Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Scarlet Unique pelargonium, Unique geranium scarlet (Pelargonium 'Scarlet Unique').

More about pelargonium 'scarlet unique'

About Pelargonium 'Scarlet Unique'

Pelargonium 'Scarlet Unique' · also called Scarlet Unique pelargonium, Unique geranium scarlet · flowering

A vigorous Unique-group pelargonium bearing bright scarlet flowers with darker markings above rough, aromatic, deeply lobed foliage. Shrubby and free-flowering over a long season, it excels in large pots, conservatories and sunny borders. Frost-tender like all pelargoniums, it needs full sun, very free-draining compost and protection from frost to flower well year on year.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Few flowers: Inadequate sun or an unpruned, overgrown plant flowers poorly. Provide full sun and prune in late winter to renew flowering shoots.

The reasons pelargonium 'scarlet unique' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming pelargonium 'scarlet unique' 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 'scarlet unique' 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 'scarlet unique' to flower

Maximise sun. Give pelargonium 'scarlet unique' 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 'scarlet unique' and get the feeding right with the pelargonium 'scarlet unique' 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 'Scarlet Unique' 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 'scarlet unique' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Pelargonium 'Scarlet Unique' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my pelargonium 'scarlet unique' flower?

Pelargonium 'Scarlet Unique' 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 'scarlet unique' bloom?

Give pelargonium 'scarlet unique' 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 'scarlet unique' normally bloom?