Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Blonde Ambition Blue Grama bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called blonde ambition grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition').

More about blonde ambition blue grama

About Blonde Ambition Blue Grama

Bouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition' · also called blonde ambition grama grass · flowering

'Blonde Ambition' is a robust selection of blue grama with blue-green foliage and oversized, chartreuse-to-blonde horizontal seed heads that catch low light and persist into winter. Larger and showier than the species, this drought-tough, warm-season prairie grass shines in sunny borders and xeriscapes, needing only full sun and free-draining soil to thrive.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons blonde ambition blue grama isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming blonde ambition blue grama 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 blonde ambition blue grama 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 blonde ambition blue grama to flower

Maximise sun. Give blonde ambition blue grama 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 blonde ambition blue grama and get the feeding right with the blonde ambition blue grama 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

Blonde Ambition Blue Grama 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 blonde ambition blue grama care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Blonde Ambition Blue Grama blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my blonde ambition blue grama flower?

Blonde Ambition Blue Grama 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 blonde ambition blue grama bloom?

Give blonde ambition blue grama 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 blonde ambition blue grama normally bloom?