Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Nymphaea 'Director George T. Moore' bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Tropical Blue Waterlily (Nymphaea 'Director George T. Moore').
More about nymphaea 'director george t. moore'
About Nymphaea 'Director George T. Moore'
Nymphaea 'Director George T. Moore' · also called Tropical Blue Waterlily · flowering
Nymphaea 'Director George T. Moore' is a celebrated tropical day-blooming waterlily with intense deep violet-blue flowers and a bright golden centre, held above the water on tall stalks. Heat-loving and floriferous, it is grown as a summer or glasshouse pond plant in the US and UK and must be overwintered frost-free.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — No bloom in cool water: As a tropical it will not flower until water is warm, above about 20°C. Delay planting out until early summer or grow it in heated water under glass.
The reasons nymphaea 'director george t. moore' isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming nymphaea 'director george t. moore' 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 nymphaea 'director george t. moore' 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 nymphaea 'director george t. moore' to flower
- Maximise sun. Give nymphaea 'director george t. moore' 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 nymphaea 'director george t. moore' and get the feeding right with the nymphaea 'director george t. moore' 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
Nymphaea 'Director George T. Moore' 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 nymphaea 'director george t. moore' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Nymphaea 'Director George T. Moore' blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my nymphaea 'director george t. moore' flower?
Nymphaea 'Director George T. Moore' 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 nymphaea 'director george t. moore' bloom?
Give nymphaea 'director george t. moore' 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 nymphaea 'director george t. moore' normally bloom?
Nymphaea 'Director George T. Moore' 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 nymphaea 'director george t. moore' 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 nymphaea 'director george t. moore' flowering?
Feeding nymphaea 'director george t. moore' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Nymphaea 'Director George T. Moore' care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Nymphaea 'Director George T. Moore' light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Nymphaea 'Director George T. Moore' 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 2023 bloom guides in the Growli library