Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Aster 'Hella Lacy' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Hella Lacy aster, New England aster, Michaelmas daisy (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Hella Lacy').

More about aster 'hella lacy'

About Aster 'Hella Lacy'

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Hella Lacy' · also called Hella Lacy aster, New England aster · flowering

A vigorous New England aster bearing masses of deep violet-purple daisy flowers with yellow centres on tall stems in late summer and autumn. Named for landscape designer Hella Lacy, it is highly attractive to butterflies and bees. Not ASPCA-listed; treat as mildly toxic to pets as a precaution. May need staking on exposed sites.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons aster 'hella lacy' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming aster 'hella lacy' 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 aster 'hella lacy' 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 aster 'hella lacy' to flower

Maximise sun. Give aster 'hella lacy' 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 aster 'hella lacy' and get the feeding right with the aster 'hella lacy' 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

Aster 'Hella Lacy' 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 aster 'hella lacy' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Aster 'Hella Lacy' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my aster 'hella lacy' flower?

Aster 'Hella Lacy' 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 aster 'hella lacy' bloom?

Give aster 'hella lacy' 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 aster 'hella lacy' normally bloom?