Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Acer palmatum 'Dissectum' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Laceleaf Japanese Maple, Weeping Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum 'Dissectum').

More about acer palmatum 'dissectum'

About Acer palmatum 'Dissectum'

Acer palmatum 'Dissectum' · also called Laceleaf Japanese Maple, Weeping Japanese Maple · flowering

The classic laceleaf or weeping Japanese maple, with finely dissected, fern-like green foliage on cascading branches forming a low, mounded dome. Spring and summer leaves are fresh green, turning gold, orange and red in autumn. Slow-growing and elegant, it is a long-lived specimen for sheltered borders, Japanese gardens and large containers in dappled light.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons acer palmatum 'dissectum' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming acer palmatum 'dissectum' traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding acer palmatum 'dissectum' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get acer palmatum 'dissectum' to flower

Maximise sun. Give acer palmatum 'dissectum' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for acer palmatum 'dissectum' and get the feeding right with the acer palmatum 'dissectum' fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Acer palmatum 'Dissectum' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full acer palmatum 'dissectum' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Acer palmatum 'Dissectum' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my acer palmatum 'dissectum' flower?

Acer palmatum 'Dissectum' blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make acer palmatum 'dissectum' bloom?

Give acer palmatum 'dissectum' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does acer palmatum 'dissectum' normally bloom?