It’s always a bit of a disappointment to get excited about new blooms on a plant, only for them to quickly fall right off. What gives? You are so careful to provide the ideal lighting, water, etc. As it turns out, there are quite a few things that can cause perfectly healthy blooms on a plant to fall off. Fortunately, you can nip this in the bud with just a bit of know-how.

  • An Imbalance in Watering

There are many reasons that plants require a balance in watering, from preventing pests and molds to simply continuing to thrive and grow. An imbalance in water cannot only cause a plant to succumb to illness, but it can also cause flowers that were perfectly healthy to fall right off. Ideally, and especially for flowering plants and their sensitive blooms, the soil should not be allowed to become too dry, or soak.

  • The Blooms Didn’t Get Pollinated

Flower pollination

Along with sunlight and water, a lack of pollination is the main thing that will cause healthy blooms to fall off. This is what flowers exist for, and if their window is missed, they will fade and simply drop off. Many of the factors on this list can cause a lack of pollination; it’s quite a common culprit, and definitely one of the first things you’ll want to check.

  • It’s Too Hot or Too Cold

Fluctuating temperatures tend to cause plants a great deal of stress, which in turn can cause the blooms to fall off. To avoid this unfortunate outcome, move flowering plants indoors during overly cold or hot weather! Don’t place your plants too close to a south-facing or bright window (it can get hot). Also, try not to go crazy on the cooler. A moderately warm-cool temperature, such as 60-80° F, should do the trick.

  • An Imbalance in the Fertilizer

In the wild, plants receive plenty of natural compost from leaves, dropping, dead bugs, and other debris. Houseplants and garden plants tend to need a bit more consideration as far as fertilizer. They must have sufficient potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorous, but not an excess, either. For the healthiest plant and the hardiest blooms, a balance is called for.

  • Wind

A plant on the windowsill

Wind contributes to the loss of flowers in a couple of ways. First, strong enough wind can actually blow the healthy blooms right off. Second, it can inhibit pollinators from reaching your flowers - the main reason flowers prematurely fall off. If you live somewhere that experiences a lot of wind, you may wish to move any flowering plants to somewhere sheltered from the worst of it.

  • Too Much or Too Little Sunlight

As you’re sure to know, sunlight plays a pivotal role in plant health. This applies not only to healthy growth and color but also to a plant’s ability to flower. Without enough light, any blossoms a plant might produce are almost certain to fall off.  Ample sunlight is key to ensuring the proper production of flowers, and the maintenance of those blossoms, so you can enjoy them for longer. 

  • Male Blooms Fall Off Faster

Did you know that all plants produce both male and female flowers? While you may not be able to tell the difference on the surface, this difference causes some flowers to fruit – and some to fall off. Even in non-fruiting plants, male flowers tend to fall off faster! 

  • The Improper pH Level

The improper pH level can harm your plants in a few ways, one of which is causing perfectly sound blossoms to fall off. If you think this could be a possibility, consider purchasing a pH tester. This will tell you the pH level so you know whether it needs to be adjusted to the proper pH.

  • The Dead Blossoms Need to Be Pinched Off

Did you know that pinching old, dead blooms from a plant will encourage more to grow? This is because the plant will waste less energy trying to sustain these spent flowers. If a plant is covered in dead flowers, new flowers may have trouble thriving and can even potentially drop off. 
Try not to leave dead flowers on your plants, whenever possible, and see what a difference it can make. You’ll likely observe more flowers on the plant than before, and they should also last longer.

  • Blooms May Not Last as Long in Houseplants

Sometimes, inducing indoor houseplants to flower is difficult. There’s not as much light as there is outside, for one. Pollinators will also not be able to reach them – one of the main reasons healthy blooms fall off. While providing more light, etc. can help, you may find that outdoor flowering plants have more luck.

  • Transplant or Relocation Shock

If you have a flowering plant that you’ve just repotted or relocated indoors or outdoors, its blooms are almost certain to fall off. This is so stressful for them (although necessary), that for a little while they will go into shock. It may take a week or two for the plant to fully recover! Once it’s feeling better, the plant should continue blossoming as normal (assuming it is still blooming time, etc.).