Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Dryopteris dilatata 'Crispa Whiteside' bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Crispa Whiteside Buckler Fern (Dryopteris dilatata 'Crispa Whiteside').
More about dryopteris dilatata 'crispa whiteside'
About Dryopteris dilatata 'Crispa Whiteside'
Dryopteris dilatata 'Crispa Whiteside' · also called Crispa Whiteside Buckler Fern · flowering
Dryopteris dilatata 'Crispa Whiteside' is a handsome, semi-evergreen selection of the broad buckler fern with broad, crested, crisped fronds that give a fuller, more textured shuttlecock. An AGM-worthy garden fern, it shares the species' toughness and shade tolerance while offering richer, wavy-margined foliage. Ideal for moist, shaded borders, woodland edges, and large containers in cool gardens.
Plant type: flowering
The reasons dryopteris dilatata 'crispa whiteside' isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming dryopteris dilatata 'crispa whiteside' 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 dryopteris dilatata 'crispa whiteside' 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 dryopteris dilatata 'crispa whiteside' to flower
- Maximise sun. Give dryopteris dilatata 'crispa whiteside' 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 dryopteris dilatata 'crispa whiteside' and get the feeding right with the dryopteris dilatata 'crispa whiteside' 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
Dryopteris dilatata 'Crispa Whiteside' 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 dryopteris dilatata 'crispa whiteside' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Dryopteris dilatata 'Crispa Whiteside' blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my dryopteris dilatata 'crispa whiteside' flower?
Dryopteris dilatata 'Crispa Whiteside' 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 dryopteris dilatata 'crispa whiteside' bloom?
Give dryopteris dilatata 'crispa whiteside' 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 dryopteris dilatata 'crispa whiteside' normally bloom?
Dryopteris dilatata 'Crispa Whiteside' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.
What should I do with dryopteris dilatata 'crispa whiteside' after it flowers?
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.
What is the single biggest mistake stopping dryopteris dilatata 'crispa whiteside' flowering?
Feeding dryopteris dilatata 'crispa whiteside' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Dryopteris dilatata 'Crispa Whiteside' care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Dryopteris dilatata 'Crispa Whiteside' light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Dryopteris dilatata 'Crispa Whiteside' fertilising — the right feed for buds, not just leaves
- Should I water my plant? The simple check
- Why is my plant wilting? Wet vs dry
- Underwatered plant — signs and rehydration
- Why won't my peace lily bloom?
- Why won't my jade plant bloom?
- Why won't my tomato bloom?
- All 2023 bloom guides in the Growli library