Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Pelargonium x domesticum 'Chocolate Blotch' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Chocolate Blotch regal pelargonium (Pelargonium x domesticum 'Chocolate Blotch').

More about pelargonium x domesticum 'chocolate blotch'

About Pelargonium x domesticum 'Chocolate Blotch'

Pelargonium x domesticum 'Chocolate Blotch' · also called Chocolate Blotch regal pelargonium · flowering

'Chocolate Blotch' is a regal pelargonium named for the rich chocolate-maroon blotches that mark its pale, ruffled petals. Like all regals it produces large, showy flower trusses in a spring-to-early-summer flush on upright, bushy plants with crinkled, slightly sticky leaves. It favours cool nights and bright but not scorching light, and is grown as a tender perennial under glass or on a patio.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — One short bloom flush: Regals flower mainly in spring; give a cool winter rest and bright spring light to encourage strong repeat trusses.

The reasons pelargonium x domesticum 'chocolate blotch' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming pelargonium x domesticum 'chocolate blotch' 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 x domesticum 'chocolate blotch' 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 x domesticum 'chocolate blotch' to flower

Maximise sun. Give pelargonium x domesticum 'chocolate blotch' 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 x domesticum 'chocolate blotch' and get the feeding right with the pelargonium x domesticum 'chocolate blotch' 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 x domesticum 'Chocolate Blotch' 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 x domesticum 'chocolate blotch' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Pelargonium x domesticum 'Chocolate Blotch' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my pelargonium x domesticum 'chocolate blotch' flower?

Pelargonium x domesticum 'Chocolate Blotch' 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 x domesticum 'chocolate blotch' bloom?

Give pelargonium x domesticum 'chocolate blotch' 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 x domesticum 'chocolate blotch' normally bloom?