Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Side Oats Grama bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called side oats grama, tall grama grass (Bouteloua curtipendula).

More about side oats grama

About Side Oats Grama

Bouteloua curtipendula · also called side oats grama, tall grama grass · flowering

Side oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) is a tough, warm-season North American prairie grass named for the small oat-like seed spikes that dangle along one side of its arching stems. Fine blue-green foliage turns warm bronze and tan in autumn, and tiny purple-and-orange flowers add interest in summer. Exceptionally drought-tolerant, it is a backbone of native meadows, prairies and low-water plantings.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons side oats grama isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming side oats grama 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 side oats grama 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 side oats grama to flower

Maximise sun. Give side oats grama 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 side oats grama and get the feeding right with the side oats grama 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

Side Oats Grama 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 side oats grama care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Side Oats Grama blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my side oats grama flower?

Side Oats Grama 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 side oats grama bloom?

Give side oats grama 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 side oats grama normally bloom?