Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Dahlia 'Boom Boom White' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Boom Boom White dahlia, white ball dahlia, pom-pom dahlia (Dahlia 'Boom Boom White').

More about dahlia 'boom boom white'

About Dahlia 'Boom Boom White'

Dahlia 'Boom Boom White' · also called Boom Boom White dahlia, white ball dahlia · flowering

Dahlia 'Boom Boom White' is a tuberous dahlia bearing rounded, fully double pure-white ball blooms on upright stems from midsummer to frost. Ideal for cutting and white-themed borders, it grows from a tender tuber lifted or mulched over winter in cold regions. It needs full sun, rich free-draining soil, steady water and routine deadheading.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Earwigs spoiling white petals: Earwig damage is especially visible on white blooms. Trap them in upturned, straw-filled pots on canes and remove daily.

The reasons dahlia 'boom boom white' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming dahlia 'boom boom white' 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 dahlia 'boom boom white' 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 dahlia 'boom boom white' to flower

Maximise sun. Give dahlia 'boom boom white' 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 dahlia 'boom boom white' and get the feeding right with the dahlia 'boom boom white' 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

Dahlia 'Boom Boom White' 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 dahlia 'boom boom white' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Dahlia 'Boom Boom White' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my dahlia 'boom boom white' flower?

Dahlia 'Boom Boom White' 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 dahlia 'boom boom white' bloom?

Give dahlia 'boom boom white' 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 dahlia 'boom boom white' normally bloom?