Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Striped Squill bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Striped Squill, Libanotica Squill, Lebanese Squill (Puschkinia scilloides).

More about striped squill

About Striped Squill

Puschkinia scilloides · also called Striped Squill, Libanotica Squill · flowering

A compact, early-spring bulb bearing pale blue-white flowers, each petal striped with a deeper blue central line. Native to the Caucasus, Lebanon, and northern Iran, Striped Squill naturalises readily in lawns and rock gardens. Plant bulbs in autumn for carefree spring colour; tolerates cold, drought in dormancy, and light competition from grass.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Sparse flowering: Usually caused by overcrowding after many years of naturalisation. Lift and divide congested clumps every 4–5 years after foliage dies back, replanting offsets with adequate spacing to restore vigorous flowering.

The reasons striped squill isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming striped squill 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 striped squill 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 striped squill to flower

Maximise sun. Give striped squill 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 striped squill and get the feeding right with the striped squill 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

Striped Squill 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 striped squill care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Striped Squill blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my striped squill flower?

Striped Squill 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 striped squill bloom?

Give striped squill 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 striped squill normally bloom?