When you grow flowering plants, the hardest part of the whole process can be waiting for them to bloom. You planted flowers, so you want to see colorful blooms as soon as possible. All plants must reach a certain level of maturity before they start to delight you with their beautiful flowers, but you can help to speed them along and help them to produce more flowers if you plant them in the right place, give them the conditions they need, and apply fertilizer at appropriate times.
Plant your flowering plants according to their needs. For example, wait until after the final spring frost before you plant; make certain the plant will receive the correct amount of sunlight or shade; water appropriately; and make sure your soil is rich and that it drains well.
Fertilize your flowering plants with a low-nitrogen or “blossom booster” fertilizer when they are still young but before they start to form buds. Any plant food with an N-P-K ratio with “0” as the first number will work, such as 0-10-10. Follow label instructions and mix your fertilizer in a watering can with the correct amount of water.
Feed your plant with the same fertilizer again when you begin to see buds forming. This can increase the number of blossoms that will occur later.
Continue applying low-nitrogen plant food throughout the plant’s blooming season to stimulate and increase blooming. Stop fertilizing in late summer if the plant is not a winter bloomer.
Snip off all spent flowers in the fall. If the plant is a perennial, begin to apply low-nitrogen fertilizer again in early spring.