Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Gold Dew Tufted Hair Grass bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Gold dew tufted hair grass, Goldtau hair grass, Golden dew tufted hair grass (Deschampsia cespitosa 'Goldtau').

More about gold dew tufted hair grass

About Gold Dew Tufted Hair Grass

Deschampsia cespitosa 'Goldtau' · also called Gold dew tufted hair grass, Goldtau hair grass · flowering

Deschampsia cespitosa 'Goldtau' (meaning 'golden dew' in German) is an outstanding cultivar of tufted hair grass, a cool-season perennial grass native to meadows, moorland, and woodland edges across Europe, northern Asia, and North America. 'Goldtau' is prized for its massive clouds of golden-yellow summer flower panicles that catch and hold dew, glowing when backlit. It thrives in cool, moist conditions and grows actively in spring and autumn rather than the heat of summer. Deschampsia species are not listed as toxic to cats or dogs by the ASPCA.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons gold dew tufted hair grass isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming gold dew tufted hair 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 gold dew tufted hair 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 gold dew tufted hair grass to flower

Maximise sun. Give gold dew tufted hair 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 gold dew tufted hair grass and get the feeding right with the gold dew tufted hair 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

Gold Dew Tufted Hair 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 gold dew tufted hair grass care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Gold Dew Tufted Hair Grass blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my gold dew tufted hair grass flower?

Gold Dew Tufted Hair 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 gold dew tufted hair grass bloom?

Give gold dew tufted hair 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 gold dew tufted hair grass normally bloom?