Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Reitz's sinningia bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Reitz's sinningia (Sinningia reitzii).

More about reitz's sinningia

About Reitz's sinningia

Sinningia reitzii · also called Reitz's sinningia · flowering

Sinningia reitzii is a tuberous Brazilian gesneriad bearing vivid scarlet tubular flowers on upright stems above soft, hairy foliage. Named after the Brazilian botanist Raulino Reitz, it is a compact grower suited to bright windowsills. Like all sinningias, it undergoes a winter dormancy during which watering should be withdrawn.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Leggy growth and poor flowering: Insufficient light is the primary cause. Move to a brighter location or supplement with a full-spectrum grow light placed 20–30 cm above the plant for 12 hours per day.

The reasons reitz's sinningia isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming reitz's sinningia 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 reitz's sinningia 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 reitz's sinningia to flower

Maximise sun. Give reitz's sinningia 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 reitz's sinningia and get the feeding right with the reitz's sinningia 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

Reitz's sinningia 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 reitz's sinningia care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Reitz's sinningia blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my reitz's sinningia flower?

Reitz's sinningia 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 reitz's sinningia bloom?

Give reitz's sinningia 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 reitz's sinningia normally bloom?