Nasturtiums don’t bloom if the soil is too fertile, they prefer lean, sandy soil. Nasturtiums also don’t bloom if they don’t get adequate sunlight, they need at least 4-6 hours of direct sunlight. Over-fertilizing also hinders flower production in Nasturtiums. Nasturtiums flower only in warm conditions.
Nasturtium is a genus of 80 species of plants that produce beautiful flowers and foliage. Both the flowers and the leaves are edible.
The orange flowers and the beautiful foliage is the reason why people grow them in hanging baskets.
What if your Nasturtiums don’t flower? What if the plant only gives out few blossoms? This is not the ideal situation.
In this article, you’ll learn the reasons why Nasturtiums don’t blossom and ways to fix such Nasturtiums.
Why won’t my Nasturtiums bloom?
Nasturtiums don’t bloom if the soil is too fertile. Nasturtiums also don’t bloom if they don’t get adequate sunlight. Give your plants some time to bloom, they eventually will!
Too fertile soil
Nasturtiums thrive in poor soils that are poor in nutrients. Nasturtiums grow best in lean, sandy soils.
If the soil is too fertile, Nasturtium will produce lush, green foliage at the expense of blossoms. This is not a bad thing but not ideal either.
If you want your Nasturtiums to produce a lot of flowers, make sure the soil isn’t too fertile. Move the plant into a pot with poor, sandy soil.
Your Nasturtiums might flower in rich soil too but they won’t as much. You’ll see branches of leaves growing downward from the hanging baskets.
Warm conditions
Nasturtiums usually flower in the warmer months of the year. High temperatures favor blossoming in Nasturtiums.
In Northern areas, it is quite usual to see flowers in Nasturtiums in the summer season.
Give your Nasturtiums another week of warm temperature to start blossoms. The plant needs an ideal temperature to start flowering.
Light
Nasturtiums require bright sunlight to give out pretty blossoms. At least 4-6 hours of bright sunlight would suffice.
If Nasturtiums grow in partial shade/complete shade, you won’t see blossoms. Sunlight is the most important factor that influences blossoming.
Move your Nasturtium to a spot where it gets direct sunlight. Slowly acclimate your plant to sunlight before you move it permanently.
Be patient!
Give your Nasturtiums some time to give out flowers. Many-a-time all it takes is waiting patiently.
Nasturtiums take 4-6 weeks of time from the time of planting. So, you may wanna give your Nasturtiums a few weeks of time.
Nasturtium needs some time to establish itself. The plant only gives out blossoms when it’s established well.
Improper pruning
Nasturtium might fail to blossom when you prune it improperly. Did you prune your Nasturtium as it was leggy?
Or, did you prune your Nasturtium to accommodate it in the hanging basket? Either way, pruning plants at the wrong time is the reason why they fail to blossom.
A severe cut back often causes this in Nasturtiums, so go easy and prune at the right time. Prune them in the late spring season after the plant is done with flowering.
Too much fertilizer
Adding too much fertilizer to Nasturtium’s soil also keeps them from giving out a lot of flowers. Too much Nitrogen hinders flower production.
By adding a lot of fertilizer to the soil you’ll only encourage the production of leaves by your Nasturtiums.
Though leaves are good and can be used for good, they are produced at the expense of flowers. So, this is not an ideal situation for many.
Don’t add too much Nitrogen fertilizer to the soil. Nasturtiums don’t like fertile soil anyway.
Related: Why are Nasturtiums leaves turning yellow?
When do Nasturtiums flower?
Nasturtiums start to flower in May which lasts till September. Nasturtiums flower in the warmer months of the year.
Nasturtiums usually flower after establishing themselves for few weeks. Giving them some time to establish works well.
How long does it take for nasturtiums to bloom?
Nasturtiums produce flowers after 4 to 6 weeks from the day of planting. They have a long period of blossom.
Nasturtiums flower from summer to the severe frosts of the autumn season.
When do Nasturtiums flower UK?
In the UK, Nasturtiums give out flowers in the summer which can last till autumn. Warm weather triggers flowering in Nasturtiums.
From the day of planting, Nasturtiums take four to six to start flowering.
How long do Nasturtiums take to flower from seed?
After germinating, Nasturtiums take 35 to 52 days to give out blossoms. The time period depends on the variety and external conditions.
What month do Nasturtiums flower?
Nasturtiums start flowering in the month of May which lasts till September. If you observe, they flower in the warmer months.
In the US, they flower from May till September. In other countries, they usually flower in the summer season till autumn.
Do Nasturtiums flower all year?
No, Nasturtiums flower only from May till September. Nasturtiums flower only in the warmer months of the year.
Do Nasturtiums bloom the first year?
Yes, Nasturtiums start blooming just after a month/two after they germinate. The seeds germinate quickly too.
Nasturtiums start producing flowers just after 35 to 52 days from the day of germination.
How do I get my Nasturtiums to flower?
Below are few instructions to make your Nasturtiums flower in no time.
- Gardening teaches many lessons. One of them is to be patient. Give your Nasturtiums some time, they’ll flower eventually.
- Make sure your Nasturtium is placed in a bright place. Sunlight is the main factor that influences flowering in Nasturtiums. Nasturtiums love bright, direct sunlight. Giving them 4-6 hours of direct sunlight would do the job.
- Check the soil. Nasturtiums grow best in lean, sandy soil. One can amend their soil to meet the needs of Nasturtium. Adding Perlite to the potting mix helps.
- Don’t fertilize your Nasturtiums too much/too often. Too much Nitrogen in the soil hinders flower production in Nasturtiums.
- Water them only when they need some. Check this by inserting bare fingers into the soil. Water only when the soil is dry up to 2-3 inches deep.
Happy Growing 🙂