Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Giant Sequoia 'Blauer Eichzwerg' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called dwarf giant sequoia, blue dwarf sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum 'Blauer Eichzwerg').

More about giant sequoia 'blauer eichzwerg'

About Giant Sequoia 'Blauer Eichzwerg'

Sequoiadendron giganteum 'Blauer Eichzwerg' · also called dwarf giant sequoia, blue dwarf sequoia · flowering

A true dwarf giant sequoia forming a slow, dense, irregular bun or low mound of intensely blue-grey awl-shaped foliage. Unlike the towering species, it stays small for decades, making it a choice plant for rock gardens, troughs, containers and small conifer borders where the blue colour and compact texture stand out.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons giant sequoia 'blauer eichzwerg' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming giant sequoia 'blauer eichzwerg' 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 giant sequoia 'blauer eichzwerg' 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 giant sequoia 'blauer eichzwerg' to flower

Maximise sun. Give giant sequoia 'blauer eichzwerg' 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 giant sequoia 'blauer eichzwerg' and get the feeding right with the giant sequoia 'blauer eichzwerg' 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

Giant Sequoia 'Blauer Eichzwerg' 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 giant sequoia 'blauer eichzwerg' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Giant Sequoia 'Blauer Eichzwerg' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my giant sequoia 'blauer eichzwerg' flower?

Giant Sequoia 'Blauer Eichzwerg' 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 giant sequoia 'blauer eichzwerg' bloom?

Give giant sequoia 'blauer eichzwerg' 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 giant sequoia 'blauer eichzwerg' normally bloom?