Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Skimmia Temptation bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Temptation Skimmia (Skimmia japonica 'Temptation').

More about skimmia temptation

About Skimmia Temptation

Skimmia japonica 'Temptation' · also called Temptation Skimmia · flowering

Skimmia japonica 'Temptation' is a self-fertile evergreen shrub that produces large red berries without needing a separate male pollinator, plus red-budded winter panicles opening to fragrant spring flowers. Compact and shade-tolerant, it gives reliable autumn-to-winter colour in a single plant, ideal for shaded borders, pots, and winter container displays on acidic soil.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Poor berry crop: Although self-fertile, drought stress or hard pruning at the wrong time reduces fruiting; water consistently and prune only lightly after flowering.

The reasons skimmia temptation isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming skimmia temptation 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 skimmia temptation 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 skimmia temptation to flower

Maximise sun. Give skimmia temptation 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 skimmia temptation and get the feeding right with the skimmia temptation 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

Skimmia Temptation 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 skimmia temptation care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Skimmia Temptation blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my skimmia temptation flower?

Skimmia Temptation 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 skimmia temptation bloom?

Give skimmia temptation 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 skimmia temptation normally bloom?