to pets due to lycorine alkaloids in the bulb.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Failure to flower: Caused by watering during dormancy or too little sun. Ensure a thorough dry summer rest in full sun to bake the bulbs.

The reasons wavy nerine isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming wavy nerine 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 wavy nerine 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 wavy nerine to flower

Maximise sun. Give wavy nerine 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 wavy nerine and get the feeding right with the wavy nerine 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

Wavy Nerine 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 wavy nerine care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Wavy Nerine blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my wavy nerine flower?

Wavy Nerine 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 wavy nerine bloom?

Give wavy nerine 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 wavy nerine normally bloom?