Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Sheridan Spire Dawn Redwood bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Sheridan Spire Dawn Redwood, Sheridan Spire Metasequoia (Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Sheridan Spire').

More about sheridan spire dawn redwood

About Sheridan Spire Dawn Redwood

Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Sheridan Spire' · also called Sheridan Spire Dawn Redwood, Sheridan Spire Metasequoia · flowering

A strongly columnar selection of Dawn Redwood with a fastigiate, spire-like habit ideal for narrow spaces and formal gardens. Soft, bright-green feathery needles turn russet-orange in autumn before dropping, revealing elegant winter branch structure. More compact in spread than the species, it retains the same moisture tolerance and rapid growth rate.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons sheridan spire dawn redwood isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming sheridan spire dawn redwood 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 sheridan spire dawn redwood 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 sheridan spire dawn redwood to flower

Maximise sun. Give sheridan spire dawn redwood 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 sheridan spire dawn redwood and get the feeding right with the sheridan spire dawn redwood 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

Sheridan Spire Dawn Redwood 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 sheridan spire dawn redwood care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Sheridan Spire Dawn Redwood blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my sheridan spire dawn redwood flower?

Sheridan Spire Dawn Redwood 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 sheridan spire dawn redwood bloom?

Give sheridan spire dawn redwood 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 sheridan spire dawn redwood normally bloom?