Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Princess Alexandra of Kent Rose bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Princess Alexandra of Kent, Ausmerchant (Rosa 'Princess Alexandra of Kent').
More about princess alexandra of kent rose
About Princess Alexandra of Kent Rose
Rosa 'Princess Alexandra of Kent' · also called Princess Alexandra of Kent, Ausmerchant · flowering
Princess Alexandra of Kent (Ausmerchant) is a David Austin English shrub rose with exceptionally large, deeply cupped, glowing mid-pink blooms. The fragrance starts as fresh tea, shifting to lemon and then blackcurrant. Forming a full, rounded bush around 1.2m with robust foliage, it repeat-flowers reliably all season and is well suited to beds, borders and large containers.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Bloom balling: The very full, heavy flowers can flop or fail to open in rain. Provide an open, sunny site and consider light support for laden stems.
The reasons princess alexandra of kent rose isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming princess alexandra of kent rose traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:
- Pruned at the wrong time or too hard, removing the wood the flowers would have come from.
- The plant is still too young or was cut back hard and is rebuilding rather than flowering.
- Too little sun — most flowering shrubs need several hours of direct light to bloom well.
- Excess nitrogen (often from lawn feed nearby) pushing leafy growth over flowers.
- Drought or root stress at the bud-forming time, so buds abort.
Pruning princess alexandra of kent rose at the wrong time and cutting off the wood that carries the flowers — the most common reason a healthy shrub never blooms.
The fix — how to get princess alexandra of kent rose to flower
- Prune at the correct time. Find out whether princess alexandra of kent rose flowers on old or new wood, then prune only at the time that does not remove the flowering wood.
- Protect the buds. Avoid hard cuts and protect developing buds from late frost and drought stress.
- Give it sun and the right feed. Site it in good light and use a balanced or higher-potassium feed — not a high-nitrogen one — to favour flowers.
- Let it mature. Give a young or hard-pruned plant a year or two to build flowering wood before expecting a full display.
Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for princess alexandra of kent rose and get the feeding right with the princess alexandra of kent rose 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
Princess Alexandra of Kent Rose flowers in its established season — typically late spring through summer for a mature, correctly pruned plant — with the display improving year on year once it settles.
Post-bloom care so it flowers again
Deadhead (or leave seed heads where they protect buds), feed after flowering, and time any pruning to the plant's wood type so next year's flowers are not cut away.
For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full princess alexandra of kent rose care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Princess Alexandra of Kent Rose blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my princess alexandra of kent rose flower?
Princess Alexandra of Kent Rose flowers on growth from a particular season — getting blooms depends on the plant being mature and on pruning at the RIGHT time so you don't remove the flowering wood. The most common reason it is not happening: Pruned at the wrong time or too hard, removing the wood the flowers would have come from.
How do I make princess alexandra of kent rose bloom?
Find out whether princess alexandra of kent rose flowers on old or new wood, then prune only at the time that does not remove the flowering wood. Avoid hard cuts and protect developing buds from late frost and drought stress.
When does princess alexandra of kent rose normally bloom?
Princess Alexandra of Kent Rose flowers in its established season — typically late spring through summer for a mature, correctly pruned plant — with the display improving year on year once it settles.
What should I do with princess alexandra of kent rose after it flowers?
Deadhead (or leave seed heads where they protect buds), feed after flowering, and time any pruning to the plant's wood type so next year's flowers are not cut away.
What is the single biggest mistake stopping princess alexandra of kent rose flowering?
Pruning princess alexandra of kent rose at the wrong time and cutting off the wood that carries the flowers — the most common reason a healthy shrub never blooms.
Keep reading
- Princess Alexandra of Kent Rose care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Princess Alexandra of Kent Rose light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Princess Alexandra of Kent Rose 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 1410 bloom guides in the Growli library