Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Portulaca oleracea 'Fairytales Cinderella' bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Fairytales Cinderella Portulaca, Ornamental Purslane (Portulaca oleracea 'Fairytales Cinderella').
More about portulaca oleracea 'fairytales cinderella'
About Portulaca oleracea 'Fairytales Cinderella'
Portulaca oleracea 'Fairytales Cinderella' · also called Fairytales Cinderella Portulaca, Ornamental Purslane · flowering
'Fairytales Cinderella' is an ornamental purslane with large, semi-double blooms in soft apricot-pink tones over fleshy, paddle-shaped leaves. Bred for heat tolerance and strong garden performance, this low, trailing succulent annual thrives in scorching sun, containers and baskets. It shrugs off drought and heat that would scorch most bedding plants, flowering all summer.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Closed flowers in dull weather: Blooms need bright sun to open and shut on cloudy days or in shade. Site in the sunniest possible position.
The reasons portulaca oleracea 'fairytales cinderella' isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming portulaca oleracea 'fairytales cinderella' 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 portulaca oleracea 'fairytales cinderella' 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 portulaca oleracea 'fairytales cinderella' to flower
- Maximise sun. Give portulaca oleracea 'fairytales cinderella' 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 portulaca oleracea 'fairytales cinderella' and get the feeding right with the portulaca oleracea 'fairytales cinderella' 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
Portulaca oleracea 'Fairytales Cinderella' 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 portulaca oleracea 'fairytales cinderella' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Portulaca oleracea 'Fairytales Cinderella' blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my portulaca oleracea 'fairytales cinderella' flower?
Portulaca oleracea 'Fairytales Cinderella' 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 portulaca oleracea 'fairytales cinderella' bloom?
Give portulaca oleracea 'fairytales cinderella' 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 portulaca oleracea 'fairytales cinderella' normally bloom?
Portulaca oleracea 'Fairytales Cinderella' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.
What should I do with portulaca oleracea 'fairytales cinderella' after it flowers?
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.
What is the single biggest mistake stopping portulaca oleracea 'fairytales cinderella' flowering?
Feeding portulaca oleracea 'fairytales cinderella' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Portulaca oleracea 'Fairytales Cinderella' care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Portulaca oleracea 'Fairytales Cinderella' light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Portulaca oleracea 'Fairytales Cinderella' fertilising — the right feed for buds, not just leaves
- Should I water my plant? The simple check
- Why is my plant wilting? Wet vs dry
- Underwatered plant — signs and rehydration
- Why won't my peace lily bloom?
- Why won't my jade plant bloom?
- Why won't my tomato bloom?
- All 2023 bloom guides in the Growli library