Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Osteospermum 'Voltage Yellow' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Voltage Yellow Cape Daisy, Yellow African Daisy (Osteospermum ecklonis 'Voltage Yellow').

More about osteospermum 'voltage yellow'

About Osteospermum 'Voltage Yellow'

Osteospermum ecklonis 'Voltage Yellow' · also called Voltage Yellow Cape Daisy, Yellow African Daisy · flowering

'Voltage Yellow' is a bright, early-flowering Cape daisy bearing golden-yellow rays around a dark eye on compact, weather-tolerant plants. Bred for daylength neutrality, it blooms reliably from spring through autumn in full sun without waiting on day length. A drought-tolerant tender perennial grown as an annual, it shines in containers and sunny bedding.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Blooms closing: Flowers shut in shade and cloudy weather. Grow in the sunniest available spot to keep the daisies open and freely flowering.

The reasons osteospermum 'voltage yellow' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming osteospermum 'voltage yellow' 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 osteospermum 'voltage yellow' 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 osteospermum 'voltage yellow' to flower

Maximise sun. Give osteospermum 'voltage yellow' 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 osteospermum 'voltage yellow' and get the feeding right with the osteospermum 'voltage yellow' 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

Osteospermum 'Voltage Yellow' 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 osteospermum 'voltage yellow' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Osteospermum 'Voltage Yellow' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my osteospermum 'voltage yellow' flower?

Osteospermum 'Voltage Yellow' 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 osteospermum 'voltage yellow' bloom?

Give osteospermum 'voltage yellow' 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 osteospermum 'voltage yellow' normally bloom?