Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Regal pelargonium Lord Bute, Martha Washington geranium Lord Bute (Pelargonium 'Lord Bute').

More about pelargonium 'lord bute'

About Pelargonium 'Lord Bute'

Pelargonium 'Lord Bute' · also called Regal pelargonium Lord Bute, Martha Washington geranium Lord Bute · flowering

Pelargonium 'Lord Bute' is a popular regal pelargonium prized for velvety, deep maroon-black flowers edged with a fine ruby-pink margin. A bushy, tender perennial, it blooms profusely in late spring and summer above rounded, slightly serrated green leaves. Best as a frost-free patio or conservatory plant, it wants bright light, free-draining compost, and a careful, never-soggy watering regime.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Few flowers / leggy growth: Caused by too little light or too much nitrogen. Move to full sun, pinch the tips, and feed high-potash rather than high-nitrogen.

The reasons pelargonium 'lord bute' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming pelargonium 'lord bute' 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 'lord bute' 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 'lord bute' to flower

Maximise sun. Give pelargonium 'lord bute' 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 'lord bute' and get the feeding right with the pelargonium 'lord bute' 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 'Lord Bute' 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 'lord bute' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Pelargonium 'Lord Bute' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my pelargonium 'lord bute' flower?

Pelargonium 'Lord Bute' 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 'lord bute' bloom?

Give pelargonium 'lord bute' 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 'lord bute' normally bloom?