Planted a full bed of alyssum but aren’t seeing much color during the time of year that they are supposed to be blooming? This will cause you to question yourself, why is my alyssum not blooming?
The top reasons for alyssum not blooming include Fertilizer issues, wet soil, shade, lack of water, too much sun, and lack of deadheading.
But, lucky with a reason comes a logical solution to help your alyssum plants start blooming. Keep reading this blog to get the reasons and solutions to induce alyssum blooming.
6 Possible Reasons For Your Alyssum Not Blooming
Alyssum not blooming could be due to any issue like something in the immediate environment or it could have something to do with how you are caring for it.
To improve the blooming situation of your alyssum, you should identify the problem and then understand the best solution to solve the problem. To guide you, read about the 6 most common reasons for alyssum not blooming.
#1- Fertilizer Problems leading to Alyssum not blooming
Applying fertilizer to your alyssum when it’s not flowering, might seem to be the logical thing to do. Many people do this in an attempt to induce flowering. However, the desired effects will not be visible.
Too much fertilizer will stimulate growth, alright! But not the growth you expect. Instead of growth and development, the foliage will grow profusely. For Alyssum to bloom, apply only a minimal amount of fertilizer.
Solutions
If your alyssum plant is not blooming and has been in the same site for a very long time, a lack of fertilizer could be to blame. Fertilize alyssum plants shortly before the blooming season to improve the chances of appealing and long-lasting blooms.
A commercial flower fertilizer will do the trick. Nitrogen can cause the Alyssum to have wonderful green leaves but not bloom. What the plant needs is a bloom booster fertilizer with a more even mineral ratio.
We recommend J R Peters Jacks Classic No.4 10-30-20 Blossom Booster Fertilizer for assisting Alyssum to bloom.
#2- Overly Wet Soil
Alyssums prefer soils that are well-draining. Therefore, any water retaining soils, such as bogs and clay sands will cause problems. The most common being a lack of blooming.
Excessive wetness isn’t just because of soil. Too much cold and damp weather allows water to sit around the plant. These conditions then encourage root rot, crown rot, and other fungal diseases.
Further, knowing when to water alyssum through a simple feel test is essential. Other problems related to soil are pH levels and fertility, with the latter being not so important as the former.
Solutions
Try as much as you can to offer some protection from damp weather beforehand. It will save your plant and preserve its ability to bloom.
Alyssum plants need an inch of water per week, so do not overwater, though they are quite hardy plants. When watering your container of alyssum, first check that the top 2 inches of the soil are dry before you water it.
Container plants should have drainage holes at the bottom and the soil mix must be well-draining.
It is best to keep the soil pH between 6 and 7 when growing alyssum plants as they may not be so fond of very acidic or alkaline soils.
NOTE- If you do plant alyssum in pots be sure to water them more frequently as they will dry out faster than ground-grown alyssum plants. But, water according to feel.
#3- Too Much Shade
Alyssums are sun-loving plants, they do best in full sun and bloom best in sunny conditions. However, they do not mind being in the shade as long as the soil is well-draining and a minimum of 6 to 8 hours of sunlight is available to it.
What won’t do is full sun or even the majority of the day in the shade. You might ask why not give these plants more shade than the sun? The answer being they won’t be able to carry out enough photosynthesis to support survival let alone growth.
Shade is only most appropriate in the hottest part of the day, usually in the afternoon.
Solution
Before you plant your alyssum, watch the area around the clock to find out what the sun pattern is like. Ideally, plant alyssum in a spot that receives morning sun and afternoon shade.
Failure to find the right spot with enough sunlight will ultimately be a core reason for alyssum not blooming!
Make sure your alyssum is at least getting more than 6 to 8 hours of sunlight every day as this is most optimal for these plants. If you don’t have a suitable spot in the garden, you should consider growing alyssum in the pots so that it can be moved around throughout the day.
#4- Lack of Water
Just as excessive water can cause blooming problems in alyssum, so can a lack of water. Water is a valuable resource necessary for growth as well as blooming. With water shortages, alyssum may not bloom!
An alyssum plant probably won’t even grow anymore without water. So, flowering will be completely out of the question. Water is a core ingredient in most chemical reactions occurring within a plant’s cells.
Solution
Watering is one of the most crucial care activities necessary for alyssum to bloom. Poor watering is one of the leading reasons for alyssum not blooming.
This is sad to see, especially since a simple soil test can distinguish between dry and moist soil. Simply feel the soil’s top 2-3 inches and deduce whether it needs watering or not. Only water the soil if it feels more dry than wet or else let it dry out further.
NOTE- Avoid overwatering at all costs as it will lead to no flowering and the possible death of your alyssum plant.
#5- Hottest Part of Summer
You will find your alyssum wilting if it is being starved of water during the heat of summer.
When watering your plants you should take into consideration whether the plant is in full sun. If this is the case, it will require more water. Plants that have a part to full shade might not need as much water as those in full sun.
Besides this, you must also acknowledge the average temperatures over summer. Extreme temperatures are becoming more and more of a common situation with global warming. Gardeners need to know how to deal with it now rather than later.
Solution
In cases of heatwaves, high temperatures may require unordinary watering efforts from you.
Sometimes, wilting and leaf-burning will be unavoidable if the plants are left outside. Bring them indoors if sweltering heat is approaching and be sure to try to keep temperatures low indoors.
Try misting the plants often, but be careful of fungal infections.
#6- Not Deadheading Spent Blooms
Wondering why everyone else is getting continuous blooming or at least two while you have one? Not deadheading your spent blooms could be the reason for this dilemma.
But, you will be glad to hear that this can be easily fixed by cutting off the flowers a bit before they die.
Remember to do this sooner rather than later as you run the chances of the plant dropping seeds and spreading. This is not great if you don’t want the plant to consume more space!
Solution
Deadhead dying alyssum flowers induce more blooming throughout the flowering season. Leaving the flower heads on will draw all the energy towards these flowers and will induce seed formation.
Once seeds are formed and dropped, the plant won’t have much energy and reason to bloom or be alive for that matter!
FAQs
How Long Does It Take For Alyssum To Bloom?
So suppose you are growing alyssum from seeds like everyone else. How long does it take for alyssum to bloom?
The most common period for alyssum to bloom is 6 to 8 weeks in ideal conditions. But, we know some gardens and their conditions can sometimes take a bit longer. In this case, consider it to be 8 to 10 weeks.
We assume you will be able to create ideal conditions for this plant in which case 6 to 8 weeks is enough.
How do you get Alyssum to bloom?
If you want alyssum to bloom, give them everything they need. This includes well-watered fertilized soil and a position favored by morning sun and afternoon shade. Also, sometimes a pruning can help induce growth and blooming as well.
Conclusion
Understandably, seeing everyone else’s alyssum plants still in bloom while your alyssum is not blooming is not fun. It will immediately cause you to rethink everything you have been doing for your alyssum plant until now.
The most common reasons for your alyssum not blooming are:
- Fertilizer quantity
- Wet soil
- Excessive shade
- Lack of water
- Extreme heat
- Lack of deadheading
But, once you figure out the reason for alyssum not blooming, you can then solve it accordingly. I guess next year you can expect your alyssum to bloom, and possibly more than once with deadheading.
