Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'Raydon's Favorite' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Raydon's Favorite aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'Raydon's Favorite').

More about symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'raydon's favorite'

About Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'Raydon's Favorite'

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'Raydon's Favorite' · also called Raydon's Favorite aromatic aster · flowering

'Raydon's Favorite' is an aromatic aster prized for a late-season blanket of lavender-blue, yellow-centered daisies in autumn. This tough, drought-tolerant North American native forms a mounded clump of fine, fragrant foliage, thrives in full sun and lean soil, and is a magnet for late-flying bees and butterflies. ASPCA-listed asters are non-toxic.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Sparse bloom: Usually too much shade or excess nitrogen. Move to full sun and withhold fertiliser; flowering naturally peaks in autumn, so summer leafiness is normal.

The reasons symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'raydon's favorite' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'raydon's favorite' 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 symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'raydon's favorite' 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 symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'raydon's favorite' to flower

Maximise sun. Give symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'raydon's favorite' 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 symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'raydon's favorite' and get the feeding right with the symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'raydon's favorite' 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

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'Raydon's Favorite' 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 symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'raydon's favorite' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'Raydon's Favorite' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'raydon's favorite' flower?

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'Raydon's Favorite' 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 symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'raydon's favorite' bloom?

Give symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'raydon's favorite' 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 symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'raydon's favorite' normally bloom?