Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Hosta 'Krossa Regal' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Krossa Regal hosta, Vase hosta, Regal hosta (Hosta 'Krossa Regal').

More about hosta 'krossa regal'

About Hosta 'Krossa Regal'

Hosta 'Krossa Regal' · also called Krossa Regal hosta, Vase hosta · flowering

Hosta 'Krossa Regal' is a large, vase-shaped shade perennial with upright, deeply corrugated, powdery blue-grey leaves and exceptionally tall flower scapes bearing lavender blooms in midsummer. Its distinctive upright habit makes it one of the most architectural hostas available. Toxic to dogs and cats.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Sun bleaching of blue bloom: The powdery bloom is damaged irreversibly by strong sun. Ensure consistent shade from midday onward to preserve the blue-grey colour.

The reasons hosta 'krossa regal' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming hosta 'krossa regal' 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 hosta 'krossa regal' 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 hosta 'krossa regal' to flower

Maximise sun. Give hosta 'krossa regal' 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 hosta 'krossa regal' and get the feeding right with the hosta 'krossa regal' 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

Hosta 'Krossa Regal' 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 hosta 'krossa regal' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Hosta 'Krossa Regal' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my hosta 'krossa regal' flower?

Hosta 'Krossa Regal' 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 hosta 'krossa regal' bloom?

Give hosta 'krossa regal' 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 hosta 'krossa regal' normally bloom?