Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Chinese Flowering Quince bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Chinese Flowering Quince, Japanese Quince Bonsai (Chaenomeles speciosa).

More about chinese flowering quince

About Chinese Flowering Quince

Chaenomeles speciosa · also called Chinese Flowering Quince, Japanese Quince Bonsai · flowering

Chinese flowering quince is a deciduous, spring-flowering shrub prized in bonsai for waxy scarlet-to-pink blooms borne on bare, thorny branches before the leaves. It flowers on old wood, tolerates hard pruning, and sets small fragrant quince fruit. Grow it outdoors in full sun with a cold dormancy; it is not an indoor plant.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Few or no flowers: Usually from too much shade or pruning at the wrong time. Quince blooms on old wood, so pruning hard right after flowering preserves next season's buds; pruning in late summer or winter removes them.

The reasons chinese flowering quince isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming chinese flowering quince 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 chinese flowering quince 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 chinese flowering quince to flower

Maximise sun. Give chinese flowering quince 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 chinese flowering quince and get the feeding right with the chinese flowering quince 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

Chinese Flowering Quince 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 chinese flowering quince care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Chinese Flowering Quince blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my chinese flowering quince flower?

Chinese Flowering Quince 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 chinese flowering quince bloom?

Give chinese flowering quince 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 chinese flowering quince normally bloom?