Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Beni-kaze Hakone Grass bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called red wind hakone grass, beni-kaze japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Beni-kaze').

More about beni-kaze hakone grass

About Beni-kaze Hakone Grass

Hakonechloa macra 'Beni-kaze' · also called red wind hakone grass, beni-kaze japanese forest grass · flowering

Hakonechloa macra 'Beni-kaze', meaning 'red wind', is a green-leaved Japanese forest grass that turns striking shades of red, pink, and burgundy as autumn cools. Its arching blades cascade in soft mounds, thriving in part shade with rich, moist soil. A graceful deciduous grass valued for fiery seasonal colour in shaded borders and woodland plantings.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons beni-kaze hakone grass isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming beni-kaze hakone grass 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 beni-kaze hakone grass 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 beni-kaze hakone grass to flower

Maximise sun. Give beni-kaze hakone grass 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 beni-kaze hakone grass and get the feeding right with the beni-kaze hakone grass 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

Beni-kaze Hakone Grass 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 beni-kaze hakone grass care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Beni-kaze Hakone Grass blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my beni-kaze hakone grass flower?

Beni-kaze Hakone Grass 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 beni-kaze hakone grass bloom?

Give beni-kaze hakone grass 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 beni-kaze hakone grass normally bloom?