Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Pelargonium 'Tip Top Duet' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Angel pelargonium Tip Top Duet (Pelargonium 'Tip Top Duet').

More about pelargonium 'tip top duet'

About Pelargonium 'Tip Top Duet'

Pelargonium 'Tip Top Duet' · also called Angel pelargonium Tip Top Duet · flowering

A classic angel pelargonium with pansy-faced flowers, the two upper petals deep wine-purple and the lower petals pale pink veined with rose. Small, slightly toothed leaves and a compact, bushy habit make it a charming pot and windowsill plant that flowers prolifically in summer. Angels are descended from Pelargonium crispum; tender and overwintered frost-free.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Shy flowering / lax growth: Too little light is the usual cause. Angels need full sun to flower well and stay compact; move to the brightest position available.

The reasons pelargonium 'tip top duet' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming pelargonium 'tip top duet' 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 'tip top duet' 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 'tip top duet' to flower

Maximise sun. Give pelargonium 'tip top duet' 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 'tip top duet' and get the feeding right with the pelargonium 'tip top duet' 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 'Tip Top Duet' 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 'tip top duet' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Pelargonium 'Tip Top Duet' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my pelargonium 'tip top duet' flower?

Pelargonium 'Tip Top Duet' 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 'tip top duet' bloom?

Give pelargonium 'tip top duet' 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 'tip top duet' normally bloom?