Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Southern Japanese Hemlock (Tsuga sieboldii).

More about southern japanese hemlock

About Southern Japanese Hemlock

Tsuga sieboldii · also called Southern Japanese Hemlock · flowering

Southern Japanese Hemlock is a graceful, slow-growing evergreen conifer native to low-altitude forests of southern Japan. More heat-tolerant than its northern counterpart, it adapts well to temperate gardens with partial shade and consistent moisture. Its layered, pendulous branches and glossy needles make it a handsome specimen or bonsai subject.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons southern japanese hemlock isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming southern japanese hemlock 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 southern japanese hemlock 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 southern japanese hemlock to flower

Maximise sun. Give southern japanese hemlock 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 southern japanese hemlock and get the feeding right with the southern japanese hemlock 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

Southern Japanese Hemlock 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 southern japanese hemlock care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Southern Japanese Hemlock blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my southern japanese hemlock flower?

Southern Japanese Hemlock 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 southern japanese hemlock bloom?

Give southern japanese hemlock 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 southern japanese hemlock normally bloom?