Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Million Bells 'Superbells' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Million bells, Calibrachoa, Trailing petunia (Calibrachoa 'Superbells').

More about million bells 'superbells'

About Million Bells 'Superbells'

Calibrachoa 'Superbells' · also called Million bells, Calibrachoa · flowering

Superbells calibrachoa pack hundreds of small petunia-like blooms onto trailing stems, flowering nonstop with no deadheading. They thrive in baskets and containers but resent wet feet and high pH, which trigger yellowing. Give them sun, sharp drainage, and steady feeding. ASPCA-listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Botrytis / grey mould: Damp, crowded foliage develops fuzzy grey rot on flowers and stems; improve airflow and remove affected growth.

The reasons million bells 'superbells' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming million bells 'superbells' 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 million bells 'superbells' 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 million bells 'superbells' to flower

Maximise sun. Give million bells 'superbells' 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 million bells 'superbells' and get the feeding right with the million bells 'superbells' 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

Million Bells 'Superbells' 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 million bells 'superbells' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Million Bells 'Superbells' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my million bells 'superbells' flower?

Million Bells 'Superbells' 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 million bells 'superbells' bloom?

Give million bells 'superbells' 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 million bells 'superbells' normally bloom?