Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Delphinium 'Pacific Giant' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Larkspur, Candle delphinium (Delphinium elatum 'Pacific Giant').

More about delphinium 'pacific giant'

About Delphinium 'Pacific Giant'

Delphinium elatum 'Pacific Giant' · also called Larkspur, Candle delphinium · flowering

The Pacific Giant strain is the classic tall border delphinium, throwing up dense 1.5-2 m spires packed with large semi-double florets in blues, purples, white and pink, each often with a contrasting 'bee' eye. It demands full sun, deep rich moist soil and staking, and is short-lived. All parts are poisonous.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons delphinium 'pacific giant' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming delphinium 'pacific giant' 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 delphinium 'pacific giant' 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 delphinium 'pacific giant' to flower

Maximise sun. Give delphinium 'pacific giant' 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 delphinium 'pacific giant' and get the feeding right with the delphinium 'pacific giant' 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

Delphinium 'Pacific Giant' 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 delphinium 'pacific giant' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Delphinium 'Pacific Giant' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my delphinium 'pacific giant' flower?

Delphinium 'Pacific Giant' 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 delphinium 'pacific giant' bloom?

Give delphinium 'pacific giant' 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 delphinium 'pacific giant' normally bloom?