Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Silver Feather Grass bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Silberfeder miscanthus, Silver Feather maiden grass, Japanese silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Silberfeder').

More about silver feather grass

About Silver Feather Grass

Miscanthus sinensis 'Silberfeder' · also called Silberfeder miscanthus, Silver Feather maiden grass · flowering

Silver Feather Grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Silberfeder') is a tall, elegant ornamental grass producing large, feathery, silvery-pink plumes in late summer that turn creamy-white through winter. One of the earliest-flowering miscanthus cultivars, reliably blooming even in cooler UK summers. Vigorous and RHS Award of Garden Merit holder.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Failure to flower in cool summers: 'Silberfeder' is one of the earliest-flowering cultivars but very cold, sunless summers may delay bloom. Site in the warmest position available.

The reasons silver feather grass isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming silver feather 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 silver feather 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 silver feather grass to flower

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

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

Silver Feather Grass blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my silver feather grass flower?

Silver Feather 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 silver feather grass bloom?

Give silver feather 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 silver feather grass normally bloom?