Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Great Solomon's Seal bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Great Solomon's Seal, Giant Solomon's Seal, Smooth Great Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum commutatum).

More about great solomon's seal

About Great Solomon's Seal

Polygonatum commutatum · also called Great Solomon's Seal, Giant Solomon's Seal · flowering

The giant of the Solomon's seal genus, producing statuesque arching stems up to 2 m tall with large oval leaves and clusters of 2-8 pendulous greenish-white bells in late spring. Native to moist, rich lowland woods of central and eastern North America. Dramatic accent for large shade gardens and woodland borders. Hardy to USDA zone 3.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons great solomon's seal isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming great solomon's seal 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 great solomon's seal 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 great solomon's seal to flower

Maximise sun. Give great solomon's seal 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 great solomon's seal and get the feeding right with the great solomon's seal 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

Great Solomon's Seal 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 great solomon's seal care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Great Solomon's Seal blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my great solomon's seal flower?

Great Solomon's Seal 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 great solomon's seal bloom?

Give great solomon's seal 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 great solomon's seal normally bloom?