Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Scaevola aemula 'Bombay Dark Blue' bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Bombay Dark Blue Fan Flower, Dark Blue Scaevola (Scaevola aemula 'Bombay Dark Blue').
More about scaevola aemula 'bombay dark blue'
About Scaevola aemula 'Bombay Dark Blue'
Scaevola aemula 'Bombay Dark Blue' · also called Bombay Dark Blue Fan Flower, Dark Blue Scaevola · flowering
'Bombay Dark Blue' is a compact fan flower bred for masses of fan-shaped, deep blue-purple blooms on a tidy, well-branched habit. This Australian-native warm-season annual is heat- and drought-tolerant, blooms tirelessly without deadheading, and is a favourite for containers, baskets and edging where it draws bees through summer into autumn.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Sparse bloom in shade: Insufficient sun thins flowering and stretches growth; give it a full-sun position.
The reasons scaevola aemula 'bombay dark blue' isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming scaevola aemula 'bombay dark blue' 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 scaevola aemula 'bombay dark blue' 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 scaevola aemula 'bombay dark blue' to flower
- Maximise sun. Give scaevola aemula 'bombay dark blue' 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 scaevola aemula 'bombay dark blue' and get the feeding right with the scaevola aemula 'bombay dark blue' 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
Scaevola aemula 'Bombay Dark Blue' 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 scaevola aemula 'bombay dark blue' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Scaevola aemula 'Bombay Dark Blue' blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my scaevola aemula 'bombay dark blue' flower?
Scaevola aemula 'Bombay Dark Blue' 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 scaevola aemula 'bombay dark blue' bloom?
Give scaevola aemula 'bombay dark blue' 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 scaevola aemula 'bombay dark blue' normally bloom?
Scaevola aemula 'Bombay Dark Blue' 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 scaevola aemula 'bombay dark blue' 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 scaevola aemula 'bombay dark blue' flowering?
Feeding scaevola aemula 'bombay dark blue' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Scaevola aemula 'Bombay Dark Blue' care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Scaevola aemula 'Bombay Dark Blue' light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Scaevola aemula 'Bombay Dark Blue' 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