Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Pelargonium 'Deacon Mandarin' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Deacon Mandarin pelargonium, Miniature double geranium (Pelargonium 'Deacon Mandarin').

More about pelargonium 'deacon mandarin'

About Pelargonium 'Deacon Mandarin'

Pelargonium 'Deacon Mandarin' · also called Deacon Mandarin pelargonium, Miniature double geranium · flowering

Pelargonium 'Deacon Mandarin' is a Deacon-type miniature zonal geranium bearing clusters of fully double, warm orange-red flowers over compact dark-green foliage. Like all Deacons, it stays neat and floriferous, blooming generously from a small root ball. A fine choice for pots, baskets and windowboxes in full sun with free-draining compost and regular feeding.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Grey mould on faded blooms: Dense double flowers hold damp and rot. Deadhead frequently and keep air circulating around the plant.

The reasons pelargonium 'deacon mandarin' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming pelargonium 'deacon mandarin' 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 pelargonium 'deacon mandarin' 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 pelargonium 'deacon mandarin' to flower

Maximise sun. Give pelargonium 'deacon mandarin' 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 pelargonium 'deacon mandarin' and get the feeding right with the pelargonium 'deacon mandarin' 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

Pelargonium 'Deacon Mandarin' 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 pelargonium 'deacon mandarin' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Pelargonium 'Deacon Mandarin' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my pelargonium 'deacon mandarin' flower?

Pelargonium 'Deacon Mandarin' 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 pelargonium 'deacon mandarin' bloom?

Give pelargonium 'deacon mandarin' 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 pelargonium 'deacon mandarin' normally bloom?