Flowering plants, practical guide
Plant food for flowering plants.
Baskets, patio pots, borders and roses: what flowering plants need from a feed, when to start, and why more is not better.
- StartAbout six weeks after planting
- Pots and basketsFeed regularly
- Bloom1 or 2 capfuls, twice a week
Feeding flowering plants through the year
A general pattern for bedding, baskets and pots outdoors in the UK. Watch the plant, not the calendar.
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Spring
First feeds
Buds forming
Start as new growth and buds appear. New baskets and pots need about six weeks first, while the fresh compost carries them.
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Summer
Feed
Peak flowering
The main feeding window. Baskets and pots dry out and feed out fast, so this is when they need it most.
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Autumn
Ease off
Last flush
Ease off as flowering naturally slows. The RHS general rule is no feed after September.
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Winter
Rest
Resting
Most flowering plants need no feed over winter, and winter baskets need none.
Pots, borders or roses?
Where a plant grows changes how much feeding it needs.
Baskets and patio pots
Lots of flowers from a small amount of compost, and they dry out fast. Fresh compost holds food for about five or six weeks, then the plants rely on you. That is where regular feeding earns its keep.
- StartAbout six weeks after planting
- How oftenRegularly, by the label. Bloom: 1 or 2 capfuls in a watering can, twice a week
- WaterWater first, then feed
- StopNothing after September
Borders and bedding
Plants in the ground rarely need routine feeding, and a border that has been enriched with compost or a soil improver carries plants a long way. Bedding is hungrier. RHS advice ranges from a couple of feeds a season to something closer to fortnightly, so watch the plants and the weather.
- In the groundRarely need routine feeding
- BeddingHungrier, feed as it flowers
- First moveImprove the soil before planting
Roses
Roses in the ground do well with a feed in March to April and another in mid-summer, after the first flush of flowers. Roses in pots want feeding more often, about fortnightly, with a general feed until the buds form and then one higher in potash.
- In the groundMarch to April, and again after the first flush
- In potsAbout fortnightly through the season
- After buds formA feed higher in potash
Feed the flowers, not just the leaves
Nitrogen drives leaf and stem growth. Potassium, or potash, supports flowering, fruiting and toughness in the cold. That is why feeds made for flowers lean towards potash, and why a leafy feed can give you a lush plant with few blooms.
It also works the other way: feeding a plant before it has any buds will not make it flower sooner. Feed supports a plant that is able to flower. It cannot create that ability from nothing, and it cannot make up for too little light.
Tomato feed on flowers?
Many gardeners do. The RHS recommends a high-potash feed such as tomato feed for roses once buds form, for bulbs after flowering, and for summer bedding. For our own range, Bloom is the feed made for flowering plants.
Four ways to lose the flowers
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Mistake 1
Feeding before there are buds
It will not make a plant flower sooner.
InsteadFeed as buds form and while it flowers.
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Mistake 2
Too much leafy feed
Lots of nitrogen gives leaf at the expense of flowers.
InsteadUse a feed that supports flowering.
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Mistake 3
Feeding dry compost
It can burn roots, and baskets dry out fast.
InsteadWater first, then feed.
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Mistake 4
Carrying on into winter
A resting plant cannot use the feed.
InsteadStop after September.
Bloom: Flowering Plant Food
Liquid feed for anything you grow outdoors for its flowers: hanging baskets, patio pots, borders and beds.
- How to useShake well, then mix one or two capfuls into a watering can and water on with a rose. Twice a week through the growing season, as it says on the label.
- Size1L bottle
- Also good to know100% natural, peat-free and made without synthetic chemicals.
Questions people ask
Can I use Bloom on both indoor and outdoor flowering plants?
The label calls Bloom an outdoor plant feed, so that is how we would use it: baskets, pots, borders and beds. For houseplants, flowering or not, Tend is the one we make for indoors.
What is the difference between Bloom and Tend?
Tend is our houseplant food, for plants indoors. Bloom is for flowering plants outdoors: baskets, pots and borders. Two jobs, two colours.
Will Bloom make a plant flower if it currently is not?
Not on its own. Bloom supports a plant that is able to flower. It cannot fix an underlying issue like too little light, which is usually the real cause of a flowering plant that will not bloom.
Can I use tomato feed on flowers?
Many gardeners do, and the RHS suggests a high-potash feed for roses once buds form and for summer bedding. For our own range, use the feed made for the job: Bloom for flowering plants.
How often should I feed hanging baskets?
Regularly through the growing season, once the fresh compost has run out, about six weeks after planting. For Bloom, the label says one or two capfuls in a watering can, twice a week.
What should I know about pets and children?
Keep the bottle where children and pets cannot get at it, and follow the safety notes on the label. The label is the place to check for anything specific.
