Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Lobbi Japanese Cedar bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Lobbi Japanese Cedar, Lobbii Japanese Cedar, Cryptomeria 'Lobbii' (Cryptomeria japonica 'Lobbii').

More about lobbi japanese cedar

About Lobbi Japanese Cedar

Cryptomeria japonica 'Lobbii' · also called Lobbi Japanese Cedar, Lobbii Japanese Cedar · flowering

Cryptomeria japonica 'Lobbii' is a stately, fast-growing cultivar of Japanese Cedar with densely arranged, bright green foliage and a strongly conical to columnar habit. It is more compact than the species type, with tightly clustered branchlets. Suitable for large gardens and parks in temperate oceanic climates with high rainfall.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons lobbi japanese cedar isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming lobbi japanese cedar 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 lobbi japanese cedar 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 lobbi japanese cedar to flower

Maximise sun. Give lobbi japanese cedar 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 lobbi japanese cedar and get the feeding right with the lobbi japanese cedar 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

Lobbi Japanese Cedar 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 lobbi japanese cedar care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Lobbi Japanese Cedar blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my lobbi japanese cedar flower?

Lobbi Japanese Cedar 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 lobbi japanese cedar bloom?

Give lobbi japanese cedar 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 lobbi japanese cedar normally bloom?