Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue' (Cabaret Deep Blue Calibrachoa) care

Light

Aim for at least 4-6 hours of direct sun on the leaves. Full sun, 6 or more hours daily, for maximum bloom and the deepest blue tones. It tolerates light afternoon shade in scorching climates but flowers sparsely in true shade. If your only bright window faces south, that's perfect for calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' — same window any aroid would fry on.

Watering

Watering calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue': when the top 2-3 cm of compost is dry, often daily in summer baskets. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Keep evenly moist with sharp drainage. Calibrachoa wilts fast when dry yet rots if waterlogged, so water at the base each morning and let the surface dry slightly between drinks.

Soil and pot

Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue' grows best in free-draining, slightly acidic potting compost. A peat-free multipurpose mix with perlite added is ideal. The Cabaret series, like all calibrachoa, prefers a slightly acidic pH (around 5.5-6.5); alkaline mixes cause iron-deficiency yellowing, so pair with an acidic feed. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue' sits happiest at around 40-60% humidity and 15-29°C (59-84°F). Adapts to normal outdoor humidity and is comparatively heat- and humidity-tolerant. Good airflow prevents botrytis and stem rot when foliage stays wet in muggy weather. If you keep the room above 15 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' sparingly. 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. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• 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.
• Root and crown rot — Overwatering or poor drainage leads to wilting and blackened stems. Plant in a gritty, free-draining mix and avoid standing water in saucers.
• Mid-season decline / legginess — Plants can thin out and stop blooming by midsummer if starved or shaded. Feed consistently, keep in full sun and shear lightly to rejuvenate.
• Aphids and spider mites — These sap-suckers attack soft new growth, especially in hot, dry spells. Hose off and apply insecticidal soap; raise humidity to discourage mites.

Propagation

Cabaret calibrachoa are patented sterile hybrids; unlicensed propagation is prohibited and viable seed is not produced. Commercial growers raise them from softwood stem cuttings under licence, so gardeners purchase fresh young plants each spring. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue' is pet-safe. ASPCA classifies Calibrachoa as non-toxic to cats and dogs. Despite its membership of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), it does not carry significant toxic alkaloids like solanine. Eating large amounts of foliage may cause only mild, transient gastrointestinal upset. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue' watering schedule
• Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue' light requirements
• Best soil mix for calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue'
• Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue' fertilizing guide
• When to repot calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue'
• How to propagate calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue'
• Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue' growth rate & size
• Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue' cold hardiness
• Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue' temperature & humidity
• Is calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' toxic to cats?
• Is calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' toxic to dogs?
• Getting calibrachoa 'cabaret deep blue' to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue' qualifies for 9 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
• Best trailing & climbing houseplants — Vining and trailing houseplants for shelves, hanging pots, and moss poles — selected by growth habit.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Best pet-safe trailing & hanging plants — Trailing and climbing plants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — safe for shelves and hanging pots in a pet home.
• Best pet-safe flowering plants — Flowering houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — colour and blooms in a pet home, without the worry.
• Best pet-safe plants for bright light — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in a bright, sunny spot — safe plants for your best-lit windowsill.
• Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
• Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
• Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Deep Blue' is also commonly called Cabaret Deep Blue Calibrachoa or Deep Blue Million Bells.

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