What to Do When Baby's Breath Doesn't Bloom

Baby's breath (Gypsophila paniculata) lends an ethereal touch to live or dried floral arrangements. It also makes a delicately attractive garden specimen, but only if you live in certain areas -- it is listed as a noxious weed in California and Washington due to its invasive properties. In addition, the plant contains mild toxins that can cause allergic symptoms or dermatitis. Several factors cause baby's breath to fail to bloom, but many can be easily remedied.

Consider the Climate

Baby's breath prefers the cooler temperatures of U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 8, but a late spring frost can damage any plant's tender flower buds. This is especially true of flowers that start blooming in March or April, as baby's breath does. If you had a late spring hard freeze this year, chances are the buds -- including the buds on your baby's breath -- were damaged, preventing blooming. Because these plants continue to bloom until August, cut the plant back to the graft union, which is a "joint" on the stem, and the plant should rebloom. In fact, cutting the plant back about every 30 days will help it continue to bloom.

Check the Graft Union

Baby's breath has several cultivars. One in particular, "Bristol Fairy," is quite common. This double-flowered variety is hardy in USDA zones 3 through 9. "Bristol Fairy" and other double-flowered varieties are grafted onto single-flowered rootstock, according to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension. Although the recommendation is to cut the plant back to promote flowering, if you cut it beyond the graft union -- which usually presents as a knob or joint on the stem -- it will not continue to bloom. If you cut back your shrub and it's not blooming, it's possible you cut it back too far. In that case, you may consider removing it.

Give It Sun

This plant loves the sun -- so much so that it requires full sunlight and long days to bloom. In fact, it needs 14 hours of daylight to bloom well, according to Michigan State University's Plant Encyclopedia. If your days are short because you live in the far north, or if the plant is shaded for much of the day, it may not bloom properly or at all. Provide plenty of sun exposure for your baby's breath to remedy this problem.

Dry Out the Soil

Baby's breath thrives in soil that is on the dry side. In fact, it tolerates drought better than it tolerates overly wet soil which can lead to root rot and other fungal diseases. The soil should drain well. If this plant is in a location where water tends to collect and spends the winter with wet feet, it may not survive. Come spring, it will not bloom at all. Make sure containers hosting baby's breath have drainage holes in the base, and that flowers grown in the garden have well-drained soil.

Protect Against Fungi

Baby's breath is not usually bothered by insect pests or serious diseases, but it can be affected by botrytis. This fungus spreads on water and often affects plants during warm, wet spring weather. The gray, fuzzy mold can cover new buds, causing them to fail to open, although it usually affects fading flowers. To prevent botrytis, water at the soil level to avoid getting the flowers and foliage wet, and make sure air is allowed to circulate around your plant. Baby's breath is also sometimes infected with yellow asters, but this virus causes the flowers and foliage to turn yellow and become deformed rather than preventing the bush from blooming entirely. Unfortunately, the disease is not reversible and you should remove infected plants.

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