Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Torenia fournieri 'Catalina Midnight Blue' bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Catalina Midnight Blue Wishbone Flower, Dark Blue Torenia (Torenia fournieri 'Catalina Midnight Blue').
More about torenia fournieri 'catalina midnight blue'
About Torenia fournieri 'Catalina Midnight Blue'
Torenia fournieri 'Catalina Midnight Blue' · also called Catalina Midnight Blue Wishbone Flower, Dark Blue Torenia · flowering
'Catalina Midnight Blue' is a trailing wishbone flower from the heat- and humidity-loving Catalina series, valued for its deep velvety midnight-blue, snapdragon-like blooms with paler throats. This shade-tolerant warm-season annual flowers continuously through summer, excels in containers and hanging baskets, and thrives where heat and moisture defeat many other bedding plants.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Wilting and bloom drop when dry: Torenia hates drying out; keep soil evenly moist and check containers daily in summer heat.
The reasons torenia fournieri 'catalina midnight blue' isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming torenia fournieri 'catalina midnight blue' 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 torenia fournieri 'catalina midnight blue' 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 torenia fournieri 'catalina midnight blue' to flower
- Maximise sun. Give torenia fournieri 'catalina midnight blue' 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 torenia fournieri 'catalina midnight blue' and get the feeding right with the torenia fournieri 'catalina midnight blue' 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
Torenia fournieri 'Catalina Midnight Blue' 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 torenia fournieri 'catalina midnight blue' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Torenia fournieri 'Catalina Midnight Blue' blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my torenia fournieri 'catalina midnight blue' flower?
Torenia fournieri 'Catalina Midnight Blue' 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 torenia fournieri 'catalina midnight blue' bloom?
Give torenia fournieri 'catalina midnight blue' 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 torenia fournieri 'catalina midnight blue' normally bloom?
Torenia fournieri 'Catalina Midnight Blue' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.
What should I do with torenia fournieri 'catalina midnight blue' after it flowers?
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.
What is the single biggest mistake stopping torenia fournieri 'catalina midnight blue' flowering?
Feeding torenia fournieri 'catalina midnight blue' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Torenia fournieri 'Catalina Midnight Blue' care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Torenia fournieri 'Catalina Midnight Blue' light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Torenia fournieri 'Catalina Midnight Blue' fertilising — the right feed for buds, not just leaves
- Should I water my plant? The simple check
- Why is my plant wilting? Wet vs dry
- Underwatered plant — signs and rehydration
- Why won't my peace lily bloom?
- Why won't my jade plant bloom?
- Why won't my tomato bloom?
- All 2023 bloom guides in the Growli library