Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Professor Kippenburg Aster, Michaelmas Daisy 'Professor Kippenburg', New York Aster (Symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'Professor Kippenburg').

More about aster 'professor kippenburg'

About Aster 'Professor Kippenburg'

Symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'Professor Kippenburg' · also called Professor Kippenburg Aster, Michaelmas Daisy 'Professor Kippenburg' · flowering

Symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'Professor Kippenburg' is a compact, free-flowering Michaelmas daisy producing lavender-blue semi-double flowers in autumn. Its low, dense habit makes it ideal for the front of borders. Best in full sun with moist but well-drained soil; not ASPCA-listed individually but Asteraceae are generally low-toxicity.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons aster 'professor kippenburg' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming aster 'professor kippenburg' 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 'professor kippenburg' 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 'professor kippenburg' to flower

Maximise sun. Give aster 'professor kippenburg' 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 'professor kippenburg' and get the feeding right with the aster 'professor kippenburg' 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 'Professor Kippenburg' 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 'professor kippenburg' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Aster 'Professor Kippenburg' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my aster 'professor kippenburg' flower?

Aster 'Professor Kippenburg' 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 'professor kippenburg' bloom?

Give aster 'professor kippenburg' 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 'professor kippenburg' normally bloom?