Getting it to bloom

Why won't my little silver spider grass bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called little silver spider grass, small silver spider maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Kleine Silberspinne').

More about little silver spider grass

About little silver spider grass

Miscanthus sinensis 'Kleine Silberspinne' · also called little silver spider grass, small silver spider maiden grass · flowering

Miscanthus sinensis 'Kleine Silberspinne' is a compact ornamental grass with narrow, arching green leaves and distinctive silver-white, spidery plumes held on slender culms from late summer. It forms a tidy, upright clump suited to smaller gardens where full-sized Miscanthus would overwhelm. Excellent autumn colour with foliage turning gold and copper.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Failure to flower: Insufficient sun is the most common cause. Site in full sun; shaded plants produce vegetative growth but few plumes. Late-season cold snaps can also abort developing inflorescences.

The reasons little silver spider grass isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming little silver spider 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 little silver spider 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 little silver spider grass to flower

Maximise sun. Give little silver spider 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 little silver spider grass and get the feeding right with the little silver spider 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

little silver spider 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 little silver spider grass care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

little silver spider grass blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my little silver spider grass flower?

little silver spider 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 little silver spider grass bloom?

Give little silver spider 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 little silver spider grass normally bloom?