Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Narrow-leaved Watsonia bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Narrow-leaved Watsonia, Bugle Lily (Watsonia angusta).

More about narrow-leaved watsonia

About Narrow-leaved Watsonia

Watsonia angusta · also called Narrow-leaved Watsonia, Bugle Lily · flowering

Narrow-leaved Watsonia is a slender, elegant South African corm bearing tall spikes of vivid scarlet tubular flowers in late spring and early summer. Its narrow, sword-like leaves make it a graceful addition to borders. It grows vigorously in mild climates and is related to gladioli. Toxicity to pets is uncertain; treat as mildly toxic by caution.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Thrips: Similar to gladiolus; thrips rasp flowers and leaves causing silvery streaking. Treat with pyrethrin spray or neem oil.

The reasons narrow-leaved watsonia isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming narrow-leaved watsonia 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 narrow-leaved watsonia 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 narrow-leaved watsonia to flower

Maximise sun. Give narrow-leaved watsonia 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 narrow-leaved watsonia and get the feeding right with the narrow-leaved watsonia 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

Narrow-leaved Watsonia 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 narrow-leaved watsonia care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Narrow-leaved Watsonia blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my narrow-leaved watsonia flower?

Narrow-leaved Watsonia 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 narrow-leaved watsonia bloom?

Give narrow-leaved watsonia 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 narrow-leaved watsonia normally bloom?