Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Viola cornuta 'Etain' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Etain Horned Violet, Cream and Lavender Viola (Viola cornuta 'Etain').

More about viola cornuta 'etain'

About Viola cornuta 'Etain'

Viola cornuta 'Etain' · also called Etain Horned Violet, Cream and Lavender Viola · flowering

'Etain' is a much-loved horned violet with soft creamy-yellow petals edged in lavender and a light fragrance. A reliable, free-flowering short-lived perennial, it blooms profusely in spring and again in autumn, often continuing in cool summers. Tougher and longer-lived than bedding pansies, it suits borders, containers and cottage gardens, returning year after year in mild climates.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Declines in summer heat: Like most violas it flags in hot, dry summers. Shear back, give afternoon shade and keep moist to encourage an autumn rebloom.

The reasons viola cornuta 'etain' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming viola cornuta 'etain' 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 viola cornuta 'etain' 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 viola cornuta 'etain' to flower

Maximise sun. Give viola cornuta 'etain' 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 viola cornuta 'etain' and get the feeding right with the viola cornuta 'etain' 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

Viola cornuta 'Etain' 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 viola cornuta 'etain' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Viola cornuta 'Etain' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my viola cornuta 'etain' flower?

Viola cornuta 'Etain' 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 viola cornuta 'etain' bloom?

Give viola cornuta 'etain' 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 viola cornuta 'etain' normally bloom?