Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Netted Chain Fern bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Netted Chain Fern, Net-veined Chain Fern (Lorinseria areolata).

More about netted chain fern

About Netted Chain Fern

Lorinseria areolata · also called Netted Chain Fern, Net-veined Chain Fern · flowering

The netted chain fern, Lorinseria areolata, is a deciduous North American wetland fern that spreads by creeping rhizomes to form colonies in acidic, boggy ground. Its sterile fronds resemble a small sensitive fern, with a distinctive net-veined pattern, while the slender fertile fronds stand erect. Ideal for pond margins and rain gardens in shade.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons netted chain fern isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming netted chain fern 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 netted chain fern 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 netted chain fern to flower

Maximise sun. Give netted chain fern 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 netted chain fern and get the feeding right with the netted chain fern 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

Netted Chain Fern 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 netted chain fern care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Netted Chain Fern blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my netted chain fern flower?

Netted Chain Fern 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 netted chain fern bloom?

Give netted chain fern 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 netted chain fern normally bloom?