Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Thai Silk California poppy bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Thai Silk California poppy, California poppy, Thai Silk poppy (Eschscholzia californica 'Thai Silk').

More about thai silk california poppy

About Thai Silk California poppy

Eschscholzia californica 'Thai Silk' · also called Thai Silk California poppy, California poppy · flowering

Thai Silk is a semi-double to double California poppy cultivar with ruffled, fluted petals in orange, pink, red, and cream bicolors. A fast-growing cool-season annual, it thrives in full sun and poor, dry soil. Direct-sow where it is to flower; it self-seeds freely and blooms from late spring through summer with minimal care.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons thai silk california poppy isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming thai silk california poppy 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 thai silk california poppy 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 thai silk california poppy to flower

Maximise sun. Give thai silk california poppy 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 thai silk california poppy and get the feeding right with the thai silk california poppy 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

Thai Silk California poppy 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 thai silk california poppy care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Thai Silk California poppy blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my thai silk california poppy flower?

Thai Silk California poppy 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 thai silk california poppy bloom?

Give thai silk california poppy 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 thai silk california poppy normally bloom?