Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue' (Calibrachoa × hybrida 'Cabaret Deep Blue')— schedule & NPK
Also called Cabaret Deep Blue Calibrachoa, Deep Blue Million Bells.
More about calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue'
About Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue'
Calibrachoa × hybrida 'Cabaret Deep Blue' · also called Cabaret Deep Blue Calibrachoa, Deep Blue Million Bells · flowering
A floriferous calibrachoa from the Cabaret series with rich violet-blue, petunia-like bells smothering a mounded, semi-trailing plant. Bred for heat tolerance and non-stop bloom, it thrives in full sun in baskets and patio containers. A hungry, drainage-loving annual, it needs slightly acidic compost and weekly feeding to sustain the saturated blue colour all summer.
Growth habit: Mounding to semi-trailing, forming a dense cushion that spills modestly over container rims; self-cleaning, requiring no deadheading.
Watch for — Iron-deficiency chlorosis: Yellowing leaves with green veins are common in alkaline compost or hard-water areas. Use an ericaceous mix and a chelated-iron or acidic fertiliser to restore green colour.
What fertiliser calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' actually wants — and why
Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue' is an acid-loving plant — it can only take up nutrients in acidic soil, so the feed itself matters less than using an ericaceous formula and never liming.
An ericaceous (acidic) fertiliser, formulated to keep the soil pH low and supply iron and trace elements in a form acid-loving roots can absorb. Ordinary feeds and any lime lock out iron and yellow the leaves.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue': match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue', and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue':
Feed weekly through the season with a balanced or slightly acidic liquid fertiliser, or use a controlled-release feed at planting. Heavy feeding maintains the deep blue colour; pale, green-veined leaves indicate iron deficiency, treated with chelated iron or an ericaceous feed. In practice: an ericaceous feed in spring as growth resumes, repeated through the main growing months; never apply lime, bonemeal or wood ash, which raise pH.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue'
Follow the ericaceous product's own rate — these are formulated for the plant, so the dilution on the label is right for calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue'. The variable that actually matters is pH, not concentration.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue'
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue':
- Brown, scorched leaf margins from too strong or too frequent a dose.
- White salt crust on the soil surface.
- Soft, lush growth that fruits or flowers poorly.
Signs you are under-feeding calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue'
- Yellowing leaves with green veins (iron chlorosis from high pH).
- Weak growth, poor cropping and an overall pale, stressed look.
- Stunted new shoots in spring despite adequate water and light.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Flush calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' with rainwater (not hard tap water, which raises pH) if salts build up; better still, mulch with pine needles or composted bark and water with rainwater to hold the acidity.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue'
Organic options
Composted pine bark, pine-needle mulch, used coffee grounds and an organic ericaceous feed gently maintain acidity. UK: Vitax or Westland Ericaceous; US: Espoma Holly-tone or Dr. Earth Acid Lovers. Slow, soil-improving, hard to overdo.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A liquid or granular ericaceous feed — UK: Miracle-Gro Ericaceous, Vitax or Westland; US: Miracle-Gro Acid-Loving Plant Food or Espoma Holly-tone. Pair with rainwater and an acidic mulch for it to work.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' need?
An ericaceous (acidic) fertiliser, formulated to keep the soil pH low and supply iron and trace elements in a form acid-loving roots can absorb. Ordinary feeds and any lime lock out iron and yellow the leaves. Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue' is an acid-loving plant — it can only take up nutrients in acidic soil, so the feed itself matters less than using an ericaceous formula and never liming.
How often should I feed calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue'?
Feed weekly through the season with a balanced or slightly acidic liquid fertiliser, or use a controlled-release feed at planting. Heavy feeding maintains the deep blue colour; pale, green-veined leaves indicate iron deficiency, treated with chelated iron or an ericaceous feed. Feed weekly through the season with a balanced or slightly acidic liquid fertiliser, or use a controlled-release feed at planting. Heavy feeding maintains the deep blue colour; pale, green-veined leaves indicate iron deficiency, treated with chelated iron or an ericaceous feed. In practice: an ericaceous feed in spring as growth resumes, repeated through the main growing months; never apply lime, bonemeal or wood ash, which raise pH.
What strength of feed for calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue'?
Follow the ericaceous product's own rate — these are formulated for the plant, so the dilution on the label is right for calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue'. The variable that actually matters is pH, not concentration.
What does over-feeding calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' look like?
Brown, scorched leaf margins from too strong or too frequent a dose. White salt crust on the soil surface. Soft, lush growth that fruits or flowers poorly. Feeding calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' an ordinary fertiliser, or growing it in hard tap water / limey soil, is the defining mistake — it triggers lime-induced chlorosis (yellow leaves, green veins) no amount of feeding fixes until the pH comes down.
Should I flush the soil of calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue'?
Flush calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' with rainwater (not hard tap water, which raises pH) if salts build up; better still, mulch with pine needles or composted bark and water with rainwater to hold the acidity.
Keep reading
- Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue' care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
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